I’ve been thinking about this post for weeks now. Not exactly the structure of it or the words in it, but the actual content behind it.
My plans for 2012.
Did I want them? How many? What kinds? Do I want to blog about it? Where do I start? Where do I end? Do I end? Is it acceptable to plan out a new year in the first month or am I showing the world I am very lazy and should just forget it?
In the end, my need for acknowledgment won out and I sat down and started mind-mapping 2012. A technique I learned on Google+, my mind-map helped a lot.
Then I put it aside.
But I kept thinking about it. And inevitably, I’d add to it. And even though it looks quite big and messy and full, it doesn’t feel finished to me.
And I’m finally accepting that’s a good thing. Plans are great things to have, and they’re even better to scrap and start anew. But you need to have them in order to scrap them. You need something to check yourself against. You need something to measure life with. You need something to motivate you. You need something to inspire you.
The other day, I tore down my old vision board I had set up. I chuckled over how many of the things on there weren’t representing me right now.
So, what is right now?
This.

What is this? Well, let me just list it out for you, and for me. And we’ll see where that leads us, shall we? Forget priorities, there aren’t any. Let’s go alphabetical:
Blog
1) Self-host Mutant Supermodel
a) If I can find a way to monetize the blog enough to cover costs in a non-obnoxious way
2) Blog twice a week
3) Avoid content types I dislike
a) How-I, How-You, Top Tens, Three Things/Ways, Sponsored
Create More
1) Crochet More
a) Finish Mom’s Afghan of Love and Labor
2) Knit one pair of socks
3) Try new recipes
a) One a month?
4) Craft with kids
5) Cook with kids
De-Frumpiness Project
January: Lipstick
February: Fingers and Toes
March: Mascara
April: Accessories
May: More Milk
June: Yoga
July: Skin Care
August: Underwear
September: Smile
October:
November:
December: Fruits and Veggies
Others: Hair, Positive Attitude, Clothes, Generousity
Keep Reading
1) 50 books in 2012
1 down, 49 to go!
Money
1) “Found” money goes to savings
2) Use more cash
3) Save Swagbucks
4) Simplify
A) Bills
i) Automate as much as possible
B) Savings
i) Automate as much as possible
ii) Use HSBC to make it harder to reach goal-oriented savings
a) Birthdays, Car, Christmas, Registration, Summer Camp
C) Expense Tracking
5) Cook More
6) Create a debt goal
School
1) Take it easy
But go for the A
Structure
1) Better use of calendar
2) Enforce chores
3) Create schedules
Cleaning
Kids
Bring back bedtime stories
Sleep
Family Meetings
Theme Song: “Be Ok” by Ingrid Michaelson
Travel
1) Family
Universal and Virginia
2) Adults Only
Somewhere, anywhere
In a way, this becomes not just a framework for my life, but it’s also a pretty good indicator of what might very well become my blog’s content. And of course, it’s subject to change at any time. And it probably will since this is what’s going on my now empty vision board.
A lot of these need expanding on, others need some major fleshing out still. I’ve been more concerned with just getting the stuff out of my head than with figuring out all of the details. But I have time, a whole year in fact, to work through it all.
What about you? Are you gonna wing 2012, pray for the best, and see what happens? Are are you in full strategy mode? Or are you way ahead of me and already barging through the year, plans in hand?
What’d You Say?