So, that was 2011.

And so it begins to end today.

Another year.

365 days.

We are somehow compelled to reflect on what has come and gone – yes, a trap I am falling into right now 🙂

It’s interesting how the entire human race seems to need to wrap up these calendar years with a little bow.

You can’t watch/listen to or read anything today that isn’t a compilation of the Best and Worst of 2011 according to the “experts” in their given categories.

Resolutions are supposed to be made.

The vast percentage will be about losing the weight put on as massive amounts of food/drink/cookies have been consumed since Halloween.

Most will give up before Valentines Day 😉

I rarely make resolutions on New Years since my birthday follows right after and I tend to view that day as my Resolution Day.

Not this year.

Resolutions are too limiting – a lesson I learned in 2011.

After all – the few I made last year…what the heck were they again? (pauses to go back and read last year’s entry….)…hah – that’s funny to look at! Ok, the one annoying bad habit I wanted to stop? FAIL. But…eh..it’s alright. No harm, no foul. I wanted to continue reading more…well..FAIL on that one too! But this one cracks me up…here’s an excerpt:

“I think my goal will be to be able to run farther before I start sucking wind (loudly, it’s rather humiliating the noise that one makes when one is gassed – and I get gassed way to quickly still!). To be more specific, perhaps if I could run twice around the buildings at the gym or once around my block without needing an oxygen tank?”

Well, I think I blew THAT one out of the water quite nicely thank you very much!

See, this is why I say resolutions are too limiting.

Who knew that the eventual cancellation of the circuit training classes that got me so into shape that addiction was formed, would then lead me to take up running in earnest? To the point that not only could I run twice around those buildings now, but that I ran a 5k race in just over 30 minutes AND I actually chose yesterday to RUN instead of NAP?!!

So I guess I’ll call that resolution a big huge WIN!

Notice there is nothing in there about writing?

Sure, I didn’t read AS MUCH as I wanted (though I did indeed finish all the book on my nightstand and read a few more). But, I did start to write more.

I even started to LIKE it.

That wasn’t even on my list.

Now, I am working on writing as a source of supplemental income.

Sure, it’s web content and technical writing…..but still…it’s flexing muscles in my brain that had laid long dormant.

In fact, you could say that 2011 was the year I stopped HATING two things and starting LOVING them instead: Running & writing.

Hell, I’m even starting to be fascinated by the concept of internet marketing and sales. Sales! ICK!

Yes, the universe taught this old dog some new tricks in 2011.

I also learned that that old summer camp song from my childhood was spot on:

Make new friends,

but keep the old,

one is silver,

but the other is gold

I’ve made some wonderful new friends this year who I hold as close to my heart as those I’ve known for decades.

So, if there is ANYTHING to resolve for 2012 and the year I turn 47..which will be the Year of the Dragon when the Chinese New Year comes around which is my birth year..(what, you couldn’t tell I was a dragon? Where ya been?!) it is this:

I will RUN up Torrey Pines Hill this year. I’ve walked it over a hundred times over the years, but this year, I will run it without pushing my heart rate into the stratosphere.

And THEN I WILL need an oxygen tank at the top 😉

But that’s it. Because as far as I look at it, as corny as it is, every day you wake up is the start of a New Year.