Welcome to 2011

It seems like a good day for a blog post, first day of the year and all that. I am ready for this new year. I don't know that there is any greatly profound reason why, it's just a feeling that this year is the year I get my shit together. There are always so many things I want to accomplish in any given year, and the end of the year comes around and I find that I haven't accomplished as many of them as I would have liked. Not that I feel like I have failed in any way, things change and those things that seemed so important at the beginning of the year no longer take precendence, and why worry about the things you cannot change, anyway? So in this first hour of the first day of 2011, I can see all the possibilities in what lies ahead in this year.

Some of 2011 is already planned, so there are fun times to look forward to. In May, I will walk/jog in my 5th Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. It has become a tradition since 2006, our first year. I missed 2007 because Spencer was due the day of the race. I probably should have gone anyway - she was 5 days late! In July, we're traveling to Minnesota with Mom to see where she grew up and learn more about her side of the family. We've never been there with her. We'll also have a reunion with my dad's side of the family and celebrate my oldest brother's 50th birthday. Can't wait for May and July to roll around!

And of course, there are the resolutions we're supposed to make every new year. I can never decide if I want to make them or not, and when I do, I make half-hearted resolutions that last about 2 weeks and then are forgotten in the daily grind. Perhaps if they weren't called resolutions it would make them last longer. Okay, goals then. I will set goals for myself instead. So what do I want to do? What do I want to see happen for myself in 2011? Let's take a look....

-- Complete the Bay to Breakers 12K in under 2 hours
-- Lose 20-25 pounds before the Bay to Breakers
-- Pay off the SUV and the last credit card
-- Pay down my student loans
-- Finish the work on the front yard
-- Plan better
-- Procrastinate less
-- Achieve a better work/life balance
-- Drink more water
-- Allow myself time to read
-- Walk, hike, and swim more
-- Blog more consistently

Welcome to 2011 - there sure is a lot to be done!