It’s that time of year again, to reflect over the past year and look ahead to the new year.

My annual tradition is to review my New Year’s resolutions from a year ago, see how I did, and then come up with a new batch for the coming year.

Last year’s resolutions are posted on my old blog.  They were deliberately amorphous last year, since I was getting tired of posting about failing at New Year’s resolutions.  I definitely made it through the entire year of 2010 without being eaten by a velociraptor, so we can chalk that up as a point in the win column.  After that, everything else would be cream cheese, right?

As I look back on 2010, without boring you with all of the details, it was a year that I’ll always remember as the one where April came into my life.  I won’t claim that consciously following my New Year’s resolutions was the reason we got together, but if I hadn’t been open to new things, to taking chances, this wonderful relationship would never have blossomed.  Taking a risk (#4 on my list from 2010) was the only way to get to where we are today, looking forward to 2011 and beyond.

So, with a smile on my face and love in my heart, I give you my 2011 resolutions, broken into two sections.

Goal-based Resolutions for 2011

1. Lose 20 pounds. The scale has been creeping higher the last few months instead of creeping lower.  Must reverse course and get it heading in the right direction again.
2. Write 1 blog post per day. Consider this the first!  WordPress.com is doing what they can to help bloggers with keeping up with that resolution by starting the DailyPost experiment.  Side note… this appears to be what they were getting at when Automattic acquired Plinky back in June.
3. Read 40 books.  This one’s a slam dunk for me.  A measly 45 books in 2010, down from 56 in 2009 and another 56 in 2008.  If you’re a big reader like I am, you can follow what I’m reading through a variety of services, including GoodReads, Readernaut, and Visual Bookshelf (on Facebook).

Repeat Resolutions for 2011 — Since They Worked So Well in 2010!

1. Do more.
2. Do better.
3. Live louder.
4. Take risks.
5. Think bigger.
6. Be a better friend.
7. Meet new friends.
8. Learn from those who have done it before.
9. Teach to those who will listen.
10. And, above all, don’t get eaten by a velociraptor.

What are YOUR resolutions for 2011?