Goals Not Resoultions
I’m not much for making impossible to keep, blue-sky new year’s resolutions.
I do set goals, though.
Okay, so, sometimes I set pretty unreasonable goals, too, but still, in my mind, goals are something that’s achievable and that I can work toward. New Year’s Resolutions, on the other hand, are something that drunk people vow with all their alcohol soaked might that they will absolutely do in the new year. Of course, those never last beyond January if the drunken reveler even remembers them the next morning. One of my goals is to lose weight and get “fitter”. I have a specific weight and definition of fit, so it’s a specific, measurable goal. And, aside from a bit of backsliding during the holidays, I’m well on my way to that.
Part of achieving my goals has led me to read Men’s Health Magazine and sign up for their online updates, too. In one of those, they linked to an article about setting Fourteen Things To Make To Be A Better Man in the New Year. Don’t let that title give you the idea you’re off the hook, either, ladies. Those suggested goals all pretty well work for you, too! But, seriously, take a look at them and then come back. No, really. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.
Back?
Great. Now, here’s the thing. I’ve missed out on the first one because Warren Zevon is already dead. I’m reading his biobraphy, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead; The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, by his ex-wife, Crystal Zevon. It’s the closest I’ll come to seeing him live. But, some of the rest of those, I can do. So can you.
Number three on that list is something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time now. See the thing is, I hardly ever take a real vacation. I never go anywhere. Not this year. This year, hook or crook, I’m going to go to another city and have some kind of adventure. And, I’m going to take my camera to record it. All of it.
Number five hits me where I live. That’d be on-line for those of you just catching up. But, you know, once upon a time, I wanted to be a writer and express myself, and the broad spectrum of emotions a human being can experience with words. So, this year, I’m going to do my best to cut out using emoticons and those damn chatroom abbreviations, like “LOL”. It makes me feel cheap every time I resort to it, so, I’m going stop trying to be cool and just not do it. And that goes double for the use, and over use of the word “dude” in my spoken communications. Hmph!
And, since I’m cleaning up my communications, I should finally get around to cleaning up my house. I mean, really cleaning it. Getting all the piles of books up onto shelves and getting the junk gone. Maybe even getting rid of those lingering pieces of furnature from my former life, finally. And, yes, I have an alterior motive with that. My house has gotten way too “man-cave”, so I feel the need to make it more friendly to the opposite sex. Catch more flies with honey, right? Well, you get the idea.
Along those lines, since the public perception here is that I’m too negative, I’m going to go out of my way to pay people compliments. Not just people I like, or women I want to meet, either. Everybody. I expect that will be a real challenge some days, but at least one a day seems like a good goal.
Another one I like from that list is to leave ten minutes earlier for everything. It feels like I’ve been barely on time for months now and I want to change that. I used to be early for everything and it made me feel more confident. So, starting in the morning, I plan to leave earlier for everything.
One goal I want to add which isn’t on that list is to write more. I have been writing more at my other site. You remember me writing about that? The Super Secret Creative Project of Doom? Yeah, well, it’s not what I want it to be yet, but I finally figured a bad start was better than no start at all. I’m not alone in this goal, incidentally. A wonderful gal and even better writer I know, via our blogs only, from New York, Amanda Berlin, has in mind to set herself a similar goal.
I’m not sure how to set this one, myself. My father taught me to set measurable goals because it’s easier to track your progress. Last year, my creative goal was to complete the Flickr 365 Days project, which I did. This year, my goal is writing, but I’m not sure what the best way to set that goal is. Suggestions? (Check out Amanda’s post on the subject to get some ideas.)
And, finally, quite possibly my most important goal this year is to get more sleep! So, with that I’ll sign off.
What are your goals for the year? Discuss in the comments, but in the morning.
Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"The greatest achievements are those that benefit others."
--Denis Waitley
