It's 2016, and I'm kicking it off like most do with on New Year's - attacking my new year's resolutions. Only this year, it's not resolutions I seek to complete, but goals.
On Dec. 27 I started thinking about the idea of new year's resolutions, and I was reminded of the last list I made. I couldn't remember if it was 2015 or 2014, so I scrolled through my iPhone notes to find it.
The list reads: spend more time with family, enjoy life more, better productivity on projects at work and home, restore old hobbies or add new ones, make time for friends.
I'm not sure how much of that was actually done in 2014. However, a decision in late 2014 opened the door for those resolutions in 2015, only I didn't realize it until now.
A friend recently posted on Facebook to describe 2015 in one word. I chose "Transition."
It was the year I resigned my job as sports information director at Campbellsville University after 5 1/2 years without another job lined up, all to move back to Alabama to help my wife pursue her career track. Initially, we planned to live short term with family until our house in Kentucky sold. I would take an extended "vacation" from work and freelance some until the right job opened up. By summer, the house hadn't sold, we found out we were pregnant with our second child, and we decided as a family for me to stay home with the kids while pursuing freelance work. This is just a taste of the transitions we had within our family. But looking back, these transitions allowed for more time with family, some improved productivity at home, a little more time with friends and an improved enjoyment of life outside of work.
That realization also showed the 2014 resolutions are actually annual resolutions and became the basis for my 2016 New Year's Goals. While I've never been big on resolutions, starting this year, I am shifting my philosophy to set achievable daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual goals instead of resolutions.
Daily
- Write (blog, notebook or other - not including work)
- Budget time and stay on schedule
- Set aside a minimum of 30 minutes a day to spend with each child individually.
Weekly (minimum of once a week)
- Bible time outside of church- Exercise once a week (not counting family walk)
- Take a walk with the family
- Cook two dinners
- Update spending and evaluate monthly cash flow plan (budget)
(read the Bible more, exercise, eat healthy, more family time, get out of debt, etc. seem to be common resolutions, I figure this is a realistic start).
Monthly
- Date with my wife
- Schedule a lunch/dinner/visit with each local family member
- Schedule a call/lunch/coffee with each of my closest friends
- Read a new book
- Evaluate and revise monthly cash flow plan (budget)
Quarterly
- Organize storage closet
- Make one trip to Salvation Army, etc. to donate items we no longer need.
Annual
- Become debt free
This is just a start. There are a few not listed, and I hope to add a few more here and there without compromising the others. For example, notice volunteering isn't on the list. It should be, but for now that's a resolution. I'll need to work on turning it into an achievable goal.
So, to begin 2016, I'm tackling my list and checking off daily goal No. 1.
Hopefully it won't be two years between blog posts (though that seems to be the pattern). I hope to do some of the daily writing here from time-to-time.
Until then, Happy New Year (said with my best Frosty the Snowman "Happy Birthday" impression).
