2011 - The Year of Reinvention

I've been mulling around my post from a couple of days ago, thinking and analyzing possible strategies to make 2011 a great year full of accomplishment. I've determined that the four areas of my life I'd like to focus on are Health, Money, Education, and Personal Development. Those are broad areas, and we've all heard that goals should be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound, so here is a breakdown of goals within each area.

HEALTH

1. Drop BMI by 3%.

I'm right on the cusp of the "marginally overweight" category on BMI charts. It's so depressing and discouraging to know that I've let my health get this bad. BUT it's reversible. If I drop my BMI by 3% that will put me mid-range in the acceptable BMI category. I will attain this goal by exercising 5 days a week, at least 30 minutes each session. This goal should be complete by 3/31/11.

2. Run a 5k.

The company I work for participates in corporate challenge each year. One of the events is the 5k. I've never been a runner, but one of the things I've always wanted to do is to be healthy enough to run a 5k without stopping. The event is normally sometime in May I think, so I'm going to set my deadline for 5/31/10. Luckily, this will also help out with goal number 1. In order to help me train, I've started the Couch-to-5k Program. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

3. Maintain a consistently healthy diet

There will be days when I want to enjoy Burger Thursday or when I need a piece of cake, but I'd really like to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed junk. To do this, I'm going to visit a dietitian a few times per year, depending on what is covered by our health insurance plan. There really isn't a deadline for this since it's something I need to maintain all the time, not just for a few months or even years. Crucial to the success of this is another goal...

4. Eat lunch brought from home four days per week. Eat dinner at home 6 nights per week.

MONEY

1. Pay off credit card.

I don't have much credit card debt, but the APR is high on what I do have. There's no reason why I cannot pay this off completely in 2011. Deadline - 12/31/11.

2. Stick to a budget

At the suggestion of a blog I follow, I spent last night checking out http://www.mint.comand have really started scrutinizing where my spending is going. I want to spend less of my money eating out and more of my money on important financial goals, like retirement, or a vacation, or financing 'Lil Bit's college education. I plan on going over my budget on a bi-weekly basis when I get paid.

3. Open a college savings account for 'Lil Bit and contribute $100 every month. This one has already been set up! YAY! The reason it's not more money is that I've got to continue to pay my own tuition costs while paying off that pesky credit card. Therefore, I'm going to start small for this year, but hey, by 12/31/11, there should be at least $1200 in her account.

EDUCATION

1. Obtain Cisco Certified Networking Associate certification. Deadline - 1/19/11. This one is coming up quickly! I'd like to finish it before I start classes in the spring semester.

2. Finish my Associate's degree. By taking three classes in the spring, one in the summer, and three again in the fall, I will be able to complete my Associate's degree in 2011. Is it going to be hard? Heck yes. But it's going to be so worth it, and I really feel it will renew my motivation to keep going for my Bachelor's degree. Deadline - 12/22/11

3. Obtain VMware Certified Professional certificate. Deadline - 12/31/11

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Write more. I've got this blog right here at my fingertips that I really enjoy posting in but haven't done consistently for quite some time. My goal for 2011 is to post weekly. As a result of this, you'll be seeing a lot of changes coming up, including some themed weekly posts and such. Stay tuned!

2. Find a reliable babysitter! The Hunk and I rarely spend time together without 'Lil Bit in tow. While we love our family time, we need time together as a couple as well. Babysitter location deadline - 2/28/11. After that, we'd better be going out once a month!!

So there you have it! In order to keep tabs on these goals, I'll be checking in on the last day of each month.

Until next time,
MFW