Any big goals for the new year?

DH and I signed up for a marathon. I don't particularly want to *do* a marathon but I'd like to be able to say I have *done* a marathon, so I had better do one. My primary goal is not to get injured, secondary is to get near the 4 hr mark, tertiary is to be able to complete the Santa Fe century bike ride two weeks later. My May will probably be painful ;)

Our other major goal is to get the Phx house out of our lives. If these two things happen during the first half of the year then I will try to make concrete some other more nebulous ideas having to do with career/jobs and prioritizing some other money goals that have taken a backseat.

How about you?

1) Do YMOYL next year and see where I am in December compared to this year.
2) Do yoga and yoga nidra daily.
3) Study Theravada Buddhism daily to deepen my understanding. (I like the philosophy.) The idea is to read a downloaded copy of the Access to Insight web site at lunch.

Declutter, declutter, declutter as I have so much to do and 2014 is the year!

Get all my ducks in a row for retirement in a year and a half.

Get back on track after financial derailment due to MILs money pit of a house. Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover big time--and LAST time.

Be a little more mindful on a day-to-day basis.

Ramp up my photography business. I want it in the black in 2014.

I am hoping to get back to being more efficient and disciplined. After my sister's sudden paralysis last year and the constant state of crisis we have been in ever since we have gotten too much into survival mode. You can only do that for so long before it becomes extremely inefficient. It's time to take a step back and regroup, I think. So of course I am having a baby in two months. :)

Pay off our house. Such an incredible accomplishment that would be.

I would also like to take the time to actually log in and chat with many of you like minded folks more rather than just lurking around. :)

Stella: Congrats on the new baby.

I want to get into the best shape of my life. That is not as high a goal as it sounds. I turn 60 next December, so I have a year. The whole, 100 pushups, 50 situps, run a mile. Right now I can't do 1 pushup, maybe goan my way through 1 situp, and run? I sort of have a plan, now to get off my tail and do it. I'll also start the year off with tracking money. Other things as I evaluate the areas of my current life.

LESS

That is going to be my word for 2014
There will be less paperwork, business, clutter, me (time to make fitness a priority again), time commitments (including internet usage), and sadly.... money (since the business is being closed down).
Anything I can decrease, I will.

I, too, want to declutter, declutter, declutter, and LESS!
Seems like I've been getting rid of tons of stuff for so long.....but there's still way too much STUFF.
I also want to come to terms, somehow, with not being immortal.

Two big athletic goals for this year: (1) earn my black belt in Tae Kwon Do and (2) run a 100 mile race. To put these in perspective, I've studied Tae Kwon Do for almost 10 years at this point (not straight through, a five year stint earlier in life and another almost 5 year stint this time around). I've been doing some type of endurance racing since 1995 and have been running ultra marathons since 2004. Running a 100 mile race has been on the bucket list for quite some time...2014 is the year to get 'er done.

I like 'Less' for one of my 2014 words. My second word/goal is Gratitude. My third word/goal is Smile. I can be smiling on the inside and you would never know by the look on my face.

cdttmm - my dd recently started Tae Kwon Do and is just crazy about it! I'm so happy she found "her sport", and it's one that can last for a lifetime.

My goal for the new year is to take it easy and put less pressure on myself. To listen to my heart more than my head, to listen to nature and my body instead of clocks and calendars, to hear my own voice and not let it be drowned out by others.

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Originally Posted by SteveinMN

Ramp up my photography business. I want it in the black in 2014.

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I'd love to hear more about this, as my DH has a very modest photography business that he wants to grow.

Mine:
-Slow, steady weight loss, 20-30# in the next 12-18 months.
-Continue to nurture my health as I rebuild from the CancerDance of 2013.
-Retirement savings replenished & added to
-Proceed on house projects
-Deepen my committment to non-dual living.

~ relearn Portuguese
~ be more patient & compassionate when it comes to dealing with students at work
~ become more confident in conversations
~ learn to not feel so nervous while driving

Catherine - I might add mindfulness to my list too!

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Originally Posted by redfox

-Deepen my committment to non-dual living.

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I Googled "non-dual living" and found www.livingnonduality.org. It is super awesome. Thank you.

I am flirting with retiring from paid work next year. Maybe yes, maybe no, but there are some home goals and work goals to move toward in service of that idea.

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Originally Posted by redfox

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SteveinMN
Ramp up my photography business. I want it in the black in 2014.

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I'd love to hear more about this, as my DH has a very modest photography business that he wants to grow.

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When I left my HSSJ a couple of years ago, I figured I'd have to keep working somewhere because we would need the income. Photography has long been an interest of mine and I identified a couple of markets that really could use better photography. So I set up my business and planned to start once I left my previous employer. Long story short, a few months of down time right after I quit made it clear that DW and I could cut costs enough to greatly reduce the need for much photography income.

So I really haven't done that much with the business. But I did enjoy the process of setting it up and I still enjoy photography. I did run up some expenses: Web hosting, registering a business name, liability insurance, some camera equipment. So I'd like to make up some of that. And I'm guessing that, after two tax years of doing little with the business but spending money, Uncle Sam would like to see more progress toward solvency. :)

The main thing I need to do is make the financial case for hiring me. That has called for some research on my part, both on documenting why it's cheaper to pay me than not, and in how I can address some underserved aspects of my market (specifically, remodelers, contractors, and home stagers) and still cover expenses. So this winter I will be running a lot of numbers. And then I'll be advertising more than just nice pictures.

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Originally Posted by mira

~ relearn Portuguese
~ be more patient & compassionate when it comes to dealing with students at work
~ become more confident in conversations
~ learn to not feel so nervous while driving

Catherine - I might add mindfulness to my list too!

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Yes, one can always improve the practice of mindfulness!

And I'm interested in your "relearn Portuguese." My DIL is 1st gen Brazilian, and my DS and I really want to learn Portuguese. My soon-to-be-born grandson will be bilingual, and I want to be in step with him. I am a novice French speaker and a very primitive Spanish speaker, so I'm hoping my knowledge of the Romance languages will help me here.

I'm debating Pimsleur vs. Rosetta Stone. I'm thinking Pimsleur is a better approach for me. What do you think?

My goal is to refocus and refine my -now- 3 1/2 year plan (youngest is out of school by then). Speaking for myself and not others in my household, I hope to:

-declutter and simplify
-continue learning ASL, hopefully for a job change
-change jobs by mid-year regardless of the above!
-take new/further steps in my personal spiritual development and growth
-be more mindful of... everything!

Happy New Year and the best of luck to everyone and their endeavors!

Start on a new book project, stop being such an internet junkie!!

I hope to: Finish my Master's degree and get a job in my new field.

RosieTR - A marathon was on my list for 2006 and I'm so glad I did it! Good Luck on your race :)

My most difficult goal is to complete the cookbook I compiled in November! Not just recipes but other fun coordinating sewing, embroidery, crochet projects, etc to go along with the theme.

Also I want to continue with my fiber & metal art work.

Most of all I need to keep learning Japanese! The Japanese Language Proficiency Tests are in December so that is my big goal, to take and pass the next level up.

Despite a few hiccups, such as job changes, and moving yet again, we did reach our savings goal this year, YAY!! and I hope we are able to continue the momentum and reach our savings goals for 2014. Continue to be debt free, etc. Our spending is fairly lean except for his very expensive triathlon hobby.

Good Luck to everyone on their personal goals :)