Final Resolution Update of 2013

Well, 2013. It’s about that time. You’ve given me 365 days of continuous improvement, but now it’s time to call it a year and move on. I won’t say, “The even years are always better” this time because you turned out to be infinitely more productive than 2012. But I’ll admit I’m pretty excited about 2014. 2004 was my favorite year of all time, and since this next one has three of the same digits, I’ve got my fingers crossed it’ll be pretty spectacular. Only time will tell. In the meantime, let’s sum you up and get on with it — I’ve got NYE to celebrate down here in Florida with my parents. =)

Travel
Renew my passport – New passport in my possession, February 12.
Leave the country (temporarily, of course) – Fail.
Spend a girls’ weekend in Nashville, TN – Spent the weekend in Nashville for Tina’s 30th birthday, January 18-20.
Visit Stephen in Pensacola (again), and take a little trip within a trip to New Orleans – Fail.
Go shopping in Chicago – Fail.
Visit Nicole in Texas – Fail.
Visit Grace in New Hampshire – Fail.
Visit Joelle in California – Fail.
Gamble in the new Margaritaville Casino in Atlantic City – Gambled in the new Margaritaville Casino in AC, May 26.
Play poker in Las Vegas – Fail.
Spend a day in NYC – Spent two days, and two nights in NYC, February 6-8. Spent the day in NYC, May 29. Spent the day in NYC again, July 24.
Take pictures of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse – Fail.
Soak up some sunshine on a tropical beach – Fail.
Spend time in one other northeast or southeast city (Charleston, Newport, Savannah, Miami, etc.) – I spent a few days in DC for work, October 28-30. And does Allentown, PA count? November 1-3. I also spent six days in San Francisco for a conference, which isn’t an east coast city, but is still one of my favorites, November 17-22. Hanging out in Palm Coast, FL, December 29-January 2 — it’s not really a city, but…you know. Whatever.

Blogging
Finish merging my two blogs together into one – Almost done with this. Almost.
Decide on a name once and for all (suggestions welcome) – The Coastal Chicster it is, January 28. Fail. I dislike this name. I need a new one.
Work with some my favorite local shops and businesses to feature them on my blog – Fail.
Find ways to connect with other bloggers – In July, I linked up with a local vintage style blogger named Arielle to take some photos for her blog. I had the pleasure of doing two photo shoots with her in July.
Engage with readers more to grow traffic – Eh. Fail.
Develop a media kit – Fail.
Attend a blogging conference – Attended IFB Conference, February 6-7.
Upgrade to WordPress Pro – Did one better than that. This blog is now self-hosted! January 29.

For My Well-Being
Get contacts (or at least prescription sunglasses) – Fail.
Have a better relationship with my cats – Hmm. I tentatively admit that I have a better relationship with them. In return for my feeding them the most expensive cat food on the planet, they’ve cut back on barfing in my residence. That will have to suffice for the time being.
Eat less pizza – Definitely reduced my consumption of pizza by at least 90 percent this year, thanks to my giving up gluten on January 3. Turns out I was really onto something with this resolution./span>
Work with a lifestyle coach – Completed a four-week “Sparkling Start” group workshop with Cara Alwill Leyba, January 30.
Consult with a nutritionist – Fail.
Join Weight Watchers again, take it seriously, and get back down to my goal weight – I joined Weight Watchers, paid for it most of the year, hardly tracked anything in it, and gained weight. Super fail.
Find new ways to exercise – Downloaded the RunKeeper app on my phone (not really a new way to exercise, but a new way to track and keep me motivated), June 29. Got a Fitbit for Christmas (another new way to keep motiviated?), December 27.
Find a charitable organization to dedicate some volunteer hours to each week and/or month – Almost. Joined the Employee Action Committee at work in March, and volunteered at the Spartyka Wounded Warrior 5K, March 30. Volunteered at Dive For A Cure, April 27.

Business Endeavors & Money
Sell fine art photography prints through the Lisa DeNoia Photography website – Almost. I uploaded three photos for sale on my website, June 20, but I never sold any.
Design a line of stationery using my photos and/or graphic design skills – Fail.
Write a few posts for my company’s blog at work – Wrote a post in January, but I don’t think they posted it yet. I’m going to consider this accomplished though, considering we rebuilt the entire company intranet in WordPress, and I’ve been updating it with posts internally ever since.
Get a raise – Accepted a new position at work, January 31.
Open a Roth IRA – Fail.
Up my monthly money market transfer to $275 in January and $300 in July – Upped transfer to $275, January 1. Upped transfer to $300, July 1.

