Inhale, Pause; Exhale, Move Forward

I have this thing about goal-setting.  Since I’m aware that life happens and people happen and well, things just happen, I like to set goals, but I like to allow for flexibility when the unexpectedly awesome decides to jump in the middle of your plans.  Or the unexpectedly-not-so-awesome, but we’re not focusing on that.  I tend to set short term “goals” and long-term “ideas.”

Goal: In January 2010, I WILL sell my car, pack my stuff, and move out of Minnesota.  That’s a short-term goal that I intend to nail.

Idea: Live in Chicago, the pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and another country one day.  This is more of a long-term idea of mine that I’d like to plan for someday, but that someday is not in the next six months, and is not where my attention and efforts are right now.

Enough of the disclaimers and explanations

It’s with that caveat that I set a few 2010 Blogging Goals.  I’ve been asked a bit lately about the history of my blog, the goals of my blog, and my motivation to keep blogging.  I’ve met and run across some wildly amazing other bloggers in the last year, people I’ve learned from and been inspired by, and this was a fun question to chew on.  The easy answer is, “I don’t know, it just started.  And now I just write.  And motivation?  Um, because I love it and because I want to?”

But there’s more to it than that, and I’ll share more of that with you in the next few weeks.  (Actually, Srini Rao from TheSkoolofLife.com will share some of that because he recently interviewed me about it asking me all those questions, and more!  That was fun.  Look forward to that, I am!)

A Growing Community

A number of people have pointed out to me recently the community that’s being built here, and that is one thing that keeps me motivated and that is what I have come to love the most about what I’m doing here.  I love the story-telling and I love the space I get to hone my writing, but it’s the relationships that are growing out of this that I couldn’t have predicted that I absolutely adore. Someone noted that I get “a lot” of comments, but I had to caveat that by pointing out that a lot of them are often my own responses, because my readers leave some really great, insightful, and perspective-checking feedback that I love to interact with.

So, first of all – for 2009, thank you to everyone that’s been here all year and to everyone that just started stopping by.  I’d be writing for the sake of writing even without an audience because I absolutely love it, but you folks sure do make it so much more fun.  I have learned SO much from various readers this year, and I’ve formed some really meaningful and significant friendships with a lot of you as well – for that, I am so very blessed.

I feel like 2009 was the year I figured out what I wanted out of life – or at least out of the next few years.  I believe 2010 will show me (and in turn, you) what I’m made of.  I can’t wait to chronicle and share that.

All that being said, I have a few goals in terms of blogging for 2010.  I’d love your feedback if there’s anything new you’d like to see me try, any parts of my life I’ve left dark that you’d like me to share here, or just in general any questions or comments you have about this space, where it’s come from and where it’s headed.  I’d love to incorporate your ideas into my next year!

[Some] Blogging Goals for 2010

1. Take (and post) more video! I just started learning iMovie and I’m totally addicted to the ability to cut and splice and set a soundtrack to these moments in my life.  I have not forgotten your video blogging suggestions and will start shooting, editing, and posting as many of those as I can in the new year!
2. Introduce more of the characters in my life. New and old.  Long-time Minnesota friends, new Colorado friends, Alabama family, blog friends from around the world.  There are amazing people that make my life as rich as it is, and it’s time to introduce them.
3. Share the scary stuff. This is a tough one.  I like the sunshine-y upbeat place my blog typically is (and I’m a pretty upbeat person), but the truth is, sometimes stuff is hard.  Like, right now, I’m in a limbo-like transitional phase that’s amazing and freeing, but simultaneously scary and totally unknown.  I don’t regret the leap of faith I took leaving my 9-5 job to pursue my own passions, but right now?  I’m still in the leaping part, really ready to just land already. This is a very real part of my life right now.  I intend to not glaze over it, but to share it, and honestly.
4. Try new things. Like, new web tools.  New ways to share audio, video, and pictures.  New plug-ins.  New… I-don’t-even-know-whats.  Just new ways of utilizing blogs and social media, and you know this blog will be the playground for all of it

Anything in particular you’d like to see?  The move out West?  New Year’s Eve in Alabama with the boy (eeep!), the cousin, the cousin-in-law, and the might-as-well-be-a-cousin (who will finally have her very own blog by the time I leave Alabama!)?  Should I write about something I haven’t touched on yet?

What are your blogging goals for the New Year?