New Year Resolutions – Part One: 2006 Review
New Year’s Resolutions are silly, in my opinion. Why should we only resolve to do new things once a year? Like millions of other people, I make a pile of resolutions on the first of January. Like millions of other people, I go back to my regularly scheduled programming by the first of February.
Yet somehow each year, I set goals anyway. Last year I really jumped to the idea of setting resolutions. I went further than any year before, going through a complete evaluation of my core values and tried to set goals that would align with them. I got as far as starting a draft which sat in WordPress this whole last year.
While I didn’t keep track of any of my goals, it doesn’t mean I can’t wallow in self-contempt over my failures! So here are my 2006 resolutions and how they turned out. Thank goodness I can finally clear out that draft.
Be Fit
- The Goal
- I started at 210 pounds and lost an average of 5 pounds per month until I reached my target weight of 185 pounds. I did this through a combination of cardio and weight training exercises which I did a minimum of 3 times per week. I also changed my diet and tracked what I ate. I cut soda and snacking from my diet and chose better foods to eat.
- The Reality
- Through a vigorous diet of Snickers and Dew, I bulked up another five pounds. I regularly trained my glutes through sets of alternately sitting on them. The weight machine I bought at the beginning of the year is still sitting in pieces in the basement. The parts block access to the other exercise equipment down there.
Financial Independence
- The Goal
- Because this was a drafted document, I didn’t really have this goal fleshed out.
- I generated $10 in Adsense each month this year. I came up with some additional ideas on the path to financial independence.
- The Reality
- I finally broke $10 in Adsense for all time at the end of December.
- Actually, I blew the doors off the goal by quitting my job and starting my own company. Self-employment is the ultimate in financial independence.
Read More
- The Goal
- I read 12 books this year.
- The Result
- My little sister blew me out of the water. I think she read 19 books this year. I made it through seven. The competition really should take RSS feeds into account.
Write more
- The Goal
- I wrote 52 posts of 2000 words or longer. I wrote other shorter posts as well.
- The Result
- 2000 is a lot of words. A three paragraph post practically takes me an hour to write, especially if I have to find supporting links. Toward the end of the year, I did start posting regularly again, trying for three posts a week.
Teach the boys about God
- The Goal
- To teach our sons more about God through family devotions.
- The Result
- Life seems to be busier than God. The family devotions slacked off the two times we started them during the year. One item of praise: our youngest made the choice to follow Christ this year.
Finish the Bible
- The Goal
- In September of 2004, I began a “Read the Bible in a Year” reading plan. I cruised through it, and by the start of 2006, I had half of it done. I increased my reading to a full day of scripture and finished it before the end of the year.
- The Result
- I actually did it! I must admit, however, that reading that much in one sitting (about 4 chapters a a day) leaves much to be desired in the comprehension department. It’s definitely quantity over quality.
What’s next?
As an astute reader, you’ve probably noticed by now that the title of this post contains the following words: Part and One. Yes, that means I’m a sucker for the blank canvas that is a new year, and have set some objectives for 2007.
If your lucky, I’ll finish Part Two before 2008.
One Comment
- Michelle Uhri said: