So far this year I’ve made a bit of progress on personal goals for 2009. I noticed last year that I wasn’t really happy with my own ability to do things that I set out to do! So this year, in January, I wrote them down.
Doing a yearly life assessment seems like a good idea to me – to take the new year to reflect on what has happened to me in my life and what it means to me, and how I’d like to see my remaining time, and gifts, unfold.
This coming year I will do this at the Winter Sostice, because that’s a more spiritually connected time – the actual start of the astronomical new year. There’s something special about these days as turning points. They have a feel to them that’s unique. Ephemeral. The longest night of the year feels cozy, withdrawn, introspective. What a great time to think about how the new year might bloom and grow and evolve into something beautiful.
So what were my goals for 2009?
- Find a new, better place to live. DONE! I love my new house! Come see me at Treehouse if you haven’t.
- Explore a return to full time teaching. DONE! I’m enrolled in WCU and it will take longer than I thought. My attempts to find a private school job failed this year, though I did have two interviews.
- Simplify. Step away from M5 a bit, and help pass things off to Owen. In progress – I think since my move to working full-time at Montreat, I’m not really happy with how things have gone, but I’m optimistic about our new arrangement. I love Owen dearly! I want things to be successful. (Yes, Owen, you can read that!).
- Personal Development - Piano – Reading – dating a bit. That’s been okay.I’m not entirely happy with my progress in these areas.- Dating. I’ve been on a few dates, and had some fun, but I am really not feeling very connected with others. Or connected with myself either. Maybe that’s an issue. My online relationship is stable and enjoyable most of the time!
- Piano’s coming okay though – but I would like to play with music more.
- Wordpress Blogging – hahaha well….. here it is.
- Writing – haven’t done much aside from my blog. Though I did start work on an Alice and Java text that I plan to update and release once the term is over.
- Reading. I’ve only really read two books – not really doing well there.
- Professional Development:- VBasic – no progress there really for doing DNN work
- GIMP – yeah I’m much better at graphics work!
- Flash – No… no progress there.
- JQuery – Yeah I’ve gotten more comfortable with it but I’m no maestro.
- Air – no progress
Looking Ahead
Now to take this time to revise a bit. Where do I want to go with the remaining time, looking to the future?
I would like to get my house prepared for winter. Finish the garage door opener. Finish weatherizing.
I would like to guide Owen with Mach5 a bit more positively. I’m sure he would like that too. Mach5 Subscriber would be a good testbed for more JQuery practice. And I may get some consulting work, too.
I would like to be more intentional with my Tai Chi practice. And even more intentional with piano and reading and writing.
I would like to get a textbook going for Alice and Java, and work on the online resources for that. If I had to choose between that project, and working on my really cool customer support tool, I’d choose the text. It’s more related to my teaching goals.
I’d also like to support my children in their creative work and get their website and blogs up and going so they can publish their artwork and write. They’re doing well, but to set an intention with them, it would be to continue supporting them with their homework and enacouraging them in their growth. I love being a father and it is sort of like setting an intention to breathe – it’s going to happen whether I intend it or not. And THAT is nice! But to be intentional, since it is such a priority, I will list it. That way I can reflect on it explicitly.
I want to be more intentional with Melly. She’s important to me – my online companion – I am going to make sure that our time together is functional and purposeful even though she’s not the best at that whole purpose thing.
I need to get out more – more dances. More Tai Chi Group. More time out of the house.
So I have:
- Simplify with Mach5 and Subscriber.
- Tai Chi – Practice and Group
- Dancing – Once every other week at least.
- Piano
- Reading
- Writing. Mostly writing here.
- Be a good daddy!
- Be a good friend and partner.
- Professional Development:
- VBasic – no progress there really for doing DNN work
- JQuery – Continue to practice a bit, use Subscriber as practice bed
So there it is…. progress through October. October is the time when things start pulling back within. Samhain. When my spirit self begins to stir, restless desperation at life’s relentless progress in spite of things still left undone.
My companion and I will grasp hands and face the coming winter together. I want to live by intention. Intention to love, to feel, to breathe. Not in just physical but also metaphysical sense. To feel my connectedness to the one through which all connections thrive. To breathe in and out the energy that surrounds us and moves through me to empower me to do the first. To love. To love the One from whom and for whom and by whom and in whom all things ebb and flow. To love that which flows. Me. You. Together.
And now it occurs to me that this… now.. is the astronomical Samhain. Today. I do not think it’s a coincidence that this post comes now. Though I’ve only now noticed it, the co-occurence is not a coincidence. October 21 is the truer cross-corner day when we adjust for our calendar shift, just as December 21 is the actual equinix.
Blessings of Samhain to you, my dear friends… and…
As it harm none, and do good to least one, do as you will.
