Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011: A Year in Review

As I've done for the past few years I plan to take a moment and look at my goals for last year, and make some new ones for the following year. As with 2010's goals, I achieved none of my 2011 goals. My track record, so far, is terrible. Let us review:

Personal Goals for 2011:
I will loose weight, with a goal weight of 250lbs. This is a carry-over from last year, but I'm determined to see it through. I'm no longer pre-diabetic, I ran the Corporate Challenge and posted a respectable time, and I aim to do better this year.
I will choose to either return to Judo, or to another exercise program.

How did I do? Well, I'm sitting at 300lbs. I had gotten down to 280lbs, and was feeling great around the middle of the year, then I just stopped and now I'm back to where I started. I missed the Corporate Challenge, and have not been out running in months. I spent weeks away from Judo, and have only halfheartedly worked out since coming to Seattle.

Professional Goals for 2011:
I will deliver a 40hr+ AR, on time, under budget, with no bugs.
I will deliver every AR, on time, with no more then 3 PRs requiring a code fix.
I will find a niche, and fill it, to the best of my ability.
I will study one segment of the product, per month, with the end goal of being comfortable in a large swatch of the the products code.

This, is strangely funny. I failed all of these goals, due to being fired. Makes it hard to excel. However, I was provided the chance to make a few good professional contacts, and I got out of a job that I truly hated. The only issue is that I was fired right when I had started to gain some financial traction. I made a short detour to Thompson Reuters, and ended up relocating to Seattle for a position with Microsoft. I deem my professional growth a success, even if the stated goals ended up being impossible.

Business Goals for 2011:
I will bring in $4,000 in side-work/web work
I will track every client, every payment, every hosting sale, and will know exactly how much I made in 2011.
I will build, and market a web product, to a customer, that generates recurring revenue.

In 2011 I did my best to get out of doing side work, any side work. Overall I generated roughly $2000 in income, which I'm quite happy with. The issue right now is a question of worth. It's simply not worth the time to continue struggling. So, for 2012 I'll be closing my web doors and only doing limited work for friends.

Economic Goals for 2011:
I will pay off at least $6,000 of my personal loan.
I will acquire, and maintain a $1,000 savings balance for at least half the year.

I can't remember exactly what I meant about paying off $6,000 of the personal loan, but I doubt I've done it. As for savings, I was doing really well up until unemployment. This is a goal that will be carried forward into 2012, hopefully with better results.

Educational Goals for 2011:
I will read an educational non-fiction book a month.
I will spend 10+ percent of my "allowance" per pay-period on books or other educational materials, either for personal or professional growth.

Not. Even. Close.

So, now that we've established I more or less flopped again. Let's look ahead.

2012 Goals!
1) Stay Employed!
2) Lose weight: 250lbs by 12/12
3) Under 30 by 30. Have less than 30k non-mortgage debt by age 30. Ideally I'd like to have less than 25k by 2012. I currently have 33k in non-mortgage debt.

Short, sweet, simple. Let's see if I can get anywhere close.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Long Way Down

It's been... hectic.

I find it funny. I know in the past I've turned to writing as a catharsis, a way to keep my head on straight. After a piece I found that I needed something more physical. I moved on to Judo, BJJ, and lately SAMBO as a way of staying loose, of keeping the anger at bay.

Why am I angry? Lately at least it's been hectic. It's been a new job, or two, it's been a move, or two, it's been plane rides, or six. It's been sitting on the other side of the country from my wife. It's been work, and stress, and a lack of sleep, and a terrible diet. It's been a lack of focus, and drive.

It's hard to stay focused when you're sad. I've been sad. I've spent nights picking at a pizza I don't really need only to find I've eaten the entire thing and still feel... eh.

It's hard to lift, and exercise, when you don't really see the point.

It's hard to work when you just want to go home.

It's hard to go home when the house is empty.

It's been a rough few months but things are slowly moving forward. I've completed nearly all of my side work. Which is a huge blessing. I've begun to think long and hard about priorities. Which is an interesting activity if you've never done it.

I'm trying to get used to the idea that there are only so many hours, and only so many things I can accomplish in those hours. If this is what growing up feels like, it sucks.