2008 vs 2009

So I just found a piece of paper with my 2008 goals on it (and by "just found" I mean, looked up 2 inches and saw it pinned to the wall above my laptop, haha whoops forgot that was there). So let's review. 2008 Goals: Goal 1: Grow freelance copyediting/proofreading network and business Outcome: Accomplished, sort of! I haven't done that much prf/ceing, but I've been doing lots of other freelance publicity work which I like better. Goal 2: Join gym or other regular exercise Outcome: My side hurts from laughing. Oh, optimism, will you never learn? Um, in April and May of this year I did a decent amount of running and situps, etc., to "prepare" for Cancun. Then I gave up. Goal 3: Check out volunteer.match or other volunteer program, find something to help out at Outcome: Accomplished, I guess? I did volunteer at ICNY for four months, but ... it wasn't very satisfactory, and I didn't sign up for another term. I should have, though, since I do realize that *my* personal satisfaction isn't supposed to be the point of volunteering. Goal 4: Get out of credit card debt Outcome: TAKE THAT BIZZITCHES!!!! As of yesterday, 1/16/2009, I am finally, FINALLY out of credit card debt. I am especially proud of this as my debt (starting January 2008) was equal to about 18% of my (pre-tax) yearly income (or 27% of my take-home pay). Yes. And that was before finance charges etc. Actually I do have $17.22 left on one card but I think I'm entitled to say I'm clear. Goal 5: Research MLS/grad school options, apply for 2009 entry Outcome: Epic fail. In so many ways. Goal 6: Start writing more Outcome: Well, I guess I wrote a couple of blog posts, but on the whole, fail. So the tally is: 2.5 Accomplisheds/1.5 Fails/1 Epic Fail. Um, I guess I should shoot for a little bit better for 2009. So what are my goals? 2009 Goals: 1) Study for and take the June LSAT. Actually apply to schools, not at the last minute. *I just signed up for it! and ordered the offical 10 Tests book. Now that I'm spending the money, hopefully I can crack down and get serious about studying ... 2) Take a creative writing or other writing class, preferably in the summer or fall after acing the LSAT. (Or just start doing more creative stuff, but I'm probably not capable of doing that without deadlines imposed on me by someone else.) 3) Get a grip on my financial life (i.e., start saving $ now that my cc debt is gone). * This past week, opened a second savings account and told payroll to divert a part of my paycheck (... a very, very small part) to it. 4) Maybe get another job, in an industry that has a better prognosis than that of the Titanic on April 14. *Yeah I've been saying this for ages. We'll see. 5) Prepare myself for a year of utter loneliness by joining some sort of social group (book club? more volunteering?) or, you know, finding the Man Of My Dreams (sci-fi aisle, here I come). 6) Lose vast quantities of fat/exercise. * I have to put this on the list because ... seriously it's been like a traditional part of my yearly resolutions since I was about 9. Hope springs eternal, etc. Sigh. Check back in a year and we'll see how I did.