I am chronicling my efforts to effect big change in my life in 2010. This is the year I leap forward. This is my leap year.
Where I am now (The short version – leaving editorializing for later):
I live in Manhattan. I am a writer and media strategist at public relations company. I have written one young adult novel. And, I am starting the fourth-ish draft of my second. I live in a studio apartment. My boyfriend, SP, lives with me. I have family in New Jersey, with the exception of my sister who lives in San Francisco. I have friends cultivated from all areas of my life – college, work, writing, book club. I volunteer for an organization called Circle of Tapawingo, which gives a free week of sleep-away camp away to girls who have lost a parent. I like to travel. My last big trip was with SP to Argentina in December 2008. I work out a lot. I like to read. I live comfortably, make a good living (I think), can sock some money away, and am able to donate in drips and drabs to charities and non-profits I believe in.
When I thought of starting this project, I was working on Chris Guillebeau’s Annual Review. Guillebeau writes The Art of Non-Conformity and a friend of mine had started the review. Feeling a little, I don’t know, lost, stagnant, mired, grasping, I started one as well. Guillebeau suggests naming your upcoming year, once you’ve decided what you want to accomplish. When I began outlining my goals for the upcoming year, what worked in the past year, what didn’t, I realized I needed to, wanted to, make big change in 2010. Every category of life Guillebeau outlined presented me with a topic on which I could give myself a little credit for a job well-done in 2009, but most of them also had me writing (with a real pen and paper) bullet after bullet where I could have done better. I realized I needed to take 2010 and catapult myself forward, professionally and personally.
Thus, 2010 is my leap year.
I will start this project by putting in honest terms – more challenging than I might realize – where I am right now in all areas of my life. Then I will outline my pusuits for 2010, after which I will set goals that will help me achieve these objectives. This is Guillebeau’s model. On January 25, I embarked on a life coaching boot camp with Christine from Handel Coaching Group. I am sure this will give me plenty of fodder in my efforts to leap forward. What’s more, I am committing to reading books and blogs devoted to effecting change in one’s life. I’ll talk about what I learn from them as well.
Here we go. Ready…Set…LEAP!
