Last night I had a really great time hanging out with one of my best friends Ukulele Misfit. I love hanging out with her because we always have the best conversations. Last night we spent a long time talking about our intentions for the future, where we see ourselves in 5 years and the various creative projects we’re working on (I also helped her do a wardrobe purge, using the Suitcase Test! More on that later!!!). When I left her house to take the Spadina streetcar home, I felt really inspired and excited. Since I didn’t make an official New Year’s Resolution post at the beginning of the month, I thought today would be the perfect time to talk about some of the things that I have planned for 2010.
This year I decided to take the lead from one of my favorite bloggers, Jess at Makeunder My Life and create a list of “intentions” for 2010. “Resolutions” are things we WANT to do (and may never do) whereas “intentions” are actions either concious or otherwise that we make to shape our environment.
Instead of making a list of my intentions (because really, does this blog NEED more lists?!) I decided to do what she did: Write an Annual Letter to my Future Self. The idea is that you write a letter to yourself laying out how you would like your life to be a year from now and all the things you would like to accomplish. You write the letter as if all of these things have already happened. Then you put the letter away & bring it out at the end of the year. The intention of the letter is that it acts sort of like a self fulfilling prophecy: if you put your intentions out into the universe & you will do these things. (If you need a corny movie reference to really get you going, think Field of Dreams: “If you build it they will come!”). At the end of the year you open your letter to yourself and read it to see how far you have come.
This is supposed to be a somewhat intimate exercise however, with the hope that I might inspire some of you to do the same thing, here are some excerpts from my letter:
Career:
“I am working in a career that I really enjoy that involves PR/Communications/Digital Media or Writing. I really enjoy what I do because its fun, fast paced and allows me to be creative on a daily basis. My job is very challenging but in a good way. Everyday I am at work I’m learning something new, growing, and moving forward in a career that I can actually see myself doing long term. I’m really proud of where I work and get up in the morning looking forward to interacting with my colleagues. Now that my career is on track I have a bit more financial stability. I am actively saving money and putting it aside for my various financial goals (pay off student debt, travel fund, general savings/retirement). It feels really amazing that what I am doing with my life is in sync with my ambitions”
Blog:
I’m still writing Skinny Dip and its going better than ever! I love writing and sharing my life with my readers. SkinnyDip’s readership has grown exponentially since 2009. This is due to a couple of things: I’ve finally got the hang of how to use Google Webmaster tools to my best advantage. Also Skinny Dip has a much stronger social media presence (via a FB fan page, Twitter, You tube, BlogHer and 20sb). I’ve added personal photographs to the site, which has helped me connect better with my readers (As BF said earlier in 2009 “It’s not really Skinny Dipping if they can’t SEE you”). Don’t worry, even though the blog is called Skinny Dip it still doesn’t include any nude photos (sorry dudes) but I have included more personal fashion content and snapshots from my daily life. I’ve also faced my camcorder-fright and added some video content. I’ve brought “The List” to life and have made a few short video clips based on various dating Do’s and Don’ts, that have been received favorably.
Through all this I’ve made some really great connections with other bloggers, some of whom I’m now collaborating with on guest blogging & other web projects. I’ve also been keeping busy writing freelance articles for other websites whenever the opportunity presents itself. I’ve started brainstorming ideas to turn some of the stories from Skinny Dip into a book. I’ve been able to accomplish these things because I have stuck with my initial intention for the blog: to write content that is always HONEST and true to myself”
Health:
“I’m still living a healthy lifestyle, eating well and working out. But, to mix things up a bit I’ve added in a dance class to my usual routine. I love being involved with dance again, even if its only once a week”
Home:
“The empty space in the North-West corner of the living room is now my office space. My office area looks a bit like this. It includes a white parsons style desk, a desk lamp, a vintage globe, a mid-century modern chair. Above the desk I have some framed artwork and a bulletin board where I post things that inspire me. I use this space for my blogging and for making jewelry”
Life & Celebrations:
“One of the highlights of this year has been turning 30. As a birthday present to myself, I took a long-weekend trip to Miami (or another cheap & sunny destination) where I spent a few days sunning myself, enjoying good music, eating Cuban sandwiches and drinking Mojitos with BF and/or a few close friends. This little getaway was the perfect closure to a decade. On my actual birthday I had a big, over the top party where I danced the night away surrounded my the people I love most. 2010 has been about seizing opportunities and living life to the fullest. Getting out more, dancing more, challenging myself, doing things I love, making new connections, and nurturing the relationships I already have”
What do you think?
I admit that when I first started writing the letter I felt like a bit of a dork but, by the time I finished it was amazing to see that I actually had a solid vision of how I want to experience the next year of my life. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this.
If anyone is thinking of writing their own letter, be sure to check out DearFutureMe.org –a service that willl email your letter to you in the future. You can even send regular updates to yourself throughout the year.
So, who else is going to write a letter to themselves for 2010? And what will it say?