Some goals for January 2012 and beyond
Sometimes when I think of this year, I wonder what I've done if anything at all. Then I realize that I've been very busy this last year and quite successful doing it. I started learning a new language, I wrote not one but two novels, I took and passed two major tests. And those are just the big and easy examples.
So for 2012 as I think of things I would like to do, I take inspiration from activities like NaNoWriMo, which I started doing in 2009. I am also inspired by a 6 Week Challenge for language learning. I did two of those last year to really work on my Japanese, and they helped greatly.
I am a natural cheetah, if you will. I like doing things with short bursts of activity. It helps keep energy and productivity high. So in that spirit, I would like to make several mini projects for myself in 2012. Some of them will already be occupied with writing activities and language activities of the already mentioned NaNoWriMo and 6WC. But... being a musician who plays many instruments and not all of them at the same level, I decided to throw a short music challenge into the mix.
I'll put in a cut so as not to clutter flists, and then describe what I'd like to do in January and a few things I am looking to do in months beyond that.
I will state here that my activity ideas can be concurrent, but I don't plan on doing all things all the time. I don't want to make myself burn out!
In January I want to...
*Write my werewolf story that I started in 2009 at NaNo. The story deserves to be finished, and I have some new inspiration for it.
*Do a reading challenge for Japanese so I can keep up with my skills. The lack of reading I've done in December has done me no favors, so it really needs to be Japanese I focus on.
*Do a music instrument challenge with piano.
I own a lovely electric piano, but I've barely used it in the year I've had it. Playing Christmas songs this year reminded me how I enjoy playing other instruments. I don't consider myself very accomplished in piano or guitar but I'd like to take one month each to really work and push what small skill I do have to the next level.
To achieve that piano goal I will...
-Practice one hour every day for the month of January
-Use an old textbook of mine that has the basic of beginning piano for adult learners
-Focus on different accompaniments (besides just block chords) I can use with melodies I might know
-Pick at least 4 simple pieces (one for each week) from my books of authentic piano literature
-Record my progress with either MIDI or a digital camera (or both!) and upload the results, or just share some sound files with any interested friends
I am so excited about the piano part of the challenge I almost want to start NOW instead of waiting until January 1st.
In the rest of the year my goals and activities will probably have something along the lines of:
French, Russian, German, Japanese for the four separate 6WCs
Finnish and Spanish for the reading challenges (called Tadoku)
A guitar-oriented instrument month similar to piano above but without the use of classical pieces
Maybe a ukulele month, too.
Writing months in summer (possibilities for June-August) and November
And during all this crazy, I want to learn how to cook (still...) and be healthy by doing hoop dance.
It seems like a lot, and maybe it is, but again... these are short bursts of activity. I can hopefully achieve a nice bit of improvement in the different things that have my interest.
So for 2012 as I think of things I would like to do, I take inspiration from activities like NaNoWriMo, which I started doing in 2009. I am also inspired by a 6 Week Challenge for language learning. I did two of those last year to really work on my Japanese, and they helped greatly.
I am a natural cheetah, if you will. I like doing things with short bursts of activity. It helps keep energy and productivity high. So in that spirit, I would like to make several mini projects for myself in 2012. Some of them will already be occupied with writing activities and language activities of the already mentioned NaNoWriMo and 6WC. But... being a musician who plays many instruments and not all of them at the same level, I decided to throw a short music challenge into the mix.
I'll put in a cut so as not to clutter flists, and then describe what I'd like to do in January and a few things I am looking to do in months beyond that.
I will state here that my activity ideas can be concurrent, but I don't plan on doing all things all the time. I don't want to make myself burn out!
In January I want to...
*Write my werewolf story that I started in 2009 at NaNo. The story deserves to be finished, and I have some new inspiration for it.
*Do a reading challenge for Japanese so I can keep up with my skills. The lack of reading I've done in December has done me no favors, so it really needs to be Japanese I focus on.
*Do a music instrument challenge with piano.
I own a lovely electric piano, but I've barely used it in the year I've had it. Playing Christmas songs this year reminded me how I enjoy playing other instruments. I don't consider myself very accomplished in piano or guitar but I'd like to take one month each to really work and push what small skill I do have to the next level.
To achieve that piano goal I will...
-Practice one hour every day for the month of January
-Use an old textbook of mine that has the basic of beginning piano for adult learners
-Focus on different accompaniments (besides just block chords) I can use with melodies I might know
-Pick at least 4 simple pieces (one for each week) from my books of authentic piano literature
-Record my progress with either MIDI or a digital camera (or both!) and upload the results, or just share some sound files with any interested friends
I am so excited about the piano part of the challenge I almost want to start NOW instead of waiting until January 1st.
In the rest of the year my goals and activities will probably have something along the lines of:
French, Russian, German, Japanese for the four separate 6WCs
Finnish and Spanish for the reading challenges (called Tadoku)
A guitar-oriented instrument month similar to piano above but without the use of classical pieces
Maybe a ukulele month, too.
Writing months in summer (possibilities for June-August) and November
And during all this crazy, I want to learn how to cook (still...) and be healthy by doing hoop dance.
It seems like a lot, and maybe it is, but again... these are short bursts of activity. I can hopefully achieve a nice bit of improvement in the different things that have my interest.