I had a good time writing about the life’s lessons I learned in 2009. 2010 has been a really good year, and once more I thought I’d share what I’ve learned, which has so far has been invaluable.

• Be assertive in finding love Early this year, I found someone who’s been a really positive force in my life so far. We were both shy at the start, and if I hadn’t made the first move, we may have not even met. If you see a good thing, don’t postpone it - the feelings may turn out to be mutual.
• Ask for what you want There’s often no harm in asking. Exercise tact when approaching a superior, but often you’ll be surprised at the positive answers.

• Be patient when necessary It took over 2 months of waiting patiently at work before I got what I had wanted. If I’d gotten cross or caused trouble during the period, they would have changed their minds, and I’d still be a miserable old clod. See the bigger machinery at work, and let it take as long as it needs to take.
• Everything looks easy when you do it every day I managed to finish a novel in one month, which is the fastest I’ve done one. It’s easy enough to learn or do something if you’re working on it every day. Not terribly profound until you realize how much you can accomplish in just one month of total focus!
• Don’t lose your cool when things get bad When I had some residential difficulties this year, I could have easily flipped out. Even when life isn’t fair, you’re still being judged on your attitude and your character. By playing it cool, I saved myself a lot of unnecessary stress, and in the end everything worked out fine. Life’s like that.

• Correct your posture I’ve had some pretty bad back problems this year, and lost a lot of sleep waking up in pain. It’s getting better now, but only because I’ve been lucky enough to work with a fitness trainer who’s drilled it into my head to fix my posture. Even if your back doesn’t hurt now, make sure your workplace is ergonomic and that your posture is correct.
• Your goals will change Some bucket list items that were important to me at the beginning of the year don’t seem necessary anymore. Circumstances change, interests change, and you’ll seek new, different horizons. It’s not a big deal to not reach all of your goals. The most important thing is just having them, and that you’re working towards something.

• Forget old hostilities Life is just too damn short to be fuming inside about prior slights, fights, and sound-bites. It’s alright to learn from the past, but once you’ve gotten what you need from it, move on.
• Take the time to go on long walks As the weather gets cold again, I’m more reluctant to go on long walkabouts around the city. But these walks are good for the mind and the body, and often they’re my favourite part of the day. A good long walk is often just the ticket to turn a mediocre day into a day filled with discovery.