I love the end of the year; mainly because of the promise it carries for something new and different; and vecause it is the time when I do my annual review.
The last days of the year are also the time when I carry out my annual review, consider the future and do my goal setting and ‘backward planning’.
One thing I really like about Chris Guillebeau’s annual review process is that goals don’t have to be SMART and planning can change direction.
My long term readers would recall that for me goals are like magnets: they are specific, they can be measured and they have a time limit but they are usually audacious. They frame my actions – mainly by allowing me to plan back from my dreams.
As to my dreams, these are usually captured in my annual review by my words for the year ahead.
My Words for the Year
Last year, my words were ‘health and wealth’ and as I said in my review of 2013 the wealth part went well; my health probably was not the most outstanding achievement of the year (gosh, have mastered it seems the British art of understatement).
My words for 2014 are:
Fitness and Abundance
I reckon that if I re-gain my fitness, my health will improve as well – running and walking is very good for stress, and exercise is generally a great way to maintain and improve our health.
Apart from that, I really need to step up the fitness if I am to qualify for the Comrades 2015 (to qualify, I have to complete a marathon in under five hours during 2014).
Abundance needs no explanation; John and I intend to be in a position by October, 2018 where we can lead an abundant life, free from the limitations of employment and organisations. During 2014, we shall continue to build the foundations for that.
Fitness goals
- Run for an hour, five days a week.
- Build strength by doing three free weights sessions per week.
- Eat the diet of a long distance runner.
- Run Wilmslow Half marathon (23 March, 2014).
- Run an autumn marathon.
At least the first of these goals shouldn’t be hard to achieve given that I just got an exercise machine (look at the picture). Border collies need loads of exercise and make excellent medium and long distance runners.
Business goals
Academic career
- Complete edited book on the transformation of the European research funding space;
- Write a book on research spaces and research fields;
- Get a major research grant;
- Build a larger (international) research group;
- Widen your academic influence using MariaNedeva.com;
- Get a professorship overseas.
Blogging
- Build The Money Principle to be a major resource;
- Monetise The Money Principle;
- Interact regularly with others in the niche;
- Publish at least one guest post per month;
- Write three e-books;
- Build the Rotund Writer.
These are my goals for the year and may it be even better than 2013. In all this, of course, I have a standing goal – to have more fun with John and our son and to remember that the people around me are what make my life really abundant. Without them my goals make no sense at all.
Finally, The Money Principle has been included in the following personal finance blog carnivals during the last two weeks:
Carnival of Fin. Camaraderie at The Wealth Gospel
Yakezie Carnival at Faithful With a Few
Carnival Financial Independence at Carnival of Financial Independence
Carnival of Financial Planning at Frugal Rules
Aspiring Blogger Fin. Carnival at Aspiring Blogger
Carnival of Retirement at Grad Money Matters
Carnival of MoneyPros at Your PF Pro
Carnival of Financial Camaraderie at MoneySmartGuides
What are your goals for the coming year?
Wow! I love your audacious goals. I thought I was being ambitious with my goals, but I look at your fitness goals there is NO WAY I could do that, nor could I write 3 ebooks in a year. But, I wish I’d included 1 ebook on my goal list. I think I might be able to do that 😉
Good luck with your goals, I’ll be reading all about them. Happy New Year!
@Rebecca: Thanks, friend! Yep, my goals are usually rather mad but they tend to work out. And it is not late to include an e-book on your list :); I dare you.
Wow, these are audacious goals – though I have no doubt that you’ll be able to achieve them. My goal of losing 2 dress sizes in six months (necessary to fit into my wedding dress) is a bit audacious, too..
@Daisy: Good luck with your goal. We’ll see how I do with mine – I do run marathons and these don’t get me going any longer (not a challenge enough). And this very, very long race is there so…why not have a go. How hard could it be (every time I do this one, I realise at some point that it is hard but it’s too late to stop :)).
HNY Maria! It must be really fun and good motivation to run with a dog. As usual I am in awe with your runnning goals.
@Pauline: We just took Suzi to the vet (for her first injection) and he said she would absolutely love running with me. To train her she ought to be at least six month old and her training should be gradual. And I’ll feel safer. Main thing though – no excuses not to go out.