It all started on New Year's Eve in 2009. I hadn't actually come up with the motto "Make It Happen" yet, but I was with great company and close friends. We took advantage of an all-you-can-drink deal at Angels and Outlaws in Scottsdale and after several comical stories on the night that you may or may not have heard about, the tone for the new year was set. It was going to be a good one.
Early in the year, I decided I should be more active in the "going-out" scene. I really made a conscious effort to make an appearance when invited. I hardly ever said no to any vacation or event...of course being single with a nice-paying job helps me accomplish that, for which I am grateful. It helped that I had friends who had so much going on this year in their own lives too. Thus, I would be invited to a handful of bachelor parties and weddings as well, which are always fun! ;)
It wasn't all a breeze tho'. There was a 2-week stretch where I was hopping back and forth from home to Vegas to home to Vegas to Tubac and literally trying to make it to everything I could. The key was that I just stopped caring about whether I might feel tired from it all. I could afford it and I could afford the vacation days, so I just went out and did it all.
That's a pretty important factor for me: being able to muster up the energy when I don't think there's any. Forcing myself to just, well, make it happen. I think that it's stuff like that that can be a big obstacle for people. "Oh, it's too far" or "I'm kinda tired, I think I might just stay in" are things I hear all the time and things I stopped using as excuses.
However, I also honestly believe that you can make the time for someone if really want to, people usually just don't choose to. Of course, the flexibility of my life is also really huge. It's pretty awesome when I can go out on the weekdays and stay out late to hang out with friends and not have to worry about getting into the office early. I can stay rested with a normal amount of sleep each night and continue to have a good social life.
But don't get me wrong here. IBM is still very important to me and I've always been the overachieving type anyway. If there's a job to be done, I will usually get it done and try to do it well. I think that's been important at the workplace. My colleagues all know I am a late-bird, but they know that I'm still effective at my job and it even showed this year when I got a promotion, something that I'm very happy for and also contributes to the great year that was 2010. :)
Even with all the trips and going-out and more stuff on the agenda, I tried to not let it dominate my life either. I still continued to enjoy the things I love: video games, watching sports, working out, and playing basketball. I just found ways to make it all work. For example, Monday would be my day off where all I want to do is play basketball at night. Tuesday I would go lift at the gym after work and then get ready for a night on the town. Wednesday was usually a basketball night with going-out an option. Thursday is bowling followed by more hanging out. And then Friday-Sunday was a mix of all of the above. :)
So all that is good and gravy. I'm going on trips, hanging out with friends and making new ones, keeping up with the stuff I love, staying successful at work; but another big thing for me this year was the luck with the ladies. I don't really blog about it because I try to stay humble (and secretive? haha), but I will admit that this year was one of the best in that realm. I took my "make it happen" mentality to the courting plate as well. When I saw someone that I was interested in, I wasn't being the shy guy in the corner. Instead, I stopped caring about the outcome, just went up to them and started talking and being myself. If they wanted to talk some more, great! If not, no big deal and move on. I understand that there's some level of confidence you have to find first and for me, I think the whole "making it happen" mentality really helped with that.
Now one might argue that I'm ending 2010 the same way I started it: single. In the end that's definitely true, but the dates and experiences I had this year helped me learn more about myself and what I'm looking for, which is the ultimate accomplishment and something to build on for the future.
Alright soooo: 3 trips to Vegas, 4 weddings (Vegas, Tubac, Michigan, Tucson), 4 bachelor parties, 2 trips to Mexico (San Carlos, Cabo), Dana Point, Scottsdale resorts, Payson, my first Cardinals game, repeat bowling champion, basketball champion, fantasy baseball champion, fantasy football champion, IBM promotion... While those all definitely contributed to the great year, I couldn't do it without the people and friends in my life. That was a challenge for me. Since I still live in Tucson some 5 years after I graduated, you can only imagine how the people I knew when I went to school at the U of A had all moved on with their lives and gone up and left Tucson. In fact, before this year, I struggled to find people to hang out with in town. That might be why I had to make things happen. My generation had left Tucson, so I was forced to make new friends, but I feel like I accomplished that this year and now my life is like that Over song by Drake.
Ahh, but with new friends comes newer responsibilities. It's a lot to keep track of all the people you have to keep up with. However, I never quit. For example, you could literally see my text messages per month grow from 200/mo in the first quarter to 700/mo halfway through the year, to over 1100/mo by the end of the year. I aimed to be very reliable in returning every call and text I got. I stopped caring about whether someone wasn't at the same level as me, I just took what I could get and tried to be the best friend I could.
Maybe that's it too. I stopped letting the silly things bother me. I had always considered myself pretty easy-going, but I think I took it to a new level. Yeah, there's things out there that can annoy you, but you have to ask yourself, "does it really matter?" and if you say yes ask yourself again, "really?", with more emphasis this time. ;) 
Then again, I will admit that I feel pretty lucky and that helps me to live this lifestyle. I'm blessed with a job that not only pays well (good enough for me!), but I can do it on my schedule. I have a great circle of friends who enjoy my company (I think) and want to invite me and be a part of their life. But I think if you have a good attitude on life, people will notice and want to share that with you. Happiness can be contagious. :) I'm also pretty fortunate as well. I know there's people out there who have serious problems: unemployment, debt, family or friends in unfortunate situations, etc. That's not something that can just be ignored. I'm very lucky to not have to deal with those kind of problems.
I also wonder how my lifestyle could change if I weren't single. It's one thing to be on your own and not have to worry about tending to someone else or family. I'd like to think that until I actually settle down, I could continue to make it happen with a significant other in the picture, but I guess in time we'll find out. Until then, I'm just gonna enjoy what I have.
Now that I think about it, didn't someone already come up with my motto? I think it goes something like "Just Do It." Haha. I like mine better though. "Just Do It" sounds kinda forceful whereas with "Make It Happen" you actually have to take a look and ask yourself what you have to do to make it happen.
By no means am I saying that I'm perfect now. I still make mistakes, I can't be there 100% of the time, and even I have to cut back every now and then. The point is that I'm trying to do more and with that effort I'm happier than ever. I'm definitely in a much better spot than I was a couple years ago! I'm sure some of you remember the gloomy days of "poor Andy." Well, I'd like to think those days are behind me now. :) 
Okay, so we all know that 2010 was a great year. The question now becomes, how can we top it off? I think the answer is, you don't ask that question. Don't look at it as some yearly basis but instead just build upon the great year that was 2010. Meet more new friends while keeping up with the old ones, keep going out and planning fun trips, and continue the pursuit of those ladies! 
And so that's just what I'm gonna do. Already planned in 2011 is another trip to Vegas, snowboarding for the first time in my life, vacations in Orlando, New Orleans, DC...and we're just barely scraping into April. ;) I know Austin's on my list as well and I'm gonna want to visit Matt and Pamela when they move out to California. 
On that note, I will continue to try and make my blog happen. I know there are times when I'll go awol for a while, but it is some extra work to put these posts together. It's worth it though and it's fun for me to look back on my past. I hope whoever reads it gets some kick out of it too. Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! 2011 is on it's way and I can't wait! :D
