2009 : What I'll Be Making Of It

I discovered a fantastic <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/how-to-conduct-your-own-annual-review/">annual review exercise</a> on Chris Guillebeau's site, <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/">The Art of Nonconformity</a> and have been hard at work elaborating exactly what I want to get out of 2009. I encourage you to do the same! Here are a few areas where I will be working particularly hard, as well as an area I've chosen to take a break on this year.

<h1>Areas to Focus On</h1>

<h2>Health</h2>

<strong>Vision</strong> - my computer-induced nearsightedness has bothered me to no end, and since my new puppy chewed up a very expensive pair of glasses, I'm electing to forego buying a new pair and instead use natural vision improvement exercises (which have worked wonders in the past for me, but I have not had the discipline to follow through on). <strong>I will practice these techniques every day for a minimum of 45 days</strong> to evaluate if they will help my eyesight.

<strong>Mind</strong> - after spending nearly a year conducting research for my upcoming senior project, <em>The Anatomy of Awareness</em> (more on that later!), I have learned a great deal about neuroscience and brain chemistry. With that knowledge comes the awareness of just how many things in my own brain are not working correctly: my focus, concentration, energy levels and motivation are <em>seriously fucked</em>. This year, <strong>I will conduct exhaustive trials of supplements and prescriptions to find what works best for me</strong> in these areas. I'm currently waiting on a shipment of piracetam, a "cognitive enhancer" proven beneficial in Alzheimer's patients and in connecting the left and right brain hemispheres. I'll post some information on that in the near future.

<strong>Diet and Exercise</strong> - I have occasionally been in great shape, so I know it's not only possible, but relatively simple given the right motivation. This year I am going to try eating much fewer carbs. I am interested in learning more about Ayurvedic (Indian) dietary practices, especially since an Ayurvedic herb (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocimum_tenuiflorum">Tulsi</a>) just <em>rescued</em> me from a very serious cold.

<h2>Work and Finances</h2>

<strong>Career</strong> - I have had a rocky road of internships and part-time work during my college's Fieldwork Term, but my experiences have been largely positive. I'll soon begin working at my former high school and hope to turn this into a full-time position or find other work that is similarly rewarding and fulfilling to my purpose as a human being. Since I am leaving college this year as well, I have plenty of ideas of where I want to go and will need some time to whittle my options down!

I've also just completed 90% of the paperwork for launching my blog and future enterprise, Evolation, as a small business (from now on known as Evolation Media, LLC) and I am excited about the prospects. I am still examining ways I can use the medium and content of this site to help others. I will be adding some slight redesigns to the site in order to better prepare it for the direction I have planned for it.

<h2>Organization</h2>

I am making an intense transition towards being more organized and aware of the myriad details of my life. I have practiced David Allen's "Getting Things Done" method before, and found it fantastic, but have not had the time or incentive to put it into full-time use. 2009 is that time. I will be documenting how I use his and other organizational systems, as well as offering tips on what's helped me stay on top of all this!

<h2>Areas to Leave Alone</h2>

<strong>Spirituality</strong> - I have spent altogether too much time in this realm recently, and though I feel intensely connected, grateful, and conscious in my daily life, I have lost a fair amount of personal power because I have never really worked at <strong>being effective in the real world</strong>. Since I know I will be a spiritual person <em>regardless</em> of what I do, and that this is an innate and inseperable part of who I am, I will try to leave it on the back burner and focus more on <strong>interpersonal, entrepreneurial and physical work in the real world</strong>. In <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/personal-development-for-smart-people/">Steve Pavlina's</a> terminology, I am moving away from a fixation on Oneness (the combination of Truth and Love) and towards a focus on Courage (the combination of Love and Power).

I'll be documenting all these trials over the coming months, so there will be much more info to follow soon. Have a happy 2009!