A bit different take on goals this time around. Instead of giving my goals for the upcoming year, I'm thinking big. These are the things that I want to accomplish in the next ten years.
1. Begin a career. Right now I'm stuck in a crappy fast food job, and I have a Master's degree. I'm not at all happy with this arrangement. So, in the next decade (actually, I would rather have this happen in the next year), I want to find a job in my field that I can stay with for many, many years. I'm almost 30 years old, It's about time I found some stable, good paying employment.
2. Start a family. Emily and I had wanted to have kids by now, but unfortunately our financial situation has prevented this. And with our friends beginning to have children (Thomas and Morah, we're very happy for you, but also insanely jealous!), and with me being almost 30 years old, we realize that our time to have kids is running short. So, the sooner the better.
3. Buy a house. We are tired of living in small, cramped, hard to keep clean apartments. We have too much stuff for apartment living. So, we want to get a house. Of course, this depends on finding stable employment. We don't want to buy a house, then realize that we can't afford it, or have to move because of work. Once either Emily or I find that nice career path, we can start saving money to buy a house, wherever it is we are living. People younger than me are starting to buy houses (have I mentioned that I'm almost 30?), so I think we should have one too.
4. Travel more. You know how many true vacations we took this decade? One. To Boise. To see Emily's sister. By true vacations, I mean ones where you go somewhere just to go. We did some traveling, but it was always for weddings/funerals, so I don't count those. We almost went down to California to see Mara and Brent, but unfortunately had to cancel. We want to go there sometime this year. Also, we really want to go to Europe. Ireland and France have been mentioned as possible destinations, but I really want to go to Germany during Oktoberfest. Why? Do you really have to ask?
So there you have it. My goals for the decade. Come back here January 1, 2020 to see how I did.
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
January 1, 2010
January 9, 2009
New Year's Goals
Things I want to accomplish in 2009:
1) Find a job.
2) Lose weight. I had this same goal last year. I started strong, but quickly faded. My goal was to go from 175 lbs. to 150 lbs. by the end of the year. I currently weigh 169 lbs. So I did manage to lose 6 lbs., which isn't too bad, but not as much as I would have liked. My ten year high school reunion is, if the internet rumors are to be believed, sometime in August (Mara, you are planning to attend, right?). By that time, I want to weigh 155. If I could get down to 150, that would be fantastic. But I'm trying to be a bit more reasonable with my goals. I will try to keep track each week on here like I was doing at the beginning of last year, and of course you guys have my permission to kick me in the ass if I'm not losing weight.
3) Get an article ready for publication. You know what? I think these first three goals were also ones I had last year. Wow, 2008 really sucked for me. This is something I really want to do. I feel like my academic mind is atrophied. I've been reading some history books to keep it active, but now it seems to have stopped working. I really want to change this, and get back into an academic frame of mind.
4) Keep the apartment clean. When we first moved in, I didn't have a hard time keeping it clean. It felt really good to do this. But lately, with housesitting and everything going on, I've let it slide. I want to get back on this. With football season coming to a close, maybe it will be easier. :)
5) Begin to read Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative. Note how I said "begin to read," not "read." Why? Because the book is comprised of three volumes totaling 2,836 pages (without the bibliographical notes and indices). The late Shelby Foote was one of my favorite historians, most noted for his appearance on Ken Burns' documentary The Civil War, which was responsible for me becoming a historian. It will take me a while to read it, which is why I want to start now!
Speaking of The Civil War, enjoy Jay Ungar's fantastic "Ashokan Farewell," which was used as the theme to the documentary:
1) Find a job.
2) Lose weight. I had this same goal last year. I started strong, but quickly faded. My goal was to go from 175 lbs. to 150 lbs. by the end of the year. I currently weigh 169 lbs. So I did manage to lose 6 lbs., which isn't too bad, but not as much as I would have liked. My ten year high school reunion is, if the internet rumors are to be believed, sometime in August (Mara, you are planning to attend, right?). By that time, I want to weigh 155. If I could get down to 150, that would be fantastic. But I'm trying to be a bit more reasonable with my goals. I will try to keep track each week on here like I was doing at the beginning of last year, and of course you guys have my permission to kick me in the ass if I'm not losing weight.
3) Get an article ready for publication. You know what? I think these first three goals were also ones I had last year. Wow, 2008 really sucked for me. This is something I really want to do. I feel like my academic mind is atrophied. I've been reading some history books to keep it active, but now it seems to have stopped working. I really want to change this, and get back into an academic frame of mind.
4) Keep the apartment clean. When we first moved in, I didn't have a hard time keeping it clean. It felt really good to do this. But lately, with housesitting and everything going on, I've let it slide. I want to get back on this. With football season coming to a close, maybe it will be easier. :)
5) Begin to read Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative. Note how I said "begin to read," not "read." Why? Because the book is comprised of three volumes totaling 2,836 pages (without the bibliographical notes and indices). The late Shelby Foote was one of my favorite historians, most noted for his appearance on Ken Burns' documentary The Civil War, which was responsible for me becoming a historian. It will take me a while to read it, which is why I want to start now!
Speaking of The Civil War, enjoy Jay Ungar's fantastic "Ashokan Farewell," which was used as the theme to the documentary:
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