I’ve had a few resolution free years.  Last year I deconstructed the whole process and rather than pre-determine resolutions on the last day of 2009, I took note throughout 2010 whenever I accomplished something that moved my life forward.  A good example is rising above my fear of driving with a solo road trip to Reno.  Abandoning my routine and everything familiar to spend two weeks at Yin Yoga Training is another example.  There were changes I wanted in my life that weren’t realized as well.  After several failed attempts I still do not have a regular meditation practice.  And I still haven’t managed to make climbing The Dish part of my fitness regime.

Nevertheless, I’ve always been a fan of setting resolutions.  They help me picture what I want my life to look like. And so, without further adieu, and for the whole world to see (which means I better manage to achieve at least one of them):

MIMM’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2011

The Ridiculous Stuff that Means a More to Me than it Should:

Lose Ten Pounds.  Yes, this old chestnut is back.  I’ve been on a two-year-long Rumspringa that began the night of my fiftieth birthday celebrations in November 2008.  It’s time to return to the fold.

Join a Gym.  See above.

The Less Ridiculous Stuff

Remember that friends I can share a meal with and look in the eye are more important than Facebook friends. Sorry, Facebook friends…but really…who are we kidding?

Sing at an Open Mike Night.  As part of my continuing attempt to regain the confidence I lost during the disaster that was the years of 2006-2008, I want to re-acquaint myself with Fearless Mimm.

Remember that as much as I would like to be James Franco, earning multiple graduate degrees at multiple institutions of higher learning simultaneously – while holding down a full-time job – I am a mere mortal.  Seriously – the guy is a freak AND a geek:

“Franco reportedly has “an unusually high metabolism for productivity…a superhuman ability to focus”.[1] Dissatisfied with his career’s direction,[1] Franco reenrolled at UCLA in the fall of 2006 as an English major with a creative writing concentration. Having received permission to take as many as 30 course credits per quarter compared to the normal limit of 19[59] while continuing to act, he received his undergraduate degree in June 2008 with a GPA over 3.5.[59][1][60] For his degree, Franco prepared his departmental honors thesis as a novel under the supervision of Mona Simpson.[1][61] He moved to New York to simultaneously attend graduate school at Columbia University‘s MFA writing program, New York University‘s Tisch School of the Arts for filmmaking,[62][63][64][65] and Brooklyn College for fiction writing,[59] while occasionally commuting to North Carolina‘s Warren Wilson College for poetry.[1] As of 2010, Franco is a PhD student in English at Yale University[66] and will also attend the Rhode Island School of Design.[1]”

The Important Stuff

Submit to The Sun’s Reader’s Write.  Every month.  Without fail.

Remember:  Every word counts.  Set goals.  Submit queries.  Take a page from Barney Stinson’s notebook and believe in my own awesomeness.

Don’t say “yes” when your gut says “no”.  And remember there’s a difference between gut instinct and nausea from a bad shrimp.

Floss Daily…ok…try to floss a few times a week.

The Most Important Stuff

Contribute.

Teach.

Learn.

Give.

Be Gracious and Grateful.

Don’t Yell at Bicyclists that Run Stop Signs.