Out With the Old, In With the New: Looking Forward to a New Year.

On the eve of a new year, there is plenty of buzz going around about what we all plan to do tonight and in the days that follow. On Facebook, I have friends that are listing places to go and things to do. Me, I haven't any plans to go out. With three kids, I look forward to the simplicity of watching an acorn or ball drop from the comfort of my own home.

However relaxed I may appear to be, inside I am going through my own checklist of new year tasks. Yesterday, as an example, I sat down to review my workout routine and the progress I have made since August. While there were only a few minor adjustments to the routine, I realized that my nutrition had gone awry. No, it wasn't terrible, but I wasn't keeping track of what went in my mouth. Fortunately, that problem is easily remedied with the use of SparkPeople.

Another task that will not go unnoticed, is the cutting of my hair. This is probably the most dramatic manifestation of renewal I will do for the new year, but it symbolizes the shedding of the old in order to make room for the new. Truthfully, I have had the urge for a few weeks but held off until I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't go bald, but it is pretty short.

Needless to say, having an afro one day and a military buzz cut the next is cause for stares and gasps. My three year old daughter woke in the morning and immediately yelled, "Daddy, yur haaare!" She proceeds to point and smile. I let her rub the stubble and she said that she liked it. That was probably the only positive comment I received in the house. There is something about family and their need for complete honesty.

For me, I kind of like the cut. It is light and easy to maintain. I do acknowledge that my scalp is pale and it is a huge difference from the dark curls, but I think I just needed a change. Not surprising to most, I often change things in a dramatic fashion. Today, it is the hair and tomorrow it may be something else.

In the end, I guess these small changes are just my way of looking forward to a new year. I am not alone. I know this because people talk about resolutions, goals, losing weight, and just being better in every area of their life. For me, I look forward to an opportunity of change and this time of year represents a renewing of the body, mind, and soul.

In the new year, I have my own list of goals and resolutions. I have things that I would like to finish and advancements I would like to make. By recognizing my own thoughts on the subject, I am readying myself for what is to come.

Resolutions
In the following section, I would like to list my own laundry list of things to do in 2010.

• Earn the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA): The terminal degree and I are separated by my final assignment, the dissertation. In 2010, I plan to complete the proposal and finish my research strong.
  
  
• Lower bodyfat between 6-9 percent: The way my body looks has been an issue for me since college. Up and down my weight goes, but never quite reached my goal of 6-9% bodyfat. 2010 is the year. I am focused, armed with a plan, and building an online support group, so this time it will happen.
  
  
• Strengthen number of readers on damondnollan.com: I read an article recently that outlined a natural progression of bloggers. Based upon my own assessment, I am in the building phase. At this time, I have a solid foundation of posts, but need to focus on increasing readership. To do this, I will continue to write articles that seek to help others and focus on engaging more with my on/offline community.
  
  
• Establish on-going training program for Middle Eastern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi: At the time of this article, the training committee is working hard to launch an online training program pilot for its members. Using Moodle, we seek to help province members become better leaders and men. My goal is to move past the pilot program and establish the online training as an on-going program.
  
  
• Strengthen the Smithfield Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi to at least 15 members: Smithfield Alumni is a small chapter, when you compare it to some of the larger chapters across the province. As Polemarch (president), I want to lead the chapter back into prosperity. To do that, we must rebuild the organization one brother at a time. The chapter must return to a time of fulfilling needs and upholding expectations. 2010 is the year for growth.

Tell Me About Your Resolutions
These are just a few of my main goals for the year. However, I am extremely interested in reading yours. So, if you have a blog, website, note (in Facebook), a Google Wave, or even a Google Doc that you would like to share, please post the URL below. If you do not have any of the above, no worries, feel free to share some of your thoughts below in the comment section. I believe, as a community, we can help each other achieve in 2010.

Until next time...

Image via Jeff Masamori