#30: Forgive yourself.

Date Completed: 12/21/2010

Forgiveness can be tough, all around. Sometimes we find it easier to forgive others (and believe that others forgive us) than we do to actually forgive ourselves. The irony is that we're all human. We all make mistakes. What better time of the year to think of forgiveness, though, than December. Whether it's because it's a month where we often focus externally, a month when some connect more with their faith, or a month where we see the dawn of a new year coming, now is a perfect time for forgiveness. Rather than carrying the weight of something very heavy any longer, set that weight down, forgive yourself, and move on to pay it forward. That's what I've chosen to do. We may never forget the weight itself, or the fact that we set it down, but we can make a choice to move forward, carry someone else's weight, or do something positive to help make it right. Now is the time. Set down the weight. Your back (and your heart) will thank you.

#69: Schedule annual blood work and medical exams.

Date Completed: 12/20/2010

Blech. No one enjoys getting their annual exams and blood work done, do they? But, it's a necessary part of staying healthy. I tend to put this off and last year, it kind of caught up with me. So this year, I added it to THE LIST to ensure I got in on time. To my surprise, better nutrition and exercise actually paid off! I'm happy and healthy and ready to take 2011 by storm. You know who else is ready to take life by storm? MY FRIEND JAMIE!!! I've written about her in this blog several times this year and will take another opportunity to sing her praises. December 21, 2010 was the winter solstice and on the darkest day of the year, shined the brightest light. Jamie received her double lung transplant at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. She is recovering well and will hopefully take her first unassisted breath with her new lungs as soon as today. We may never know the family of the angel who saved Jamie by so selflessly donating these lungs, but that person will forever live on in our hearts. One organ donor can potentially save more than 60 lives which is why this year I registered as a donor (#6 on THE LIST). We all have a choice. If your choice is to donate, please let your wish be known by ensuring that you are officially registered and that your family and friends know your decision. Thank you to the family of this stranger from Kansas who saved our Jamie. Thank you to every donor family. May you find peace in your hearts this holiday season knowing that the spirit of your family member lives on.

While we wait for Jamie's first breath, we continue to press forward with J's Crew and our Climb for a Cure fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis. Someday, we want CF to stand for CURE FOUND! If you are interested in joining our climb team in Minneapolis or would like to make a donation in Jamie's honor, please click this link.

#49. Run three free credit reports.

Date Completed: 12/5/2010

Most people close to me know that health and fitness are a big part of my life. This year, I made a commitment to focus on my financial fitness as well. I wanted to take advantage of free opportunities to help. So, I decided to get my three free credit reports this year. Now, you might wonder "Why three?" Because they're free, of course! You're allowed to get one free each year from each of the three main credit agencies. So, if you plan well, and stagger your reviews, you can spread them across the year. The reason it's important to check all three reports is that each creditor may vary in terms of how they report and how often, so you may see different things on each report.  Also, not every creditor reports to every agency, so there is indeed variability.

So you might wonder "Yeah, but what am I really going to find? If I pay my bills on time, why would I need to review my report? No one has ever told me my credit wasn't perfect." You might find it interesting to know that sometimes even if you've cancelled an old credit card, the company may not have reported it as such to one or more of the credit agencies. So, it might look like you actually have more open credit than you really do. This may or may not affect you when you seek funding in the future. If you're like me, all of that is good info, but really, I just want things to be accurate. I'm sure you're all dying to know what I found through this process, so here goes. Of the three reports that I ran (Transunion, Equifax and Experian), only one report was accurate. The other two had several closed accounts still listed as open and active - some from up to 10 years ago. I submitted a simple online "dispute" form for each issue and soon after that, I received notice that the accounts had been closed officially per my request and that my credit reports were updated accordingly. If you would like to run your free reports, there's a centralized link you can use. You will be asked to confirm some details about yourself in order to authenticate your identity, but it's a simple process.

#75: Earn a referral bonus at work.

