2012 To Do List

I am a big proponent of yearly “to do” lists. In fact, I prefer making yearly “to do” lists to resolutions, because “to do” lists are actionable and they aren’t dependent on other people’s actions (i.e., things like “win a fellowship”).

Resolutions are, in the end, comprised of many “to do” items, anyway–so why not break them down into more reachable increments? A resolution to run a marathon involves training milestones and “to-do’s” just like a resolution to “relax more,” involves defining what it is that helps you relax, and then doing those very relaxing things.

Here’s my 2012 To Do List (and may this list lead to more amazing things).

Miscellaneous Pleasures

• Send at least two friends baked goods whether by postal mail or in person.
• Cook a hot meal for at least one friend.
• Read a novel a month.
• Lose the baggy clothing and begin dressing in a way that does not scream that I am ashamed of my body. Because for the first time in my life, I am really starting to be proud of my body. Update: need to make this more concrete. So…buy at least one dress that hugs my torso & buy 4 body skimming tops.
• Clean out my closet of clothing that no longer fits me. For real.
• Learn to make perfect pie crust.
• Make a fantastic apple tarte tatin.
• Make tamales.
• Eat at Amada in Philadelphia.
• Eat at Alinea in Chicago.
• Eat a Japadog. Mission accomplished.
• Say yes to at least 5 things to which I would usually say “no.”
• Send out more snail mail. Like 30 pieces this year.

SF/NYC/Travel

• Can’t believe I didn’t do this in 2011, so I’m carrying this over: take a ferry around the San Francisco Bay.
• Take “tilt” photographs on San Francisco hills.
• In Berkeley, ride bike at least once a week for errands/exercise.
• Kayak Lake Tahoe.
• Hike past Grass Lake to Susie Lake in the Sierras.
• Listen to Pacific Tree Frogs in Berkeley.
• Go to the Jersey Shore.
• Go to Disneyworld.
• Visit friends in Boston.
• Visit Korea. Check out Cheonggyecheon and NamDaeMun market.

Writing & Fitness

• Revise/Rewrite novel until I am proud of at least 100 pages. (optimally: revise/rewrite until I’m finished!)
• If I find myself in a writing slump, “allow myself to write badly.”
• Find a good writing cafe in Berkeley where I can write.
• Write one short story (I haven’t allowed myself a short story in years bc of all my novel-writing).
• Apply to at least three writing residencies.
• Go to AWP in Chicago.
• While at AWP: try not to hide in hotel room the entire time.
• Meet up with at least two virtual friends IRL at AWP.
• Find a writing partner for this revision of my novel.
• I know this is one of those “everyday” items that are hard to achieve, but this one’s important: wear my fitbit everyday and move my body at least 5 miles a day (or a weekly average of 5+ miles/day).
• Save knees, run less, but run 4 miles in a run.
• Hold the “crow” pose in yoga–for more than 1.5 seconds. Ideal: 5 seconds.
• Try a non-Tara class at my yoga studio. Every instructor offers new perspective. This did not work out as well as I’d hoped, because I totally didn’t like this new impromtu instructor’s teaching style. But will try others, and keep my mind open.
• Do/Try a juice cleanse at least once.
• Decrease from 6 packets of sugar in my decaf latte to 2 (or fewer) packets. Oh totes did this. And it was pretty amazing.

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