Wednesday, December 19, 2007 1:53 PM
i've been thinking the past couple weeks about my personal goals for the coming year and decided to post them here. i plan on making monthly updates on these goals as a way of keeping myself on track. it provides me with some measure of accountability and will allow me to track what areas i end up slacking off in.
- setup a 529 account for my daughter
yes, i realize i should have done this a few years back, and not when she's 7 years old. i've been sticking some money away in a regular savings account each week for this, but i just haven't signed up yet. this is just a matter of sitting down and filing the application.
- max out my roth ira contributions
it looks like 2008's max contribution is up to $5000, so that makes this goal even harder to attain. i haven't contributed anything for the past 2 years to my roth ira, so i would like to get back into that. what makes it tough is the fact i can't automatically have a small amount added each week, but rather i have to call up the financial guy at pnc and make large contributions. what i've done in the meantime is setup an automatic deposit into an online savings account, and i plan on clearing that out each quarter and stuffing that into the roth ira.
- maintain a $2000 emergency fund savings
i'm already over halfway there, but once i hit that goal, i will be shifting that automatic savings each week to a different savings goal (roth ira, 529, etc).
- increase my net worth by 50%
this will be tough. since i started tracking my net worth in june, it's only gone up 11.3%. this is going to be the toughest of all my goals.
- cut my outstanding debt by 50%
the only debt that i'm concerned with for this goal is credit card debt and personal loans. my house and car loans are not included. since june, i've only managed to cut my debt by 12.6%. this too will be a tough goal, since i like to eat out a lot...
- lose 35 pounds
preferably by june. i'm around 215 right now and i would like be down to 180. i'm 6 foot tall, and so i'm technically obese by some charts.
- exercise at least twice per week
i play soccer almost 4 times a week, but as a goalkeeper, i don't get a chance to run much (i sprint maybe 5 yards and then fall down... on purpose). i also have a hard time keeping up a workout schedule, but i should be able to maintain at least two times per week.
- join a golf club
i plan on joining chautauqua golf club this year. for a junior membership, it's only $575. this goes against my plans on increasing my net worth and all, but it should be worth it. i only managed to go golfing a handful of times in 2007 and that was mostly due to money and work. with a membership, i can go to the course and play and not have to worry about paying for 18 holes and only managing to get in 12. i plan on golfing several times a week, which will aid in my weight loss goal. plus, chautauqua has a new learning center and training facility...
- take golf lessons
i want to take golf lessons since my playing hasn't improved much on my own, despite reading and practicing. perhaps i just really don't know what i'm doing out there. plus, i don't want my brother ending up beating me.
- create a book of erie photographs
i'd like to use 2008 to explore the city and surrounding areas more, and along the way photograph it. eventually i'd like to put them together and create a small book of photographs. then hopefully near the end of the year i could sell it and put that money to good use...
- bring in at least $1000 in donations for parents of autistic children
as a board member, we are required to help bring in money, but i wanted to set a higher and absolute goal for myself. with the golf tournament coming up and generous donations by local people, i see this as an attainable goal.
- enroll in the erie ambassador program
my boss's wife did this, and from what i've heard, it sounds very interesting.
- remodel my basement into livable space
i have a plan to remodel about 3/4th of my existing basement into livable space. i want to use some of it as my daughter's play room, and the other part as an entertainment room. the foosball table and perhaps a small bar would be fixtures down there. however, i believe i have some moisture problems down there that will require professional help. and that, my friends, requires money i do not have...
- bring in $10k from freelance jobs and photography
part one of this goal is to actually create a business entity and do work under that and part two is to actually go out and find that extra work and bill accordingly. too many times this year i did a small job and either charged an absurdly low fee or waived the fee altogether. not a great way to run a business. print sales, weddings, and other photography related jobs are included in this goal.
- become a microsoft certified developer
microsoft has new certification tracks for developers, so i will need to brush up on those specific topics. without any major research, it looks like i will only have to pass three tests to accomplish this. the reason behind this goal is to increase my value to potential employers (not that i'm actively looking for another job).
these were just the first 15 items to pop into my head as i was preparing this list. some goals may change during the year and each monthly post will document that. my plan is to document my progress at the end of each month (just as i do with my net worth).
hopefully this task won't prove i'm too much of a failure at the end of 2008!