For reasons that are somewhat unclear to me, I find setting goals to be something akin to solving a Rubik’s cube. I know it’s possible, and other people can do it incredibly well, but even with a book giving me step-by-step instructions, I find it nearly impossible.
This year I plan to do the unthinkable, and set a list of goals for myself.
I plan to do a series of things each week, and each month, and next year.
52 Things
52 Meals: I plan to cook 52 new meals/recipes for my family. Recipes I’ve never cooked before. I plan to crack open the pile of recipe books we’ve collected, but I’m looking for suggestions.
52 Songs: I want to find a new good song each week to add to my collection.
52 Movies: My friends constantly reference movies I’ve never seen; the list of the movies that I should have seen and haven’t is downright embarrassing.
52 Books: I plan to read (and possibly review) 52 books this year. I will be re-reading some books, and reading some new ones.
52 Kilos: I want to lose 52 kilos this year. 1Kg a week on average. I’ve let things slide over the past few months, and I want to complete what I started.
52 Strips: I used to publish a comic strip regularly. I want to resurrect that strip this year. I’m not sure whether it’s going to be a reboot, or a continuation, but I have a week to make the decision and get started. This one is a maybe.
12 Things
12 Lives: I want to do something positive that affects or makes a difference in the lives of others once a month for the next twelve months. Whether it’s a donation of money, or time, or blood, I want to do something specific.
12 Meals: I plan to open my house to others at least 12 times over the next year to break bread and be a person. My natural instincts are insularity and withdrawal.
12 Experiences: I want to experience 12 new things over the next year. I plan to blog about these experiences.
12 Personal Goals: I plan to set 12 goals for myself to achieve that I won’t blog about, but do plan to have a couple of close friends keep me accountable on.
Now, there will probably be some overlap, and it may not necessarily be that 52 == 1 per week, but I want to look back and see a list of goals that I’ve achieved.
I’m tired of my relentless cynicism, and that of some of the people I’ve listened to this past year. I look back over the last year, and I’m not very happy with what I see.
Truth be told, I know that this is going to be a challenge of the highest order. I’m open to suggestions for things to try, things to cook and listen to, things to watch and things to do around Melbourne. In particular, places I might be able to volunteer and make a difference.
A little bit of encouragement and support wouldn’t go astray either 😉
I want to change my life, and I want to make a difference to others. That’s my goal for 2010.
What’s yours?