Roadmap for 2012

1. Driver’s license—yes, making strides so ensure it’s a reality this year: started looking up driving schools in my neighborhood. Contemplating doing a coast to coast road trip, and I want to be able to contribute more than just gas and tolls with whomever joins me lol. Even thinking about creating a new site (or tumblr) to document it: videos, photos, the whole shebang. Gonna see what happens.
2. Vision board—going to attempt this on my wall (i have this cool product called Whitey Board i’ve yet to put up since i didn’t have the wall space in my old place lol).
3. Budgeting money.
4. Finish school (for now): finally obtain and be done with the godforsakenly mundane process of earning a Bachelor’s degree. These life goals will take a long time, but what else would i expect since this chapter is already an albatross, 10-year journey.
5. Wipe out non-education debt and pay current monthly subscriptions/services a year in advance (i.e. Dropbox, two webhosting accounts, Netflix, etc.).
6. Sustained happiness, which for me is directly influenced by money: it’s both the water under my skiff of happiness, and the green monster allowing freedom to do what i want.
7. Cook regularly, at least two or three times a week.
8. Show loved ones they’re appreciated–still
9. Scholar: designing a WordPress plugin and theme (read about it here).
10. Publish first poetry books: my new idea is to split dust into four volumes instead of one singular entity since it’s nearing 200 pages, something like 130 poems at last count. The titles will be d, u, s, and t. I figure each book will be around 50 pages, possibly released all at once to be purchased as a full set or each separately; or, released in a staggered style, once every week or month, i’m not too sure. Gotta think about this some more.
11. Carte Blanch Press: for item #10, will be my own publishing company
12. InDesign Adobe Certified Expert. This desire has become more of a need because of the previous two entries.
13. Remain a freelance designer, but look to acquiring new clients or jobs via another company—that is, be their hired consultant, etc. Less direct dealing with clients. I need sanity and less constant badgering lol.
14. Read and write reviews or an aperçu (i love the sound of that word) for 50 books—see my Book Embargo post for more details.
15. Resume study of the French language! Didn’t do zilch last year, so need to get on that saddled horse. Living Language and/or Rosetta Stone will be my tools. Apparently women really dig French speaking dudes, so this will be a boon for me lol. I’m hoping Josh (my brother) enjoys and finds use in his Living Language set i copped him for Christmas.
16. Ten more tattoos—minimally. I’ll ideally start and complete my left arm and left lower leg sleeves.
17. More piercings: right-side nose ring, right industrial, left cartilage (again), maybe left eyebrow.
18. Concerts!—Foo Fighters (again), as well as John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz (again!) and Dave Matthews (finally!). Oh, wait, just remembered No Doubt is making a return: must see them, too!
19. Travel more than i did in 2011, in which i visited Nawlins, Indiana, Jamaica, San Diego, and Tijuana. For this year: Boston, Vegas, Texas, Portland, Toronto or Montreal, a Caribbean Island, and return trips to Nawlins, my second beloved city, and possibly San Diego.

And that, folks, is my written vision board/roadmap of sorts. The first week is almost over, so here’s to the next 51. Let’s see how much headway i make compared to last year’s “resolutions.”

Cheers.

~m.j