The new year is a time for resolutions, for goals, and for deciding what you want to be when you grow up. I’ve always found that when I put things down in writing, they tend to come true. They might not come true by the deadline I’ve set for myself, but they usually come true. I’ve never publicly shared my resolutions before so that’s why it’s taken me a while to build up the courage to actually share what I want to accomplish in the coming year. I’ll confess that even though this posting is dated 01/01, I’m actually writing it on 1/17. So what do I hope to accomplish in the coming year?
Eat right and exercise
In years past my health goals have always been driven by the number on the scale, but I’ve come to realize that in reality I cannot directly impact the number on the scale. A person’s metabolism is a complicated creature governed by genetics, age, and a host of other factors. All those factors conspire to mean that eating 3,500 less than I expend doesn’t guarantee I’ll lose a pound. This has been the number one reason I’ve given up on diets before because I give up in frustration when I don’t lose as much weight as I think I should. So for this reason, my eating and exercise resolutions are:
- Track my calories every day
- Eat less than 2,000 calories every day
- Exercise 30 minutes or walk 10,000 steps every day
- Blog about the things that work and those that don’t
Those are all factors that I can control and if I do them on a regular basis, the numbers on the scale should eventually reflect my progress.
Personal
I’m realizing that as I mature that I have a lot of anger, insecurity, and stress that I need to work through. I hold on to things and obsess over them way too long and I always have to be right. This is getting in the way of my relationships with other people and with my own personal happiness. My goals for this year are:
- To like myself and to accept who I am.
- To learn to let things go and to move on
- To forgive other people and accept them for who they are
- To continue my search for bliss and balance
There are goals I’ve hesitated to set for myself in the past because they are not SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time boxed). These are what in the past I would have called “wishy washy” because the are intangibles that can’t be measured. I guess the only way I know if I have achieved these goals is to look back in a year and see if I’m happier.
Writing
Writing is and has always been my passion and all too often I haven’t been as serious about it as I should be. Things are complicated by the fact that I spend time writing at work so it’s hard to switch gears between work writing and writing for fun. This year there are some very specific things I want to accomplish with my writing this year:
- Publish Pink Slip 101
- Publish The Portable Coach
- Write Finding my Bliss
- Write in my blog at least five times a week
- Attend one writing conference
I’ve been letting my writing take a back seat to everything else and I need to start finding time to write again.
Family
My kids are growing up and they’ll only be living at home for a few more years and I need to take advantage of the time I have left with them and start finding ways to spend time with them as young adults. I also need to make time to drive with Cat so she can get her license. At the same time, I need to find time to build a new relationship with John since our relationship will change when the kids are out of the house. Whew…those are some pretty ambitious goals, but they are ones I need to accomplish. Here are some specific ways I think I can accomplish those:
- Have two dates a month with Cat
- Have two dates a month with Sean
- Have two dates a month with John
- One family activity a month
- A family vacation
Professional
The more my life marches on, the more I realize that work is only a portion of my life and that I really need to focus on life outside of work. Therefore most of my goals this year are personal, but the one work related goal that I do have is to pass my PMP exam so I’m a certified project manager.
Financial
I’ve always felt behind the eight ball financially and this year is no different than previous years. This year I’m going to focus more on paying my bills off and less on saving money as I’m earning 4 percent and paying out up to 20 percent in interest. That makes no financial sense. So my goals for this year are:
- Pay off my US Bank Card ($3,500)
- Pay off both our 2009 and 2010 tax bills ($11,000)
- Pay Sean’s 2009 tuition by June ($5,600)
- Pay off my work loan $5,600
- Save $5,000
- Stay on track on our regular bills
Hopefully, I’ll get a bonus and a raise this year to help get us caught up.
For myself and the rest of the world, I hope this year is better than last and that my family and yours finds happiness and prosperity.
Cairn by Cairn 