Professionally:

• Provide excellent client service and streamline procedures in my firm to run a more effective business
• Read at least one business book a month and implement the things I’ve learned into my business
• Attend the MO Bar’s Annual Family Law Conference in August

Personally:

• Read the Book of Mormon every day. This shouldn’t be much of a change, but I’m going to aim for a little more focused reading. My days are always better when I get this reading in.
• Be an awesome Primary teacher.  This year at church, I’m teaching the 9-11 year old girls. They are the BEST girls ever. Our class is a little bigger than last year – we grew from 5 girls who attended regularly to 11! We are going to have some fun times.
• Take a lot of pictures. There’s something to be said for remembering the moments. Pictures help me do that.  (Note to self – back those pictures up! I dropped my laptop today. Totally obliterated the hard drive, including all my pictures. Sad day. But there IS a silver lining – I got a new laptop. That I love.)

Physically:

• Smile when I run. A friend of mine told me he’d start running the day he saw someone smiling while they ran. I’m making it my personal mission. :)  In all seriousness – I’m totally running the Kansas City Marathon in October 2010. And I’ve managed to recruit my 13 year old bro to do it with me. ($50 goes a long way with a 13 year old. I am not afraid of bribery.)
• Amazing abs. I want them. And this is the year that I’m going to get them.

There’s a couple of talks I read this past week while I was thinking about goals. They were excellent, so I’m sharing them with you. Both were given by Thomas S. Monson, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The first is “Decisions Determine Destiny”  and the second is “Great Expectations.” Happy New Year!

There have been definite “I-sure-wish-this-didn’t-happen” moments this year – I’m leaving those behind. That’s the nice part about the end of the year. You throw those things out – at least you do if you’re smart. I’m smart. (At least for things like that!)

There have also been definite “I-can’t-believe-life-is-so-great” sort of things.  In honor of 2009, here are 9 of them:

• I spent half my year in Vegas – went to some great concerts, some fantastic restaurants and had some wonderful times with my family. (Alisha and Santana? Absolutely fantastic.)
• I passed 2 bar exams. (Missouri – despite food poisoning and throwing up through the exam! and Kansas – despite dealing with some things I left in Vegas. All I can say is, thanks for the prayers both times. They helped.)
• I turned 24 and Reece & I celebrated by going to Trace Adkins in Kansas City. (We didn’t care about Toby Keith. Sue me.)
• I now get to speak Spanish with Logan, who made it home from his mission with his passport intact. (That was a little iffy for awhile. Thank goodness it all worked out.)
• I discovered I like to run and lost 30 lbs along the way. (I also like the stairmaster. And salsa dancing.)
• I started my own law firm. (Running my own business is so satisfying. Sometimes stressful. But way satisfying.)
• I moved to Missouri. (It might be the middle of nowhere, but it’s a happy middle of nowhere. Plus I live close to my family now. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.)
• I rediscovered a real appreciation for being born a Christensen. (Not only for the name, which matters a whole lot to me. But for the automatic love and support that goes along with that. My family rocks.)

Life is so good and I have a lot of things that I am grateful for this year. I listed 9 – I could list a lot more. But I’m going to dance tonight, so I’m stopping there. Happy New Year to all of you!

*To be fair, I only expect them to get better, so I’m not surprised this is the best so far.  Next year will outdo it.