resolutions and thoughts for 2011

New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite holiday celebrations and always has been, even as a small child.  It marks the culmination of a years worth of struggles, joys and accomplishments and offers a sense of hope and renewal for the upcoming year.  It’s also a time of making resolutions, or things you’d like to accomplish in the next year.  For most of us, I bet these goals are very grand and, for many of us, unattainable.  For others, goals set are perhaps a little less grand and therefore more attainable/doable for the regular guy.  My list for 2011 includes both very grand goals and very simple ones.  I think it’s important to be both extremely optimistic and at the same time very practical in the goals we set for ourselves.  By setting smaller, easier goals you set up small victories that keep you fueled to tackle the larger, more difficult goals without getting frustrated and burned out on the struggle.

Without further ado, my goals, hopes and resolutions for 2011.

#1 – Get Licensed (Architect)

This is something I’ve been putting off…..lets just say for too long.  And complicated by f*&^-ing NCARB continually “improving” the test, so that I had to start over halfway through.  Yeah, thanks…a$$hole.

#2 – Stick to a budget

this seems like it would be a no-brainer, but for those who were never taught “how” to budget, it’s been a difficult process, but I think this one may go in the “easy” column for the year.

#3 – Finish Home Renovations

……bahahahahaha!  This won’t actually happen…I mean, come on…but hey, one can dream.  😉

#4 – Take at least two weekend trips with my wife

having two small children and a pre-teen daughter makes it difficult to get out for a drink let alone take a weekend trip, but damn I’m determined to make this work cause we work too hard for our family. We deserve two weekends, don’t you think? :-\

#5 – Start my own firm and become completely self employed

I’ve actually been working towards this for a couple of years now, but some recent developments have made this a real possibility, so I figure what the hell, make it a solid goal.

#6 – Move to the Midwest

I’ve lived in Florida, or near, for the last 20+ years.  I’m over the beach, I’m over 10 months worth of summer, 58 days of fall and 2 days of winter, and more flat land than you can shake a stick at.  I want hills, mountains, SEASONS, lakes, streams, rivers.  Yeah, I’m over the southeast.

#7 – Get more involved in local/national Historic Preservation initiatives

Living in an historic neighborhood and seeing new construction go up that is either a rape of the surrounding architecture or something so unfitting that it wouldn’t fit anywhere on the planet has fueled me to get more involved in preservation education.

#8 – Go back to school for Urban Design/Planning

Going back to school isn’t a necessity, but then I need to focus my obsession with learning new things to a more narrow subject matter and urban design is something I’m interested in.  I’m sure more degrees will come after like Historic Preservation, Art History, World History, Political Science, etc.  For now, we’ll start with one and see where we end up.  😛

#9 – Get to know my neighbors

This is just good safety, really.  But it also forces you to get out of your house and get more involved in your local community which bleeds into #5 and #7.

#10 – Get Licensed (Architect)

Everything begins and ends with getting licensed this year.  This is the biggest and most difficult goal for the year, but I need to get it done and get it done NOW.

So, what are your resolutions/goals for 2011?  Share them here!