Heather’s New Year’s Resolutions – 2010

I’m not usually one to make New Year’s resolutions. I think it’s the fear of failing in front of others that scares me out of ever proclaiming that I’d really like to succeed at anything at all. I’m facing that fear today, New Year’s Day 2010 (pronounced “twenty-ten” per this site) by proclaiming in front of all of the internet population my goals for the year. I trust you won’t tar and feather me if I don’t come through on them all…

I’d love to see what others’ resolutions are also – please leave a comment here with yours! Happy New Year and Decade!

Personal items first:

1. Lose 40 lbs the right way.
   I’m not into fad diets, yo-yo’ing, or starvation. I’m willing to take the time to do this one the right way, as it gets me back to a lifestyle that is more “me.” I want to be fit and eat (mostly) well. I want this for me and for my family, but mostly for my kids – I want to set an example of healthly living for them, and want to be able to keep up with them for as long as nature lets me!
2. Be more patient with my kids.
   I’ve made the choice to leave my corporate job of the last 10 years to pursue freelance web/tech work, which has the awesome benefit of me being able to stay home with my two little ones (Joshua, 3 and Addison, 1). I’ve been home with them for the past year on child care leave, but have definitely struggled with patience in dealing with two little ones 24/7. I need to make a choice, every day, to be calm and understanding. I also need to build more time into my weeks to have some time away from the kids, as I know they probably get sick of me being around all the time too.
3. Make time alone with my husband a priority.
   With two kids under three, Mike and I have had quite the ride the past few years. We’ve loved every (alright, almost every) minute of it, as there has been nothing more rewarding than becoming parents together. But, anyone who tells you that raising kids makes marriage easier, or doesn’t strain the hubby/wifey relationship is full of crapola. We’ve had TWO meals sans kids in the past year, and that’s got to change! We need to keep our marriage a priority so hat we don’t become a bad statistic.

Professional items next:

4. Keep the focus of my business on helping others succeed.
   Over the past year I’ve naturally focused on helping others with whatever web or technical needs they have – they need their computer fixed, they need a website, they want to learn more about social media, etc. I haven’t charged anything for most of my services because I wasn’t doing any of it for the money. I was doing it because I feel good when I make someone else’s life a little better or help them succeed at whatever they are working towards. I truly do believe that if I keep my focus on helping others and enjoying what I am doing, that the money will come (I do need to make some money at some point!).
5. Grow my network online and in real life.
   Over the past year my love of social media has grown and matured, and I have a great start to the community I’ve built online and then nurtured offline. I’m active on social networking sites and in the blogging community, and take part in Social Media Club Chicago and Lake County Tweetup events. I have met so many positive, smart people that I can learn from and that hopefully can learn from me. Over the next year, and as I grow my business, this is something I’ll need to continue and even accelerate. I need more ideas, more energy, more positive vibes to keep me going strong. (So this one’s partially on your shoulders!)
6. Keep my blogs updated, relevant, and interesting.
   I’ve got two very nice (if I do say so myself) blogs going in the one you are visiting now, Heather Acton – Letting It All Hang Out, and in my family blog, The ChicagoActons. I have aspirations to start at least two more (in addition to other ventures), but the challenge then becomes keeping them all going effectively. I will have to keep myself informed and active to ensure that I can continue to create worthwhile content for each of my sites, but I’ll also have to recognize when one of my ideas isn’t working and change course quickly. In the end, I want my blogs to help and create enjoyment for others.
7. Go to the next level as a web developer.
   In my mind, I need to do four very particular things in the next year to get to “the next level.”

   Those are:

   • Continue to practice what I already know – web standard XHTML and CSS – but also keep in touch with new developments in these methods
   • Learn Javascript
   • Learn PHP/MySQL
   • Dig into WordPress back end

So there you have it – my 2010 New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t forget to post yours here too, and thanks in advance for sharing and supporting!