What are YOUR New Year's Resolutions ?

Here's my "starter list" for New Year's Resolutions for 2011.

I hope you enjoy reading them

and then mocking me mercilessly when you see me fail

at EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM !!!

Hee hee!  :)

1. Blog more.  To be specific, my goal is to blog daily.  I reserve the right to miss several days, especially Saturdays as those seem to be busy for me.  But I'm going to try to hit every day of the year.  Wish me luck!

2. Control my "basketball" temper.  To be specific, I am going to continue playing basketball as often as I can, but I will either (a) keep my mouth shut 99% of the time -or- (b) only use compliments when I do open my mouth.  Either way, I think everyone will benefit from this.

3. Spend more "quality time" with my wife and children.  To clarify, this means I actually am mentally and emotionally present when I am with them.  No more "checking out" like Adam Sandler in the movie "Click."  Even if I really HATE whatever we're doing!

4. Run at least three 5K races.  One for certain will be the Valor Run with my sister and her police-wife friends.  Hopefully Karen can join me for that and others if they are later in the year.  Then I can count it as "quality time" and knock out two goals at once.  What do you mean that's not the point?!  I'm just being efficient!  :)

5. Say a sincere "Thank You" to a different person each day.  To be fair, I don't know if I really know 365 different people well enough to provide a sincere thank you ... so I'll probably start "new" each month and just not repeat people in the same month.  There's just not enough meaningful gratitude in this world!

6. Live worthy of the Priesthood I hold EVERY day.  In 2011 I will be ready spiritually, mentally, and physically at any moment to exercise the authority I have been granted to bless the lives of those around me.  This goal has VERY special meaning for me this year.  Feel free to ask me why when we talk next.

7. Add body mass (preferably muscle) and reach my target weight of 180 pounds.  You might find this silly or odd or just disgusting.  I don't care.  It's not your blog is it?!  For as long as I can remember I have considered my correct proportion based on body size to be 6 feet tall, 180 pounds.  All I will say is I have the one and am reasonably close on the other.

8. Read at least 3 books that I have never read before.  May not seem like much to you avid readers out there but I've only read (in their entirety) that many books in the last 2-3 years, so it is a stretch goal.

9. Complete at least ONE "project" with each of my six children.  To be specific, I will be setting a goal with each of my children and work with them on accomplishing it.  This may be to learn chords on a guitar (Brooklyn) or build a Pinewood Derby car (Ben) or go camping (Josh Jr).  No matter what, it will be fun to complete these and see if I can get two or three per child by year's end.

10. Attend the Denver LDS Temple at least once per month.  For my non-Mormon friends, this is where members of the church can go to perform sacred ordinances in proxy for the deceased.  In 2009 my wife and I narrowly missed this goal.  In 2010 we missed it by a longshot.  Time to regroup and gain the blessings that come from this service to our ancestors.

So there's a Top Ten list.  I will likely add more later, but that will be another blog topic.  I'd love to hear about some of your goals.  Feel free to comment and we can all support one another in making 2011 a super great growth year for all of us!

Happy new year and God bless!

...