the sleeper continues to waken
Dec. 23rd, 2009 09:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonChristmas and/or [insert winter holiday of choice] is ideally about family and friends (and cookies). Coming at the end of the calendar year as it does, it's alsoa good time to review the year that's almost past and make plans for the one to come.
I did make some resolutions last year that I'll revisit:
# Simplify. Continue the grand cleanout that started roughly last spring/summer. Get rid of junk I don't want/need. Avoid bringing in junk I don't want/need.
I stuck to this one pretty well, though there's still a long way to go. I purged my closet and got rid of a couple of the larger pieces of clutter in thedump guest room. I was also more thoughful re: new purchases, at least for my wardrobe (my book collection, not so much).
# Fencing: fine tune my footwork, build endurance so my whole game doesn't fall to pieces at the first yawn or twinge, and continue learning to trust my intuition. This will likely be physically and mentally painful and taxing, but effective. And, I dare to admit, I hope for my E this year.
The endurance and footwork continue to progress. Probably my biggest breakthrough was improving my focus on the target.
I blush to note that I was pondering the E as early as last winter - needless to say, it didn't happen, but I did go to a NAC and qualified for/attended Nationals.
# Give more to charity. I remember my big plan to do this for 2008 but I was focusing too much on grand gestures than bit by bit. $5 here, $20 there isn't the same as hundreds but is certainly better than nothing.
Not as much as I'd planned, but I did make small donations roughly every 2 months (instead of every month like I'd wanted).
# Been revisiting the darker corners of my life experience over the past year and can't avoid it anymore - it's not just what I've been through, it's me. Sparing details, I need to continue the mental rewiring for a better adjusted self.
I'm learning to quiet my mind enough that I can look at those dark corners and sweep them without freaking out.
Paradoxically, I think my best moments this year were realizing what I need to work on for 2010:
I did make some resolutions last year that I'll revisit:
# Simplify. Continue the grand cleanout that started roughly last spring/summer. Get rid of junk I don't want/need. Avoid bringing in junk I don't want/need.
I stuck to this one pretty well, though there's still a long way to go. I purged my closet and got rid of a couple of the larger pieces of clutter in the
# Fencing: fine tune my footwork, build endurance so my whole game doesn't fall to pieces at the first yawn or twinge, and continue learning to trust my intuition. This will likely be physically and mentally painful and taxing, but effective. And, I dare to admit, I hope for my E this year.
The endurance and footwork continue to progress. Probably my biggest breakthrough was improving my focus on the target.
I blush to note that I was pondering the E as early as last winter - needless to say, it didn't happen, but I did go to a NAC and qualified for/attended Nationals.
# Give more to charity. I remember my big plan to do this for 2008 but I was focusing too much on grand gestures than bit by bit. $5 here, $20 there isn't the same as hundreds but is certainly better than nothing.
Not as much as I'd planned, but I did make small donations roughly every 2 months (instead of every month like I'd wanted).
# Been revisiting the darker corners of my life experience over the past year and can't avoid it anymore - it's not just what I've been through, it's me. Sparing details, I need to continue the mental rewiring for a better adjusted self.
I'm learning to quiet my mind enough that I can look at those dark corners and sweep them without freaking out.
Paradoxically, I think my best moments this year were realizing what I need to work on for 2010:
- Make more time for my friends. I have such a busy schedule of stuff that I forget there are other people out there.
- Save.
- More practice with long term planning. I can do it, I just have to make it a habit.
- Face some of my phobias. I'm not up to spiders yet, but perhaps I'll summon the nerve to speak in public, or get quality photos of myself in costume made.
- Get organized - mentally and environmentally.
- Be less paranoid and more generous, or at least start letting go of my knee-jerk worrying.
- Grok the difference between dreams, plans, and goals, and make some of the latter that I can hit with a hammer.
