Weekly Review #39: Year-End (or Year-Start) Review Part 2: Questing Forward

So how’m I doing in my quest to re-invent my life, follow my evolving Blisses and create the life I really, really want?

Is it Sunday again already? When you don’t get your Weekly Review posted until so late on Thursday that it’s technically Friday, the next Weekly Review comes along mighty fast.

But then, I feel like I’ve done at least a week’s worth of stuff in between then and now, so it all balances out.

What I really want to talk about in this post is my quest for 2011 (ala Peter Shallard’s excellent post, How to hack your New Year’s resolutions). But first, a brief moment to look back before turning my gaze forward.

A tiny bit more of assessing back

It’s been quite a year, and with the Thriving Artists Project and 365 Days of Genius both launching within a month of each other, a year of very hard work indeed.

I’m happy to say, though, that I finished up 2010 with a much-needed (and much-too-brief) retreat. Someone very special whisked me off to a luxurious (and surprise) location in San Francisco for 24 hours of serenity and R&R, which included:

• A spacious corner suite with floor-to-ceiling views
• Appetizers in the elegant lounge
• Dressing up in my “diva” best
• A sumptuous, 5-course prix fixe meal at the Michelin-starred restaurant

I even got to play my ukulele in the car on the drive up and back.

Definitely the most memorable NYE on record, and not likely to be topped.

Plus (the best part): no computer! Yes, it nearly killed me, but I managed to get 365 Days of Genius all ready for Saturday’s launch before leaving on Friday afternoon.

I know, I know, it would have been a helluva lot less insane if I’d gotten more work done on 365 Days of Genius before the end of December, but I was just a tad busy with the Thriving Artists Project…

(If I ever schedule two launches in a row again, will somebody please slap me?)

(Except that I’m actually hoping to have the “official” launch of the Thriving Artists Project at the end of this month, which would technically make it three launches in a row, and I don’t really want to be slapped, so hold off on that, will ya?)

And now looking ahead

Suffice it to say, the end of my year felt appropriately representative of how I’d like 2011 to be:

Intense work creating something I’m excited and passionate about

…that makes a positive difference for other people

followed by

Rejuvenating “chill” time

My quest for 2011, though, includes more of the “rejuvenating ‘chill’ time” part, and somewhat less of the “intense work” part.

Not that I can’t take intense work. I actually thrive on it. But 18 hours a day for weeks is a bit much, even for me. 😉

My three words

One of the very cool things about being a partner in the 365 Days of… network is the weekly conference calls with the other partners.

For last week’s call, Heather (the Grand Poo-bah of the whole endeavor, and also in charge of the very cool 365 Days of Style) asked us to come up with three words that encapsulate our goals for 2011.

My words: Reach. Abundance. Calm.

Reach

What this means to me: Part of my larger quest is to make a difference, to make an impact, to change the world for the better. In order to do that, I need to grow my tribe of “Right People.” I need to expand my reach. I set this as one of my big goals this year.

Abundance

What this means to me: One of my huge goals to to eliminate my debt (the Thriving Artists Project is still my Debt-Elimination Project, impossible as that may seem from where I sit now). My quest for 2011 is to increase my financial abundance enough to at least make a serious dent in my debt, if not outright eliminate it this year.

And then there are other kinds of abundance: in my creative output, in my close relationships and connections with people, in my health and fitness, in the unexpected good things that will no doubt come my way…

Calm

After my micro-retreat in San Francisco, I’ve actually changed this word to Serenity.

So,

Serenity

What this means to me: Less time doing work and more time to just relax and enjoy. To walk. To read. To watch movies and hang with people I love and just “chill.”

And to create other not-so-“work”-related stuff — new songs, performance opportunities, Sandbox Art, writing that I don’t get enough time to do.

So. How will it play out? Only time will tell.

Just check back here every so often for a ringside seat.

Happy New Year!