In December, I was already mulling over some goals for the coming year. Inspired by my colleague Tom Boone and by Chris Guillebeau, I decided to put them together in a concrete way. Not all of these goals have a plan as of yet, but some have dates by which I will have a plan in place.


  • Writing: I will put together one piece of law library related writing, most likely an article or presentation. I will not necessarily present or publish, but I will have ready to submit by the end of the year or the submission deadlines for 2011 conferences, whichever comes first.
    Photography: I will stop slacking off and take more photos in 2010. I will produce at least five things I would be willing to submit to an exhibit or use on an album cover. I also will finish organizing all the photos I took in 2007 and 2008 and do some printing. In theory I should have 10 to 12 things I’ve already shot that are worth printing.

  • Music: I will make two records this year. I am entering the RPM Challenge in February. That’s one record. I will also make another later in the year, even if it’s an “Album a Day” crap art project.

  • Music: I will endeavor to start or join a group this year.

  • Language: I will learn Spanish in 2010. I started in 2009, but have not gotten as far as I would like. I will be more organized and disciplined this year. I would also like to brush up my German and will likely attempt a little French as well (see Travel).

  • Exercise/Lifestyle: I will exercise more and drop 30 pounds this year. I did a lot in 2008, but, except for the weekly skate sessions, slacked off in 2009. I need to find another gym to join and start a regular routine. I have started walking on my breaks at work again, but that’s only good for so much. I have also started to more carefully assess what I eat and will continue to do so. I’m not so much for not fitting in my clothes and feeling tired all the time. I will also need the increased stamina to make it through school.

  • Skating: As much as I think it would be fun to learn to play hockey, it’s just not happening this year because the time commitment conflicts with too many of my goals. I do, however, in conjunction with the exercise noted above, want to improve my skating. Between off-ice and on-ice work, I should be able to skate backwards comfortably, stop at a decent speed and do crossovers by the end of the year.

  • Career/School: This year I will apply to law school. In light of the choices I have already made (not least of which is buying a house in South Florida), this is, for better or worse, what I need to do to advance my career. My other choice is getting out of the law library business. Well, there is a third option, but I’m not sure I want to go that route. Right now this is the best option.

  • Career/Professionalism: This year I will strive to convey a more professional image, without being a stuffed shirt. I will be on better behavior at conferences and other events and also every day at work.

  • Style: This year I will assess, pare down and update my wardrobe. I will find better-fitting and better looking clothes. Liz thinks I should find a new barber. I’ll consider it, but I have made no decisions.

  • Home: I (we) will finish all of the major home projects on our plate before the end of July. In August, I will likely be starting school and will not have the time or patience to enter into major house projects. This includes, but is not limited to finishing the painting, redoing my closet (including unpacking the rest of the boxes in it), organizing the garage and setting up workspace there, clearing out our remote storage and updating the ceiling fans and lighting.

  • Career/Tech: I will learn at least one new (to me) technology-related skill that I can use at work, whether or not I will use it in the short-term.

  • Writing/Online: I will fix my website. I will move it to a new platform and set up a regular writing schedule. I set it up with the idea that writing about my interests would encourage me to engage in them more often, but I never set any real goals so it hasn’t worked as well as I’d hoped. I will set goals by February.

  • Podcast: I have an idea for a podcast which I will develop this year.

  • Non-Conformity: I will continue to be myself and set my own goals and rules for success and not be tied to anyone else’s ideas of what is important or what constitutes success. I will do things because I am passionate about them, not because someone else thinks it is what I should do.

  • Travel: I will travel to at least one new country this year (this looks like it will be France in the spring) and one new state (west coast or midwest probably). Also, we will make it to the Keys this year.

  • Debt: I will pay off my credit card and my car this year. The long-term goal is to pay off my personal debts so we can pay off our mortgage early. I’m not sure how I will pull off the travel and the debt payments, but I have time to work that out. Having no student loan bill while in school should help. Cutting waste out of the budget should help as well.

  • Reading/Media: I will cut down the number of blogs I read, podcasts I download and other time-consuming and sometimes overwhelming media choices I face. I will stop feeling like I am missing something. I will use the time gained to read more literature and more in-depth material and to accomplish other goals.