11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

1. Meat. I no longer need or desire to eat meat. Every time I eat meat, I find myself visualizing how the animal it came from was probably treated in life and caused to die. I'll gradually cut it out, as I go through the year, and by 2012 be able to say I'm truly a vegetarian.

2. Fear. Fear is the mind-killer (Frank Herbert, Dune). There are legitimate fears that keep me safe (Look out for that car running the red light!) and then there are fears which are inauthentic, maybe someday could happen fears (I might end up homeless). I work at making the distinction. I entertain the worst case scenario; prepare as best I can; then set it aside. I will live by my wits, not by my fears.

3. My job. By this time next year I will be retired, or have the retirement papers in the works. It's time to get on with my life, and stop using my job as a crutch to get me through the day. (Plus, I hear there is a sweetener in the works!)

4. Stuff I don't need. I don't need all the stuff that burdens my life and weighs me down with its upkeep. Each week, I load up the recycle bin and the trash bin; every other week I will bring bags to the Salvation Army. If I haven't used something in a couple of years, then there's someone who needs it worse than I.

5. Another cat. As much as I think about getting another cat, I really am doing quite well with three (one is my daughter's). I will remove "cat" off my wish list. Getting a dog, however, is still a major item.

6. Anger. Anger is destructive and waste of energy. I will put in an internal circuit breaker that says "Stop. Why are you angry?" Nine times out of ten it's from unfulfilled expectations; i.e., it's all in my head. The righteous anger I feel towards actions of injustice and hatred I will transmute into positive actions of hope and healing.

7. Dust bunnies with fangs. Yes, there are those unexplored countries in my house from the days when my husband was a resident here (he had a bedroom and a computer room and all of the garage). I will turn out the dust bunnies and create an oasis of harmony. Or, perhaps more prosaically, I will clean the damn place and toss out the trash.

8. Self-pity. Enough with the weeping and wailing, already. It is as it is.

9. Barbecue grill on the back patio. It's been there so long, unused, that it has become background. I don't even see it any more. Out it goes.

10. Credit card debt. Don't need it. Time to pay it off. Since MediCal requires recipients to have a maximum of $2000 assets, I might as well use my savings to pay off the credit cards.

11. Disorganization. I will make lists. I get a lot more done, with less wasted energy and to-ing and fro-ing when I make lists. Down with disorganization! Long live the list!