Last year, I didn’t so much as make a list of New Year’s resolutions as much as I put together a “To Do” list for the upcoming twelve months. I haven’t historically had much luck with resolutions so this was a psychological ploy to attack the procrastination and avoidance demons I live with on a daily basis. Unlike years past, I actually think I did a pretty good job of accomplishing my personal and professional goals in 2012. I suppose the only way to truly measure a man’s success is with a report card.
I have retrieved my list of goals and objectives from last year’s humor lifestyle piece entitled My New Year’s “To Do” List, published in the February 2012 issue of Alive Magazine. I will systematically go through each targeted task and give a check to those I accomplished and deny myself a check if I don’t feel there was significant evidence to support my effort or accomplishment. I can be pretty tough on myself so feel free to look away if it gets too ugly.
- Make More Money – I’m happy to say it was a better year for me financially in the field of commercial real estate. There was a little bit of trepidation during the first half of the year, but the market came on strong the second half thanks in part to the hiring surge in the technology industry. Perhaps you’re familiar with a few of these little companies; Twitter, Facebook, Salesforce.com, Google and Apple. They’re not my clients, but I wish they were. I supplemented my primary income this past year with a writing project you may have heard about (or not). I published my first book, Alive and Kickin’: Sideways views from an Upright Guy. I don’t want to say I am rolling in dough, but let’s just say the literary field is quiet lucrative, even if you only sell 10-15 first editions copies. A big check here.
- Get Out and Vote – I did get out the vote, several times at a variety of polling places to be precise. Sadly, my candidate didn’t win, (See my Donald Trump Presidential Conspiracy Manifesto on the Huffington Post website), so now I have elected (get it…..elected) to support President Obama’s efforts to fix the problems facing this great nation. Check!
- Read More – I don’t know that I read more, but I sure didn’t read any less thanks to People Magazine and the TV Guide. I even went so far as to read my first book on a tablet. Those iPad things may actually catch on eventually. Let me take this opportunity to suggest a couple of really good books from my library. For business, I highly recommend It’s Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff, and for pleasure, you might enjoy 11/23/63 by Stephen King, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern or Alive and Kickin’ by Michael Copeland. Checkaroony!
- Write Another Screenplay – I was so busy writing my book, or should I say organizing a compilation of past articles that make up my book, that I didn’t have time to write a screenplay! This is something I promise to get to this year, maybe. No Check on this one.
- Commune with Nature – We got into the habit of walking the dogs on the hill behind Snake Park and we circled the Lafayette Reservoir with them once or twice last summer. We played on the beach in Hawaii and took walks during in the snow during our weekend in Lake Tahoe. The entire family got into the television show, Survivor, which was shot in Costa Rico or Borneo. There was lots of nature there and you could say we lived vicariously through the contestants. Okay, half a check.
- Learn to Appreciate the Arts – Let’s see, if by arts I was referring to music, theater and culturally enriching exhibits than I think we struck gold here. As a couple, we went to a couple of music concerts (Snow Patrol, The Fray and Toto), we saw the musical of Bring It On (theatre), we took visiting family members to the Blackhawk Auto (Museum), and we visited countless summertime art and wine festivals (with a heavier emphasis on the wine than the art if I’m being honest). We also used both our iPhone and iPad cameras (photography). I may have mentioned that I released a book (writing) and finally we saw a few movies (cinema). Check, check and checkmate.
- Be More Romantic – Not too sure I turned up the old Romantic thermostat like I had planned. Valentine’s Day was nice and naughty, with the silk pajamas, scented candles and Barry White mood music. I just wish my wife had been in town to appreciate it. Romance is hard when you have two teenage daughters and an antique poster bed. The best I could take in the romance department was the occasional chick flick, foot massage and a bottle of inexpensive wine from Trader Joes. Subtract a check.
- Get in Shape – LOL. Those 20 pounds I found after completing the Chicago Marathon in October of 2011 are now being kept company by five more of their lb. friends that I picked-up somewhere around Halloween. It’s not that I’m a couch potato; it just keeps getting tougher and tougher to consistently work out and watch what I eat. Long gone are the days of a fast metabolism. In fact, I think my metabolism has completely shut down and laid everybody off. No check..
- Do Not Buy in to the End of the World Prognostication – Contrary to the Mayan Day Planner, I didn’t actually think the Earth would be ravaged by a variety of cataclysmic astronomical events on December 21. That said, I think I better return those overdue library books now. Check.
- Take Regularly Scheduled Naps – I added this one to my list last year because making my list made me sleepy. I do take the occasional nap on Sundays so l will take a check for that one.
Looking back, I may have set the bar a little high for myself in some areas. I was just so inspired and motivated way back then. I was truly bound and determined to accomplish everything on my list and at 11:59 P.M. on December 31st, my plan was to go out to the back yard, wearing only a loin cloth, and in a ceremonial gesture, raise my hands to the sky and shout out to the stars above, “I DID IT!” That didn’t happen. No check for this one either.
Regardless whether they are Resolutions or To Do’s, making a list at the start of the New Year isn’t a bad idea. It gives us all something to strive for. Since I’m sitting here at the computer anyway, I think I’ll just jot down a few notes and ideas for the next twelve months. Start a list … Check.
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