Be A Better Professional in 2010

I don’t normally do New Year’s Resolutions, mainly because I set goals for myself that I know I will never achieve.  Truth be told, that’s not the best feeling when the year ends.

What are your 2010 resolutions?

I put a different spin on the whole resolution idea this year.  Aside from my vow to get so good at Beatles Rockband that I beat my brother AND a smug friend who thinks he can beat me in that game without playing it, I compiled my objectives and goals to grow as a professional and call them my “resolutions” for the new year.  Here are 5 ways I hope to grow and learn as a professional in 2010:

1. Make a monthly budget and stick to it: This is a priority for me, so much so that there is a taped piece of paper with my monthly expenses right next to my computer as I type this.  I feel that if I can’t handle and keep my own personal life organized, how am I going to do so in my professional life?  It’ll also help me save enough money to move out of my house (hopefully by the end of 2010) and save enough money to go graduate school and earn an MBA, both of which will improve my professional life immensely.
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: I took a web design class where I “learned” Adobe Dreamweaver in college.  Learned is in quotation marks because my professor didn’t use the program himself, so therefore, couldn’t teach it effectively.  Now I have Dreamweaver on my computer and plenty of resources in front of me to teach me the ropes.  There is no excuse for not learning it again.
3. Consistently update this blog: I fail at updating this thing on a regular basis.  Every day, I read a plethora of interesting articles with subjects ranging from politics, to fashion, to social media, and everything in between.  I hope to add posts on a consistent basis (basis guidelines have not been determined yet)- and even upgrade the account a little bit- with posts about these things I read and how they affect me (and others) as young, knowledgeable, GenY professionals.
4. Travel: This is both a personal and professional resolution.  I have so many wonderful friends around the country and I would love to explore new places and see them in their new homes.  Traveling allows you to grow as a person, and what I learn and see in new places certainly can help me in my professional life.  My sister will be studying abroad in Paris this spring, which will give me the chance to return to Europe and explore their world of advertising, marketing, and the like, and compare it to ours.  I started doing that in an International Marketing class I took at Loyola College in Maryland in 2008, which set the fire for my interest in International Marketing Communications.  As we begin this year, I already plan on visiting: West Point, NY; St. Louis, MO; Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; Paris, France; Atlanta, GA. And 2010 hasn’t even started yet!
5. Continue to freelance:  Perhaps this is the most important resolution of all.  I think everyone should do a little freelancing on the side (if possible).  Since I graduated from college in May 2009, I’ve had amazing opportunities to improve my graphic design portfolio.  I have continued snatching those opportunities after obtaining a full-time job.  I can’t imagine a better way to get my name out there as a designer, improve my craft, and bring in a little extra cash ;)

What are your goals for 2010?  How do you plan on achieving them?

Happy 2010 everyone!  Here’s to a year full of happiness, success, and gratitude.

(Image from Google Images)

A Few of My Favorite Things

It wouldn’t be the end of a year without some lists.

In honor of my favorite movie, which is The Sound of Music (has been since I was in fourth grade) and was on tv last night, here are a few of my favorite things from 2009:

A video of my friends band, Fools & Horses, at a bar in Baltimore this past spring.  Just found these gems while digging through my computer’s old files.  They are singing to me specifically, and they are performing my favorite Beatles song, which happens to be “Here Comes The Sun.”  F&H were a big part of my life since my very first September in college and I miss them tremendously.  These four fellas are some of the sweetest, most talented (not to mention some of the most handsome) guys I have met in my life, so give them a listen.

Keurig Platinum Coffee Maker

Second, I am IN LOVE with the Keurig Coffee Maker I got for Christmas from “Santa” this year.  Now, you’re probably wondering, “Why does she need that- she still lives at home?”

…this is true.

However, my family and I just consider it an early “you have your own place!” gift.  For now, it’s being used by the family until the wonderful day where I will move out of my home and start a new life on my own.

For those of you who don’t know what this wonderful machine is, and can’t tell from the picture, it is a coffee/tea/hot chocolate machine that brews individual, perfect cups every time.   There are about 10 different brands to make “K-Cups” that can be used in the machine, each with dozens of different varieties.  You can chose different cup sizes as well.   It even tells you when it’s ready to brew!! It’s amazing.

Courtesy of ladygaga.com

Third, another one of my favorite things is Lady Gaga (as she comes on my iTunes right now).  I love everything about her- her weirdness, her voice, her song writing, her costumes, EVERYTHING.  As a drop out of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she has made quite the name for herself.  And while some people may call her weird now, I feel that she won’t be appreciate until later, like Andy Warhol.  Try and name someone else who has come into fame as quickly as she has in the last few years…tough, right?

Lady Gaga’s career an inspirational story of someone who became a success on their own terms, and not anyone else’s.  Her versatility as a performer is demonstrated through her most recent album release called ‘The Fame Monster” AKA the ‘B’ side of “The Fame.”  Listen to Bad Romance and Speechless- she pulls off dance music and ballads so well, I don’t know which one she does better. Lady Gaga doesn’t go with the flow, which, in addition to her talent, has helped herlaunch her empire and brand.  If anything, just through her fashion alone.  The Kermit dress, her “hair bow”, the red lace dress she wore at the VMAs, the 10 inch heels in the “Bad Romance” video?  All created by high end designers.  Alexander McQueen (creator of those 10 inch heels, among other things) is basically her best friend, and not a shabby friend to have either.

So there you go, there are a few of my favorite things.  Honorable mentions include, but aren’t limited to: my iPhone, Harry Potter, graduating from Loyola College in Maryland, New York City, and Trader Joe’s.

It has been a great year, but I am ready to see what 2010 has in store for us.  Most importantly, increased use of social media and bringing my non-profit into Facebook, Twitter and blogging.

What are some of your favorite things from this year?  What are you looking forward to in 2010?