Date Completed: 12/3/2010

If there was one item on THE LIST that I thought I might not achieve before end of year, this was the one. I like helping people with their careers, whether it's serving as a mentor, refurbishing a resume or serving as a reference. I was happy this year to help a friend secure a job at one of my company's sister organizations. It was neat to see her find something that will provide her family more flexibility since she is now able to work from home in a more stable industry. I'm also excited that my company will also be able to leverage her talent and help her further develop her skills at the same time. I'm so proud of you, Rachel! Wishing you all the best.

P.S. I want to credit Cupcakes for Clara for this adorable .jpeg that I found on Google image search.  This is an AMAZING blog and she is truly gifted in her adorable creations.  I am partial to the bluebirds and am hoping to make contact with the artist soon to see about placing an order to the U.S. from the U.K.

#24 (December): Participate in one volunteer/non-profit activity each month.

Date Completed: 12/1/2010

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly the end of the year and this is my final of 12 monthly volunteering posts. I hope I’ve been able to give you some creative ideas over the past year for how you might get involved in your community. Whether it’s dedicating time to one organization, or a couple of hours to a single event, it’s all time well spent and much appreciated. This post might give you another idea, especially if you’d like to help but have limited ability to drive, etc. I got connected with the St. Paul Fire Department recently through my time with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). St. Paul Firefighters have published a calendar over the past few years with proceeds benefiting the CFF. My December project didn’t require me to travel or arrange my schedule – it was all from the comfort of my office chair and laptop. The firefighters were in need of help to promote their calendar and a number of signing events they have. So, I built them a Facebook page with photos, event dates, promotion links from the local media which in turn helps them promote and sell more calendars to benefit the CFF. It was so much fun and they’re very appreciative. Take a look at the site and if you’re interested, consider purchasing a calendar! We're also still graciously accepting any donations to the J's Crew Climb for a Cure team.

#60: Send out actual Christmas cards for 2010.

Date Completed: 12/5/2010

Whew! Now I know why fewer people are sending holiday cards each year – it’s exhausting! Cards, labels, sentiments, stickers, stamps, sealing envelopes, oh my. And I didn’t even do that many! Last year I took advantage of technology and posted my holiday letter on Facebook, in addition to some individual emails. I’m feeling good about actually taking time to do some paper cards this year, because it might brighten at least person’s day. I now have a greater appreciation for those cute photo cards I’ve seen though – simple, simple, simple. Next year I may need to consider that. Then again, next year is another year away so maybe I’ll have another burst of motivation by then. In the meantime, please accept these online wishes for a safe, happy and healthy holiday season. Cheers to 2011!

#54: Do something nice for someone you don’t like.

Date Completed: 11/24/2010

I'm not sure how this item even found its way onto THE LIST, but in hindsight, I do actually like it because it was not an easy one for me. First, there are very few people whom I do not like. In fact, even people whom I don't enjoy spending time with for various reasons (e.g., don't share common values, etc.) aren't people I'd go so far as to say I do not like. I don't have negative feelings toward those individuals - I'm simply indifferent. So this was actually a bit of a struggle for me. However, once I identified the individual, the challenge was actually completing the task while being genuine. I mean, it really wouldn't be list-like to cross off an item just because it was on THE LIST - everything needs to be for the right reason, even if there's a list involved. So...I'll be honest...I'm not a fan of one of the security guards at my office. He's probably a good person, but he always seems grumpy and when I used to say good morning to him on occasion, he never acknowledged me. And to reiterate, it's not that I dislike him - I simply do not like him. There, I said it. Believing that most people are inherently good to some degree, this was a good opportunity to reach outside my comfort zone with this individual. So, as I was leaving my office on the evening before Thanksgiving, I made eye contact, smiled, and told him that I hoped he had a nice holiday and to be safe on the icy roads. He thanked me and returned the greeting. So while this was a very small exchange, sometimes little things make a difference. It's easy to be nice to people you care about or even for strangers. If you want a challenge though, try this one. It's not as simple as it seems.