My 2009 to-do list (in writing)

I'm not really a "New Years Resolution" sort of gal, but a new year does make me ponder what I would like to accomplish over the next 12 months. I will be honest, I don't really remember what my goals were last year, because my lists are generally confined to my brain, and my brain decided this past year that beyond CFA curriculum, there would be no room for additional memory.

The fact that I don't write things down drives Aaron crazy, because he is the ultimate list machine. Herein lies our biggest personality difference. We are alike in so many ways; we generally agree life's big issues: marriage/family, politics, religion. Aaron is one of Post-it's best customers, and is continually adding to and marking items off of lists. He gets such satisfaction from the marking off!

I, on the other hand, rarely even make grocery lists. In college, I generally did not even write down my assignments. Earlier this week, as we were ordering pictures from Costco and I went through every user name and password I could think of to access the web-site, I saw disgust on Aaron's face. "Why don't you keep a spreadsheet of your passwords?" he asked. What?! Why would I do that? Isn't that what the 'Forgot your password?' link on web-sites is for? I get satisfaction from actually remembering what was on my intangible lists; I take pride in my internal organization. Is it foolproof? Not exactly. But think of all the trees I have saved.

You are probably thinking that at the top of my 2009 list of to-do's is "Write out lists." Wrong. I like my system, and, in fact, this will be one of the few lists I jot down this year:

1. Pass my CFA exam in June. Whether it will be Level I or Level II, I won't know for another couple of weeks. If it is Level II, it really will be an accomplishment, and will require a ghastly amount of time sitting at the desk in our basement between now and June 6.

2. Run a half marathon. This is the one thing that I do remember being on my list last year. Because the race Aaron and I ran was flooded and cut short, I don't quite feel like it was official. Perhaps next year will be a full marathon!

3. Do a better job of getting together with friends. I have already started on this one, and have several lunch & dinner plans in place for the next couple of months. This one will be crucial after my June exam as I am reintroduced to the world of socializing. I hope I can still carry a conversation by that point.

4. Travel. Aaron and I had initially thought that we would visit Europe this year, but it looks like that will have to wait until 2010. We will still do some traveling this year, though, preferably to destinations that Southwest can take us.