OK, Here's My List

Just a reminder: You can click on these pictures to enlarge them. Sometimes that will help you understand what you see, and will therefore help you deduce the connections between the graphics. I'm sure most of you will quickly spot the common theme in this one, but it's probably a bit more of a challenge to figure out how it relates to our ongoing topic of New Years Resolutions. I'll come back to that in a bit.

So...what should I change in 2012? What should I do different, aspire to achieve, or eliminate from my life? Which milestones do I want to surpass this year? What new habits do I want to develop?

Well, I already mentioned that I want to become a better athlete. I don't mean that I expect to set new PRs, since that ship has long since sailed. (I suppose I could enter events I've never done before, like mountain biking or cross-country skiing, but I'd have to learn how to do those sports without killing myself first. Not sure I can pull that off.) What I mean is that it's time to regain some focus, set some goals, and try to compete at a higher level than I have in the last few years. This will require some subtle changes in both my workout patterns and in my nutrition planning.

Oh don't worry...I'll still be happy to eat nachos now and then, and to continue our fine tradition of "Fun Friday" workouts at the pool. Just being focused doesn't mean you have to be dull. Right?

And in other efforts to combat dullness, I am resolving to become a bit more social. This resolution may be somewhat problematic, given my nominal 7pm bedtime, but with some creativity and effort, I should be able to pull it off.

One of my female friends suggested that if I grew my hair longer, I'd be more attractive to the ladies, like I was a few decades ago. This suggestion may have merit, but I'd have to weigh the improvement in my social standing against the extra hassle of having to blow-dry it and pay someone to cut it. And let's face it, no matter how Fabio-esque I could make myself, no amount of flowing tresses could cover up my deficiencies in personality and sense of humor.

I may consider buying a new suit, though.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what form my increased socialization will take. Despite my uncanny resemblance to John Travolta, I'm not likely to suddenly embrace the disco scene. And playing chess with the old men in City Park is probably not an option either. I'll probably just enter a few more races and swim meets. And maybe I'll go to the Stock Show.

As for other resolutions, well, if we lived in Jetsons times, I'd probably get one of those housekeeping robots. (Preferably one that couldn't talk, though.) But since those are not available (no, Roomba doesn't count -- it can't do the laundry), I'll have to find other ways to decrease my home maintenance workload. One thing I'd like to explore is how to reduce the amount of garbage and recycling I have to take out. I'm not sure what the ecologically correct term for it is (garbage footprint? personal consumption index? reverse groceries?), but I'm sure there are people who track such things and would have plenty of advice for me. But I could get use some help from the packaging people, too. Heck, I'd save 1000 pounds of garbage each year if they'd just sell Peppermint Patties without individually wrapping each one.

I also want to do new stuff, go outside my comfort zone in different ways, and travel someplace I've never been before. Since Tanner is in Seattle, that's one of the obvious choices. But I'm not going to limit myself to towns with Space Needles and Bill Gates; I'll consider pretty much anyplace that's listed in Roadside America.

And I'm still considering joining my friend Cliff for the Grant Ranch Polar Plunge next weekend. Jumping into a lake through a hole in the ice would be new, for sure. On the other hand, I suppose there are things that are outside my comfort zone without taking me all the way into complete insanity. We'll see.

In 2011, I took a huge step foward in the arena of "work/life balance" when I changed jobs. This year, I'd like to continue on the "balance" theme. Part of this is to make sure that I maintain balance between work and fun...but part of it is to become more balanced physically. This means figuring out how to stay injury free, remembering to do some "stand on one foot" kinds of stretching throughout the day, and doing whatever I can to minimize the risks of carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. This may mean learning to use the mouse left handed like my crazy webcasting buddies, or breathing more to my right side when I swim. There is definitely more BOSU work in my future, and possibly some DIY yoga. Perhaps it's even time to dust off the unicycle.

So that's about it. I'll admit that these resolutions aren't very exciting, but that doesn't mean that my year won't be. And besides, I can always add goals as the days go by, right? I expect 2012 to be a year that is chock full of accomplishments, laughter, love, and learning. I know that my friends and teammates will continue to inspire me to improve in ways I can't even predict right now, so I'm definitely looking forward to continuing the journey with all of you. Let's all have a great year!