Tag Archives: challenges

What do I hope for in 2014

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What do I hope for in 2014? Oh let’s see…Peace in this world, no more hatred, a cure for cancer, our soldiers home from foreign lands, joy for everyone, no more hunger, no more bigotry,  shall I go on? But in my little corner of the world where it’s the small things that I can change I’ll address those little goals and challenges I mentioned a couple of days ago..

Ah yes, those Goals and Challenges.

how-to-achieve-your-goals

So here goes.

  1. Lose 50 lbs. (I’ll fit in the tiny airplane seats better, I’ll look better and I’ll feel better.)
  2. Set up a budget (my job change affected my finances so I need to start putting money aside for the extra’s that pop up.)
  3. A photo a day (keeps the camera “TOM” top of mind and will help me continue to improve my skills)
  4. Home Improvement ( the little condo just collects clutter. Time to clean it out, shampoo carpets and maybe get the bedroom painted)
  5. Plan my vacation (I know, that’s what you are all waiting for )
  6. Keep up my blog
  7. Work on friendships and personal relationships so they stay strong and healthy.

So the game plan is…

Health/ Weight Loss

loving-our-bodies

  1. A before picture taken on the first day plus measurements and weight to be updated in a log monthly.
  2. Walk…weather should not be a factor. Start with 1/2 hour daily for month one and evaluate at the end of the month.
  3. Eat healthier. Cut back on carbs and increase salads and veggies and good protein.
  4. Consider buying a bike in the spring depending on progress.

healthy-meal

Finances

save

  1. Open a savings account
  2. Deposit $50 per pay period toward expenses like property taxes and time share maintenance fees .
  3. Pay off the credit card. The balance snuck up over the holidays.
  4. Open a pre paid credit card through AAA for travel and vacation

Hobbies

camera

  1. Take the camera on the walks for my daily photo.
  2. Upload the best of the day. At the end of the week see which photo got the most hits and save it as  the photo of the week.
  3. End of the year make a photo book “Best of 2014”
  4. Get a head start on my photo cards for the holidays.
  5. Add more Birthday and special occasion cards to the line.

More Heritage Days Cards 014a

Home Improvement

residential-painting-atlanta-1

  1. Attack the clutter with a vengeance. If it hasn’t been used in 6 months, get rid of it.
  2. Have the carpets shampooed
  3. Paint the bedroom
  4. Get an cabinet or cupboard to organize my photography gear.

Vacation

debAlaska

  1. Pick a location
  2. Plan the vacation
  3. Share the plans here so my content gets more interesting

Blogs

to_blog_or_not_to_blog

  1. Post daily on Aroundustyroads
  2. Post my daily pictures on Dustyroadsphotos
  3. Work to keep content fresh and interesting by visiting local attractions between vacations.
  4. Increase readership over 2013. No % just an increase will make me happy. At least I know the blog is growing then.

Personal Relations, Friends and Family

  1. Work at the relationship. It won’t stay close if ignored.
  2. Stay in touch with family. Same thing, you can’t stay close if you ignore each other.
  3. Be a friend. Can’t have them unless you’re willing to be one.
  4. Lend a hand when needed even if it’s just to listen.

friends

I think that’s enough to keep me busy for 2014.

Happy-Horse-Year-2014-2

Out with the Old

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What changes do you plan to make in 2014?

calvin-and-hobbes-New-Years-Resolution

I have to be careful when it comes to the “Out with the Old” adage as I could be included in the “Old” category and I have no intention of going out yet!

But I’ve been giving 2014 quite  a lot of thought. 2013 turned out to be a year of changes and in some ways I haven’t fully adapted to all of them so I think 2014 will be a year in which to get my routines established again. That would include everything from work to finances to personal challenges.

self-deception-new-years-resolutions

Have you noticed …I haven’t said the dreaded “R” word yet? That’s because it is my humble opinion that calling challenges set on New Years  “RESOLUTIONS” is asking for failure. A resolution is a pledge of sort..I resolve to do this and this. So what happens when you screw it up, like we all seem to do. Most of the time that’s it. Done! Made a resolution and broke it , end of story.

But what if I/we think of them as goals or challenges. A goal is something that you work toward until it’s achieved. You expect there might be a few set backs but that’s where the challenge comes in.

new-england-patriots-logos1

Sports examples come to mind. The New England Patriots start the season with the ultimate goal to win the Superbowl but each week the goal is to just win that game. Sometimes they fall short but the next week they are right out there again trying to “kick butt” for that Superbowl spot…one game at a time.

They didn’t “resolve” to win the Superbowl and then give up as soon as they lost a game. That’s why whatever I/we want to accomplish in 2014 should be a goal and a challenge not a resolution. And if I don’t meet that goal, well I’ll be a better person for trying.

fat-vs-thin

An example….weight loss (ugh). Lets say I resolve to lose 50 lbs in 2014. The first time I “pig out” at the local Pizza Joint I’ll just give up. I blew it. Look at that, resolution broken. But if I say I have a goal to lose 50 lbs, that’s only 1 lb. per week. That’s like the 1 game a week for the Pats. Suddenly it’s not so overwhelming. And if I only lose 30 lbs? Well, I may not have hit the goal but I’m still 30 lbs thinner than when I started.

new years resolutions copia

So that’s my approach to resolutions. Goals and Challenges. Tomorrow I’ll share some specifics. Maybe we can encourage one another to meet the goals we set for a fresh new year.