The Usual
Go ice skating (extra points for Rockefeller Center) – Fail.
Go horseback riding – Went horseback riding, July 14. From now until the end of the year, I’ll be partial leasing a horse named Ellie and riding two days a week! =)
Go surfing – Fail.
Go snowboarding – Fail.
Run in a race – Fail.
Read at least 10 good books – Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com, Inc., The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiScalfani, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams, Overseas by Beatriz Williams, Red Right Return by John H. Cunningham, Green to Go by John H. Cunningham, I’m Gonna Live My Life Like A Jimmy Buffett Song by Anthony Bjorklund, Jack and Di Rum Song by Anthony Bjorklund, Let Di Song of Change Blow Over My Head by Anthony Bjourklund, I Just Had To Go Back To Di Island by Anthony Bjorklund
See a few concerts – Saw the Virginia International Tattoo at Chrysler Hall, April 25. Jimmy Buffett @ Farm Bureau Live, July 13. The Wailers @ 31st street, August 6. John Mayer @ Farm Bureau Live, August 26. Rooster Foot  on the beach, August 27. Fuel and Daughtry on the beach @ 5th Street Stage, August 30. Smashmouth and Barenaked Ladies (from afar on the beach), August 31. Third Eye Blind on the beach @ 5th Street Stage, September 1. Streetlight Manifesto @ The Norva, November 9. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals @ the Dreamforce Silverpop Party, November 18. Huey Lewis & The News @ the Dreamforce Keynote, November 19. Green Day @ the Dreamforce Gala, November 19.
See a few plays – Saw American Idiot at Chrysler Hall, January 26. Saw the Met Opera’s production Rigoletto live in HD at the movie theater, February 16. Saw Jersey Boys at Chrysler Hall, March 8. Saw Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Sandler Center, April 26.
Do yoga – Fail.
Draw a picture – Sketched some tote bags for a little project I’m working on with my friend Sarah, June 3-6.
Write a poem – Fail.

New Things to Do
Submit something I write to a publication or magazine – Fail.
Host a champagne brunch for friends – Fail.
Attend Fashion Week in NYC – Fail. I was in NYC when Fashion Week started, but thanks to a winter storm, didn’t make it anywhere close, February 8.
Go sailing – Fail.
Cook more – Hmm. No idea. I’ll give myself an almost.
Take a photography class – Fail.
Visit a museum – I never wrote this down, but I think that the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville counts as a museum, in which case, I accomplished this one back in January.
Learn to sew – Fail.
Enter one of my photographs into a competition – Fail.
Take a dance class – Fail.

Wish List
Own a pair of diamond earrings – Fail.
Invest in new luggage – Fail.
Acquire this camera lens – Fail. I acquired this one instead, but then I returned it because I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.
Get a bike rack for my car – Fail. My parents were going to give me one for my birthday, but I decided I wasn’t really going to get much use out of it, so I declined. I got a lighthouse dress instead.
Buy a timeshare or property in the Caribbean – Fail.

And, as always, make a new resolution each month – I’ll give myself a mostly accomplished on this one. 
January: Recoup the savings account (did a little damage with Christmas and the NYE party…) – Kind of? Not really. Still working on that.
February: Pick out a web-based project management tool for my new job – I think I’ve settled on SmartSheet.
March: Go running! (as soon as DST starts…) – I went running the day that DST started…and that’s about it.
April: Finish cleaning out my closet and selling a whole bunch of crap on eBay – I’ve cleaned out most of the stuff I should get rid of, but I haven’t sold it all yet.
May: Finish editing Nashville photos and post (Tina made a special request for this to be done ASAP) – Edited and posted, May 2.
June: Come up with an idea for business #2 – Came up with a few ideas this month, but nothing major.
July: No shopping for clothes or shoes until my NJ trip – Accomplished. Although, I did do a bang-up job spending money up there this year. #oops
August: Weekend trip – I didn’t take  weekend trip, but Kerri and her friends were in town for her bachelorette party all of Labor Day Weekend, and it felt like a weekend trip, for sure. =)
September: Get my laptop functioning properly again – Accomplished!
October: Fail.
November: Make some Christmas plans and stop cheating on my gluten-free diet. I’ve been sneaking bites here and there, and I feel tired and crappy all the time. – Christmas plans are in the works. I’ve been a failure at gluten-free eating, mostly because of traveling and eating out so much.
December: Get SF contract signed @ work – Contract signed, December 20.

So that’s 36 failed, four almost, and 21 accomplished. To be honest, I don’t think that’s giving myself enough credit. I’m going to chalk my lack of success on a lot of these to the fact that many of my priorities changed a few weeks into the year, and a lot of the stuff that I thought would be a focus for me in 2013 didn’t really end up on the list of things I wanted to concentrate on at all. I’ll definitely keep this in mind when I make this year’s list and try to predict my course a little more accurately.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all have a safe and fabulous night tonight! Thanks for following along. =)