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| Original photo by Wikimedia Commons |
I was in the habit of writing down my thoughts, ideas, and dreams every year for a good four or five years. Even updating as the year progressed. However, I failed to do even so much as an outline for 2012. Shame on me.
So, here we are at the beginning of 2013. I'm going to follow Chalene Johnson's Push. It is a 30-Day challenge that I used in 2011 to set my goals and move towards making them a reality.
(On a side note - I bought Chalene's book through Amazon for $17. It just came in the mail today.)
The idea is to whittle down ALL your ideas to their most basic forms and then choose the ONE that is the driving force behind all of the others. Also it helps to keep your ideas in-line with your life priorities, i.e. the things in life that you would NOT compromise no matter what.
Day 1 is not just brain storming like I had previously. Instead it's brain storming priorities.
- Chalene defines priorities as "those things so important that if they were stripped from your life, you would be devastated, unfulfilled, and living without purpose.
So, let me do Day 1 over again. . . Especially since I am feeling a bit unfulfilled and purposeless here at the start of 2013!
Brain Storming - take two: Priorities -
What makes me happy?
Food, good food, meat and lots of veggies. Riding my bicycles, cleaning my bicycles, fixing my bicycles. Surfing. Exercise, cardio and weight lifting (I bought P90X recently, looking forward to it). Gardening, I have a really cool container garden on my deck. Playing in the dirt, which lends itself nicely to gardening AND riding bicycles, specifically mountain and cyclocross. Working with my hands as much as my mind. Going to church and hearing a good sermon, a sermon that really speaks to me. Being outside. Playing.
What areas of my life are of great importance to me, but I believe that I must be held accountable to honor them?
1) My diet - eating better. I eat healthy, mostly, and probably better than most. However, I've never really been ripped other than in college during triathlon when I was exercising so much that I couldn't eat enough food, period. Now that I sit at a desk for the better part of five out of seven days every week, I struggle with my mid-line like every body else.
2) My career - I'm not worried about more money (though I'm not going to turn down more by any means), nor am I worried about more responsibility as a driving force. Instead, to me, I mean education. I want to FINALLY start the GRE--->MBA program. I also want to get my Professional Engineering License because I can. I don't need either of these things for what I do and with whom I am employed, but if my place of employment were to ever change, more education can only help. With my current employer, it will allow me more flexibility with job opportunities as they manifest.
3) My education - As stated above, I would like to continue my education. I like learning. I like exercising my brain as much as my body. As of lately, I feel like my brain is all soft and squishy. It has a spare tire and a couple of chins. It is no longer the steel trap (just go with me here) that it was when I was in college. So, again, I would like to finally study for and pass the GRE so that I can get into an MBA program. I would also like to start studying for and obtain my Pro E (not the drafting software) license.
4) My nest egg - I've never been bad with money. I pay my bills in-full and on-time. I keep a balanced check book. I don't pay APR on my credit card purchases, if I can help it. I like toys. Since I've gotten older, my toys have become more expensive. So, my trouble is saving. I do the full company match into my 401K. I also have a savings account that is somewhat healthy. There is always room to do more. I would like to invest my savings, so that it earns more than just the measly 0.4% or 0.04% annually in my savings account.
5) My business - Since I started this blog in November of 2012, the idea is and has been for it to be the seed of my personal business. I would like to grow my business more in 2013. Define it a little more. As of right now, my thoughts are along the lines of personal trainer. So, I would like to pursue that avenue and see where it takes me. Exercise is definitely one of my intrinsic priorities. I enjoy sharing that passion with others.
What do I want to be?
Well, when I grow up. . . Actually, funny enough, I've ALWAYS been a nerd. I know, surprising to those of you who've known me for all of my life or a better part of it. When I was little, I mean little like 4 or 5, I wanted to be a Design Engineer when I grew up, not a Fireman, not a Policeman, nor an Astronaut. I wanted to design stuff. I still do. I get to sort of design things every now and again at work. I REALLY enjoy doing it too. I'd LOVE to design stuff for real, for myself, my ideas. I would love to learn and really know how to weld, machine, and even work with wood, leather, other fabrics, fiber glass, carbon, kevlar, etc. I want to be a Design Engineer. I can see myself in a garage someday with various machines around and a few projects on the floor in various stages of completion.
My top 3 Priorities -
In no particular order: My diet, my education, and my nest egg.
My #1 priority:
My education.
My #2 priority:
My nest egg.
My #3 priority:
My diet.
The reason I have placed the greatest importance on my education is because I believe a sound mind and sound body go together. I have a fairly sound body, now I need a sound mind (again). I had a lot of balance between mind and body in college. Since then, it has been skewed towards the body side. I want to round it out again.
I will honor my #1 priority by doing my best to study in the mornings before work. I have a built in study time because my girlfriend and I commute to work together. She starts at 6am, I don't start until 7:30. So, I have a good hour or so that I can dedicate every morning, five days a week, to study.
The following actions would be inconsistent with my commitment to my top priority:
Not studying, not taking the GRE, not passing the GRE, not getting into a local MBA program.
To honor my #1 priority, I will limit the following: Internet browsing. Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Yes, I'm going to do some, but I need to keep it in check.
To honor my #1 priority, I need to make the following changes: Study in the mornings before work and workout after work.
My top priority clarity statement:
My #1 priority is to further my education by getting my MBA and Professional Engineering License.
I believe that a sound mind and body go together. I will honor my #1 priority by doing my best to study in the morning before work. I will weigh all decisions against what would be helpful, harmful, or indifferent to my studies. I will limit any activities, pursuits, or relationships that would hinder and otherwise impede my progress.
So, that's day 1, officially. I've clarified my purpose for 2013. I feel better already.
See you tomorrow for day #2.
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