2012 - The Year for Getting Things Done

(Cheers to 2012!)

So, it’s a bit past that time of year where I state my New Year’s Resolutions but better a few days late than never, right? The delay of this post was basically because I was a lazy schmuck. I would have ideas for resolutions, think they were awesome but didn’t right them down and when it came time to do it, I wouldn’t remember anything. But now I’ve finally come up with a respectable list. So here is what I plan on getting done this year:

#1 Blog – I really do like blogging. I don’t always get comments, so I’m not even sure how many people actually read it. So, that makes the times that friends or family approach me to talk about it really mean something special to me; I want to expand on that. I want to double my followers this year. I’m at 26, so by December 31st that number needs to at 52 or higher. I’m not a beggar or a pusher, so this will definitely make me think out the box on how to get this done. (And maybe your resolution is to make someone’s day...hint hint…here’s one way, just saying.)

#2 Credit – Oh brother, this could be a doozy but it’s not. Simply, I want to reduce my credit by 10% or more. I have collected all the balances and have a grand total of debt. So it will be easy to calculate how big or small of a dent I make this year. And I will report my percent…as to the amount…I’ll never tell. (It’s a bit shameful but it won’t show up on Shell’s Shameful Secrets Part 3, sorry.)

#3 Family – I have a fantastic family. And yet, our family gatherings are spaced way too far apart. I understand that our jobs and our actual physical distance make it hard to see one another. SO, my resolution is to hang out at least once a month with family. (Talking Sweitzer side here.) Des has some awesome cousins but we hardly see them. Why? No reason. I’m gonna make it a habit to schedule it in. I have a sister who invites me to watch Dexter and make dinner but it’s always “we’ll do that soon.” Why haven’t I found a sitter for Des and gone already? No more excuses. I will make time and I will document it with pictures. (Another thing I’m horrible at lately, I hate taking photos)

#4 Wedding Video – This one is three fold. My friend Nicole got married late July this past year. I recorded her wedding for her and she has politely asked each month if her video is ready. Well, five months later it’s still on my camcorder. First it was laziness, but once I plugged it in and started working on it, I found that format is not compatible with my computer. I can’t burn it. I can’t really do anything with it. So my goal, get what I need to get this done. This will also help with the fact that I have two years of stuff on that camcorder of Desmond…that’s just sitting there useless on the camcorder. I’d like to put whatever I have onto a disc and label it with the approximate years. That way, there’s some order giving me or a much older Desmond the chance to look back at his younger years. And lastly, I like making silly videos. I’m hoping to resurrect having a YouTube channel. I have all these thoughts floating in my head and I’d like to see what I could do with them.

#5 Books – Last year I read 29 books. (That I could remember, probably more.) But only two of these were non-fiction. My goal is to double that amount. 4 books this year will be non-fiction. This should be easy enough and I figure, I’ll be worldlier for it.

#6 Soul Pancake Challenge – If you were to go to my February 2011 blog archives you’d see that I wrote a blog entitle “Soul Pancake Challenge.” (Go ahead, go find it, it’s got some fun stuff.) All the challenges were super easy. But I failed to complete any of them. My goal for 2012 is to get these challenges completed. To put the pressure on…I will complete the first one before the end of this month. (That should get the ball rolling.)

#7 Yard Work – My goal is to get ZERO public notices from the City of Carpentersville about my lawn. Yes, I’m serious; my lawn is that bad sometimes. Here’s a little picture of what my hidden backyard looks like. (If it looks this bad, the front is just marginally better.)

#8 Bedroom – I have lived in a white walled home for 2.5 years. It looks like a rental because it has zero personal items added. (I lie, we started on our living room but it still doesn’t feel warm.) My goal is to complete my bedroom. Paint, furniture, decorations…you know the works! I will post before and after pics. Goodbye living like a college student, hello living like an adult!

That’s it folks. That’s what I really want to do this year. And did you notice nothing about weight? Though I know it will be on my mind throughout the year, I wanted a reprieve from the standard New Years Resolution. So I’m just going to enjoy being me and the fact I’ve got a lot of other things to get done.

Happy Belated New Years! What’s on your resolution list?



Soul Pancake Challenge

Live life to the fullest.

Seize the day.

Live every day as if it were your last and then some day you'll be right.

Every man dies. Not every man really lives.

We grow up being told to live life to it’s fullest. But what do you do to live life to the fullest? Now, each of our definitions of living a full life is different. For me, having a family, job and a hobby is fulfilling. But I know there’s room for more. I can feel it.

Well, a few weeks ago I watched Rainn Wilson on Conan. He was promoting his new book called Soul Pancake. I could not be sure what the book was about but the few things he mentioned caught my attention and I immediately put it on hold at the library. The sucker finally came in! There are many things filled in this book and I encourage you to check it out, but the area I want to focus on are his “creative challenges” found throughout the whole book.

SO, here is my challenge…I have picked 6 of his suggestions and I encourage each of you to complete one. My goal is to complete each and every one of them. If it’s possible, I’ll document the experience. Nothing on the list should cost you any money or if it does it won’t be much. And each item is so simple you could complete them easily, but the important thing here is doing, so go out and do it!

Art at Arm’s Reach – Step 1. Scavenge around your desk, barstool, couch cushions for anything handy. And we mean anything: paper clips, poker chips, fake eyelashes, junk mail, bullet castings. Step 2. Create Art. Step 3. Bask in your artistic brillance. Repeat as desired.

Beauty in the Bland – Step 1. Pick up your camera. Step 2. Spend an entire day finding beauty hiding in the ordinary. Step 3. Create an extraordinary album.

Reverse Pickpocket – Step 1. Pull out the biggest bill in your wallet. Step 2. Stash the cash in an envelope labeled “You’ve been tagged by a Soul Pancake Reverse Pickpocket.” Step 3. Slip the loot into the bag of a stranger. If you’re feeling bold, aim for the back pocket. Step 4. Don’t get caught. It would be really awkward.

Stash-A-Secret – Step 1. Think of that one secret sitting heavy in your gut. Step 2. Write it on a scrap of paper. Step 3. Go to a bookstore and slip it into a copy of the Soul Pancake book. Step 4. Enjoy the relase of having a perfect stranger help carry your load.

Tech Detox – Take a day and completely unplug. Turn off the devices that compete for your attention. Explore the world that exists without you turning it on.

Pint Sized Protest – Step 1. Find a couple of little people. Try LEGO figures, G.I. Joes, or Barbie dolls. Step 2. Emblazon a tiny piece of paper with something you stand for. Step 3. Stage your protest in a public space. Step 4. Walk away and let the world hear your battle cry…or should we say whisper?

And here are a few bonus suggestions from the “Live a Little” section:

• Eat something that challenges your gag reflexes.
• Don’t use utensils to eat all day.
• Shower in the dark.
• Double-tip your server.
• Grab some friends and start a pillow fight in a public space.
• Go to a thrift store and buy an entire outfit. Wear it the rest of the day.
• Watch one of your parents’ favorite movies.
• Get a knife. Get a stick. Whittle something.

I also plan on completing the short list above as well and so should you. So you might be thinking “is completing these suggestions really helping me live life to the fullest?” That’s completely dependent on you. For me, these are things I might never have thought about or taken the time to do. And each one adds to my experience bank, therefore I’m that much richer. Have fun. I hope this gives you some entertaining times ahead.