Today’s song is “What Are You Doing New Years?”

Last night the guys all went out and I worked on my collection of goals for 2010. #2 son and I ordered a pizza while it was just the two of us here. Since Wii Fit measures weight in tenths of a pound, I can therefore tell you that eating pizza immediately caused me to gain half a pound.

But I have a good plan for my health this year, including exercise and eating right and sleeping and taking care of my back and stuff like that. I also plan to return some creativity to my daily life, with making things (the pictures today comprise my entire Finished Objects list for the year 2009, I’m sad to say) and keeping my home as it should be for  humans, not computers.

That’s all for personal goals.

I had simple business goals last year. I had averaged 15 billable hours a week in 2008, and wanted to increase that to 20. I didn’t keep very good track this year, I’m afraid, but when I managed to Toggl consistently, I saw a fairly consistent 30 billable hours a week. I’d like to keep that up.

I want to decrease unbillable time, and to shift what unbillable time I have more toward learning and less toward scope creep and phone meetings.
 
One of my business goals last year was to get all my business systems in place, and I didn’t. I’m closer; I incorporated, I have at least some of my accounting data inputted into my software, I have some things down to routine well enough that I can delegate them to my daughters and give good estimates for them, I invoice people pretty consistently. I have a CPA to take my tax stuff to, and he doesn’t seem too horrified by what I’ve been doing.

I’m hoping to get all those systems in place early in this year.

Another of my business goals last year was to get on top of all my software. However, as the Art Teacher says, “Our software is hard and complicated and it changes all the time. Get used to it.” So I’m happy that I passed my html certification, and fine with the fact that I have a whole new crop of software to learn this year.

I think it likely that I’ll have some more surprises this year.

But, while last year had some challenges, it also had some very nice points. Business is good, my youngest had a great first semester at the college of his choice (where we could never have sent him when I worked at the store), I spent a week in Kansas City and a couple of weeks in L.A.. both of which were very like vacations.
So I’m entering the new year with a great deal of optimism.

Yesterday I had a marvelous package from my old school friend in L.A., filled with goodies from Trader Joe’s, including a grapefruit-scented body wash which promises to create feelings of optimism.

Granted that I’m already feeling optimistic, and have done my yoga and strength workouts this morning, I still intend to go shower with grapefruit mousse. I think I will then be ready for today’s cool projects.

I’m writing a law firm’s website and continuing with arts center lessons on immigration, and I need to do a report for the Chocolatier to send to his European partners.

But I plan to take tomorrow off.