I started this ritual in 2004--rather than making New Year's resolutions, I make a list of things to do in the coming year. That way, it's less of an ongoing thing and more something I can stretch out over the full year. In 2004, it was 104 things. In 2005, 105. And so on.
This year, I mentioned my list at a New Year's Eve party, and many people expressed interest in it; therefore I decided to post it here. I don't really intend to keep a running tally of completed items on my blog; I do this in my paper journal, but I may post a round-up at the end of the year.
That is, if we haven't all moved on to the next big thing. I mean, really. MySpace is so 2006. (Kidding.)
Personal Development
1. Make a sincere effort to introduce more calm into my life
2. Find a church I like; attend as needed
3. Personal
4. See my work in print under my own name, either in hard copy or online
5. Personal
6. Write a first draft of a novel, no matter how much it sucks
7. Take public transportation as often as possible
8. Write a letter to someone
9. Sew something
Household
10. Find an apartment I truly like
11. Cook one new thing each week; record in the cooking blog I set up and have hardly used
12. Cook one good thing from each cookbook, or throw it away
13. Make sushi
14. Give the FlyLady method a serious effort for at least one month
15. Do not leave dishes sitting in the sink overnight
16. Have a completely clean house on the 1st of every month
17. Personal
18. Have a completely clean car on the 1st of every month
19. Get my car washed every other month
20. Buy my produce at a farmers' market as often as possible
21. Buy local whenever possible
22. Plant an herb garden
23. Go antiquing
24. Make Christmas cookies
25. Put up and decorate a Christmas tree
Career/Education
26. Find a new job or make peace with the one I've got
27. Get organized at work and stay that way
28. Re-join WIN
29. Go to bed by 11 p.m. on work nights
30. Be on time to work every day
31. Take six classes and get As in at least four
32. Have all class assignments done two days before the due date
33. Do all reading for every class
Culture
34. Try a new restaurant (January)
35. Try a new restaurant (February)
36. Try a new restaurant (March)
37. Try a new restaurant (April)
38. Try a new restaurant (May)
39. Try a new restaurant (June)
40. Try a new restaurant (July)
41. Try a new restaurant (August)
42. Try a new restaurant (September)
43. Try a new restaurant (October)
44. Try a new restaurant (November)
45. Try a new restaurant (December)
46. Get my Netflix queue below 200
47. Go to a play
48. Go to an event at the Kennedy Center
49. Attend a formal gala
50. Go to an art museum
51. Attend a classical music concert
52. Join the Young Benefactors of the Smithsonian
53. Take a duck tour
Financial
54. Pay off all of my credit cards
55. Stick to a strict budget
56. Record all money spent
57. Roll my Fidelity plan over into the new IRA
58. Have my taxes done by March 1
59. Deposit my tax refund directly into my IRA
60. Have $400 in my vacation fund by the end of the year
61. Withdraw money for the week on Mondays; do not use debit card
62. Personal
63. Continue to make regular payments on my student loans despite the deferral
64. Personal
65. Personal
66. Do not use my credit cards at all, except for automatic payments that must be paid off every month
67. Make three charitable donations this year
68. Personal
69. Personal
Reading
70. Read four short stories per week.
71. Read a book on the beach
72. Read the entire Bible
73. January/February Classic: Pride and Prejudice
74. March/April Classic: Vanity Fair
75. May/June Classic: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
76. July/August Classic: Dubliners
77. September/October Classic: Frankenstein
78. November/December Classic: Don Quixote
79. Read the ALA's 2007 Notable Books
80. Read all of the Persephone books I own
81. Buy four more Persephone books
Health/Fitness
82. Get dental insurance
83. Handle my most pressing dental issues
84. Take my lunch at least 4 days a week
85. Limit eating out to once per week
86. Go to the gym at least once a week
87. Kayak three times this summer
88. Buy a bike
89. Personal
90. Wear a size 8
91. Ski at least once
92. Play tennis three times
Personal Care
93. Learn how to apply makeup
94. Wear a bikini
95. Personal
96. Find "my" perfume
97. Develop a skincare regimen that I stick to religiously
98. Get a haircut at least every three months
99. Get professionally fitted for a bra
100. Personal
101. Get a massage
102. Get a facial
Travel
103. Go away for the weekend by myself
104. Spend a weekend at the beach
105. Visit two states I've never been to before
106. Go camping
107. Visit Rochester twice
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