MMXII

It’s that time of year again. As I mentioned in my last update, you should be feeling guilty about what wasn’t accomplished in the previous year. But with the first week of January well underway, there’s an opportunity for new beginnings. Fresh starts! Expect that January is simply a month that ends in Y… does it really have to be the only time of year to set goals, ridicule our failures and set unreasonable expectations?!

So in proper hypocritical fashion, I’ve decided to give myself a few goals (read: resolutions… I just don’t want to call them resolutions). Goals can be measurable and there will be clear evidence as to whether or not I meet these goals.

Update my blog at least once a month

I’ve quickly learned that I’m a fair-weather blogger and a little flighty at times with my updates. When I blogged years ago, it was primarily for the purpose of online journaling and connecting with friends (ironically a lot of my friends I knew in real life, but so much has changed with the power of social media).

Now, I find my blogging is more focusing on topics that are if not related to my profession, are around my hobbies or more in depth than the days of Livejournal where you ranted about a bad day and hit “update”. I think Facebook has really taken over that medium and filled the void for many of us.

I should be able to write more blog updates. I want to write more, but what’s the logic in trying to force out updates that may feel forced or pressured to deliver? It’s best if I write when inspired… I just need to avoid using that as a way of excusing a lack of updates.

Seriously Virginia. At least 12 updates a year shouldn’t be that hard. With this update, I’ve already taken care of one; only 11 more to go! ;)

Read at least six professional books

This may not sound like a lofty goal, but I have to confess that I really don’t read enough. Perhaps it’s the ADHD that distracts me from settling into a good book, or maybe I just dawdle when getting ready for bed and before I know it, it’s really too late to read before falling asleep. No matter what the excuse, I want to read more. At the rate I’m going, I have more books  and ebooks than I’ll read in my lifetime! And while I do have a fair number of books, I really don’t have as many as you would think when I’m giving myself a 50-60 year deadline.

I want to read the following books this year:

• The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton, PhD (this was recommended by a senior leader and I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts once finished)
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (so ashamed I haven’t read this yet)
• Twitterville by Shel Israel (I’ve met Shel and he even signed my book… yet I haven’t read it. Shameful)
• Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel (I’m probably one of the few who hasn’t read this, despite the fact that I’ve met Joel and he signed my book… does it make me a fangirl to get books signed up not read them?! Oh dear)
• Wikinomics by  Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams (don’t dare judge me! I almost didn’t publicly add this to the list because its pathetic I haven’t taken care of this one… I said I had a lot of books. Stop judging)
• Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (this was recommended by a certain past associate director who’s awesome and insisted that this go on my reading list. I’ll let you know what I think when I finish Ivan).

I plan to read much more than just these six, but I have a lot of marketing, communications and social media books and need to try and get focused. Having a list to check off will help.

Oh crap. I just noticed that I also have Naked Conversations by Shel Israel and it too is sign, but unread. Perhaps it will be added as a bonus book for 2012. I really am a book fangirl. Oy!

Go to the gym more than twice a month

Wow… this is a really sad reflection on my work out regiment of 2010. Twice a month?! That’s it? Well after how sick and busy I was in the fall, I don’t want to declare that I’ll be there multiple times a week, only to have myself deflated my a quick failure. This is more of a minimum and not a “well that will be good enough, right?”

Look out The Works! You’ll be seeing me more in 2012!

I’m actually out of the country for all of March and part of April, so I’ll have to figure out some way of being active while away. It won’t involve getting a Taiwan gym membership, but there are other things I can do.

Clean out my sock drawer!

This is my low hanging fruit in the group. The under-acheiver. The easy high-five to make yourself feel good. It’s when you add something to your to-do list that’s nice and easy so that you have that satisfying moment of crossing it off your list.

And this is less of a goal and more a necessity. My sock drawer is over flowing with too many socks I rarely wear and far, far too many mismatches and leftovers of socks whose partner has gone rogue.

Who’s taking best that this the goal I avoid the most?!

Have you made any resolutions or goal for 2012? If not, feel free to share why!