2010 in review

Welcome to the new year. I am a resolution setter, but mostly I just like making plans. Before going forward with the new year, lets review how I did on Year One of the new Five Year plan that I set forth last December:

1) Get a job -

Check. I actually got an awesome job. When I moved here it was to focus on completing my MBA and prepping for grad school. I wasn't too particular about what kind of job and would have been happy serving tables. I definitely didn't want a high stress, time intensive job.

As fate would have it, I landed a job as an Analyst with Community Action Partnership of Utah. I had been trying to get on to similar non-profits for the past five or six years in Boston and D.C. It wasn't even on my radar for the short term relocation back to SLC. But there it just kind of landed in my lap. It wasn't everything that I dreamed it to be, but it also was better and more eye-opening than expected.

2) Complete and publish mystery novel

Nope. But it's not dead either. Work and MBA studies took up a bit more brain power than I had anticipated. But I've been plugging away at it and hope to be ready to start the second draft by the end of January. (I anticipate needing at least three drafts before ready to publish.)

3) Begin MBA dissertation

Check. I actually really hoped to have a completed first draft done before the end of the year, but applying for a doctorate program happened earlier in the five year plan than I had set out. Oct and Nov were consumed with research proposals and then the MBA trip to Zurich. However, I have a pretty solid structure for the dissertation. And almost most of my literature review completed, which is a solid chunk so I'm pretty pleased with the rate of this goal.

4) Marry Richard Armitage

Okay, well, since he doesn't know I exist this one is a bit more difficult to have any control over. And through the year I've decided that if he's unwilling, or unable, to help me complete my five year plan, then I'll settle for Gerard Butler.

5) Join Community Band

Fail. There aren't as many community bands/orchestras here as there are in the East. I did go listen to one that I thought about joining, but opening for fourth rate trumpet players aren't really a dime a dozen. The Univ of Gloucestershire does have a community orchestra and choir. I've already contacted the conductor about openings and it might be a possibility. However, since packing space is at a premium, and my trumpet isn't really that great, I think I may join the choir and then if I stay on to do my PhD at the school I'll look at perhaps upgrading trumpets and joining the orchestra.

So I have a mixed bag of success and failure for the past year. To be honest I haven't thought too much about my exact goals for 2011, but maybe because overarching themes from 2010 are playing out, but I do like to put down a formal check list so:

1: Finish MBA dissertation by March

2: Finish Master of Research dissertation by December

3: Finish the damn novel!

4: Begin PhD program (Dec 2011)

5: One half-marathon (I don't know the running/racing atmosphere in England so I'm not sure how feasible this one is.)

6: Go on a date. And kiss. If Armitage or Butler are not available I will settle for a normal mortal man.

Well, it looks like a short list, but boy I've got a lot of work to do! 2011 already seems like a blur. But I'm really looking forward to it. I have a year of very defined parameters which allows my brain to relax. I only have to focus on the doing, not the planning. And the planning part of my brain could probably do with a little bit of a break.