My 2011 New Year’s Resolutions

Posting more for my benefit than for yours .

1. Lose weight. My minimum goal is 10 pounds. I know that is such a cliche. Usually, this isn’t a goal. But learning that I gained 7 pounds in the last four months of 2010 alone and realizing that there is a strong relationship between weight and diabetes in my family means I need to drop some pounds. I honestly need to drop 25, but I am fine with losing just 10. Dropping 10 pounds in a year requires less drastic, more sustainable lifestyle changes. Less booze. More exercise. Smaller portions. More mindful eating.
2. Pay off my credit card debt. I will be entering 2011 in a pretty good financial position. The house — how soon it (short) sells and whether I can afford to maintain the mortgage until it does — is still a wild card. But having a $0 credit card balance by the end of the year is entirely realistic.
3. Become a better home cook. I’m pretty kick-ass on a cook-top. Some of my technique needs work — like how to properly slow-cook ribs in a (janky-ass) gas oven — but my flavors are usually on point. I want to experiment more though. I now live in a city (Los Angeles) with strong regional cuisine and a crazy amount of ethnic food traditions. L.A. also has an array of mash-up eats, and fresh-from-the-next-county produce available every day of the week. I plan to take advantage in 2011.
4. Make new friends and keep the old. One thing I did in Atlanta was turn into a bit of a recluse. Something about that city did not inspire me to happiness. As a result, I didn’t make and foster the friendships I should have. That’s not okay. So my goals in 2011 will be to work harder to preserve and deepen the friendships I have and create new ones. I have a few friends here in Los Angeles already, but they’re also Jason’s friends. I think it’s healthy for us to have some relationships that are ours alone. And this nicely dovetails with the resolution above. If I’ma be chefin’ in the kitchen, somebody gotsta to eat it. Hello dinner parties!
5. Make art every day. I received a One Sketch A Day journal as a going away gift. Each page is split into two small, blank spaces for drawings and doodles. I will put it to good use. Drawing isn’t the only kind of art there is, though. I can use code to make art. I can write awesome stories. I can make jewelry. My goal here will be to create something of beauty, awesome and win every day — even if it’s really crappy or fugly.
6. Give more. I get a lot. I make a decent living. I have a fiance who spoils me. My dad helped me buy a spiffy new Macbook. Our friends give just because gifts. People will do seemingly big sh*t just because I asked. My martini glass runneth over. For much of this year, my money will be used for debt-reduction, but that doesn’t mean I can’t reciprocate in other ways or pay their generosity forward in time or expertise.
7. Be a better partner. Jason is awesome. He’s perceptive. He’s attentive. He’s generous. He’s smart, and pee-your-pants funny. That’s great for me, but am I giving him what I get? Can I give him more than what I get? I want to make him feel as loved, wanted, and passionately desired as he makes me feel every single day.