2010 Goals

Ah, it's that time of year again. I suppose what excites me is that I'm the kind of guy who hasn't yet been tapped by a true "higher calling" - that certain something that grabs hold of me as my fundamental reason for being. And I'm fine with that, for however long it lasts. In its place, this goal-setting is a way of living with purpose, to reflect both critically and fondly on what's passed so that life doesn't slip by in a blur, and to grow continuously. And as I get older, "grow" doesn't necessarily mean getting better at something. It can just as easily mean exploring a new path. With that, let's take a look at what happened, and dream of the year to come...

2009 Goals Missed (I always like to start off low and end high):

- 14% body fat by June 1 and by December 31. I definitely learned some ways to get down to 14%, and did on June 1 and for a stretch in the fall. In particular, I suspect that walking 30-60 minutes daily, the so-called "low-impact, low-intensity" exercise got me to the goal more quickly than 30 minutes of high-intensity elliptical training three days a week. But late-night high-carb snacking continues to be a point of contention to be overcome. I'm still at 15% regularly.

- Volunteer for at least one hour with 12 organizations I've not served before. In reality I did about 4 organizations. I tried a bit harder than that - I must've tried three different ways to reply to the "bingo caller" advertisement at a local assisted living facility for seniors without luck. I think this one is going to take a back seat.

- Smile. This is only a partial failure... it specifically refers to the daily journal that I kept up at about 50%, and tailed off in December.

2009 Goals Hit:

- 50 Hidden Blog posts per month. In fact 2009 was a record year of just over 640 posts in all!

- Read ten books. I crushed this one out of the park! Twenty-five in total, a good 5,000 pages. Plus monthly Reader's Digests, bi-weekly ESPN magazines, weekly Sports Illustrated mags, and a handful of Men's Health. I think I'm going to drop this goal, and in fact books have become such a foundation of my lifestyle that it's insignificant to keep the 2017 goal out there of reading 100 books since 2007. That's sort of like saying "brush my teeth 7,500 times since 2007" - I know I'm going to hit it, it's officially become a habit.

- Explore how to become a community college math teacher, another step of progress toward my retirement goals. I filed an app in August.

2010 Goals:

- Track expenses in detail. I was excited to discover this year that my retirement may be much closer than I'd planned. Understanding our expenses with more certainty will be a major part of that.

- 14% body fat by December 31. I did more stretching and weight lifting than ever this year. This goal is definitely within reach.

- Make a top ten list of new acquaintances. This is what I was aiming at indirectly with the volunteering goal last year. Whether it's a small group or a series of projects, I flourish when I surround myself with the right people. To get there, I have to make opportunities to meet them.

- 50 monthly blog posts, but with a twist: At least one post per week will comment on my greatest joy(s) and failure(s) of that week. This as the latest medication against the plagues of weakness: fear, entitlement, negativity, worry, anger and the like that make people old before their time.

- Participate actively in NCHS basketball. Of all my current involvements, this is the one that has the greatest potential for my abilities and personality. Through the years I've learned not to jump in too deeply too fast... this one continues to feel like the right pool so far, and it's time to swim around in it more vigorously. Unlike other activities, I don't see how this could be a waste of my time, given all that I can learn.

- Determine at least one other organization that I'd consider involving myself with during retirement.

They say that genius is carrying the enthusiasm of youth into old age. Finding a way to enjoy each day will ensure a great 2010, and maximize the number of years to come!