Making SMART 2021 Goals

At the beginning of the yr, I made some Goals and Resolutions for 2021. It was once unexpectedly thrown in combination. The youngsters had been getting again into their faculty regimen and one stuck a chilly. Because chilly signs and COVID signs are the similar, we needed to pause lifestyles and get him a COVID check. Thankfully, it got here again unfavorable. (That’s what I had anticipated since he at all times will get a iciness chilly and we didn’t have any actual COVID possibility components.)

Sometimes you merely have to transport ahead with one thing. Trying to be best possible is the enemy of being excellent sufficient.

However, with 1/eighth of the yr accomplished, it’s as excellent a time as any to return and put some extra element into the ones objectives. This time, I’m hoping to lead them to SMART objectives, through making use of the SMART metrics. I remember that it’ll take greater than those metrics to lead them to realities. I wish to lead them to conduct and keep correctly motivated on them. Finally, I’ll want a bit of good fortune. In 2020 few folks noticed COVID derailing their yr’s objectives, however stuff like that occurs. Usually, it occurs extra on the person stage than the worldwide stage.

Before I am getting to all of the objectives right here’s what my function spreadsheet looks as if. I created the spreadsheet whilst I used to be penning this submit. I used to be going to incorporate it on the finish, however it’s extra helpful to have the visible firstly.

If I do all that and I fail to fulfill my objectives, I will take solace on this Michael Jordan quote:

I will settle for failure. Everyone fails at one thing. But I will’t settle for no longer making an attempt.

Money Goals

Make $60Okay of source of revenue

Last yr I sought after to make $75,000 in source of revenue. COVID had different plans. I got here in at round $50,000, however every month is trending worse and worse. I can wish to flip issues round simply to make the $50,000 once more, so $60Okay is a stretch.

I wish to center of attention extra on offering treasured products and services to folks and dealing inside the home windows of childcare that I’ve. This goes to be a problem, however that’s exactly the purpose.

Specific: $60,000 source of revenue. Check.
Measurable: I’ve a spreadsheet the place I stay monitor of source of revenue and assessment it a couple of occasions a month. Check.
Attainable: Maybe. Currently, it will depend on too many exterior forces that I don’t keep an eye on.
Relevant: Maybe. My force to earn $60Okay vs. $50Okay simply isn’t nice. I’ve at all times been extra about high quality of lifestyles.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Save Money for Wife’s Retirement

This is sophisticated and value a separate article all on its own.

We’re looking to save $100Okay for my spouse to really feel pleased with retiring. The hope is to try this in simply a few years.

She gets a pleasant pension and I will generally make the aforementioned source of revenue. However, a few of my source of revenue has been misplaced since COVID and I’m no longer positive it’s coming again. We even have numerous temporary bills with some 15-year mortgages of their ultimate trimester and personal faculty. The 100Okay would give us a minimum of a two-year cushion the place she wouldn’t must take into consideration running.

We are beginning the yr with it about 25% finished. If we mix different emergency finances and accounts we may well be additional alongside.

Specific: Nope. It’s obscure on the place we must be through the tip of 2021. I’ll revise this to be $60,000, which is saving any other $35,000 this yr, leaving the general $40,000 for subsequent yr.
Measurable: Now, it’s measurable. In truth, we’ve arrange an account for this and measuring per thirty days as a part of our web value assessment.
Attainable: Maybe. It’s some huge cash to avoid wasting given our present source of revenue and bills.
Relevant: It was once very related till final week. We not too long ago were given some information that can trade that, however we gained’t know for some months. The 100Okay function will wish to occur one day, the timeline would possibly trade despite the fact that.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Business

Content Audit

This job was once to check my previous articles and refresh them to lead them to related and helpful. I’ve numerous articles that I wrote from 2006-2010 that you most likely haven’t learn. Even if in case you have, I will upload 10 extra years of knowledge and a few much-needed proofreading to them. Search engines additionally like articles being up to date and related.

I’ve been looking to refresh a brand new article as soon as every week, generally on a Friday. The concept is that you simply’ll generally get a brand new article on Monday and Wednesday with the refreshed article on Friday. Sometimes, if I best submit Monday and Thursday, I gained’t have the ability to get this refresh article in. On a hectic week, perhaps Wednesday and Friday are each refreshed articles. We’ll have to peer how this is going, however I’m looking to stay the refreshed articles as “bonus” content material that I haven’t been doing for years. I’m hanging down a function of 40 articles. That’s so much since it will be each week.

Specific: 40 articles. Check.
Measurable: I’ll come with this on my function spreadsheet. Check
Attainable: Reasonably. It’s no longer all-or-nothing, so partial credit score applies.
Relevant: This must lend a hand different trade objectives in addition to be extra helpful for readers, proper?
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Social Media

I need to be much better on social media. I nonetheless spend maximum of my time on Twitter, however haven’t grown a lot from my 6,500 fans. I’d love to develop this quantity, however I’m understanding that I don’t understand how to get extra Twitter fans. I’ll put down 7,000 fans for loss of anything else higher. I believe the general public are pleased with the folk they apply now. I must have put extra time into finding out Pinterest.

Specific: Nope I fail this one. It’s no longer particular and I don’t understand how to make it particular. Please lend a hand me with some feedback on the backside of this submit.
Measurable: Nope.
Attainable: Perhaps no longer. You’d assume going from 6600 to 7000 isn’t a lot, however it is extremely tough.
Relevant: Social Media appears to be extraordinarily related when your corporation is a weblog. Check.
Time-bound: I don’t have a function, however the entirety here’s 12/31/2021. Check

Website Design

I’ve a couple of issues that I wish to upload to Lazy Man and Money. There are some minor theme mistakes and my RSS feed continues to be controlled through Feedburner which Google received in May 2007 and principally close down in 2011. It’s most definitely no longer the most productive concept to depend on era that’s been out of date for 10 years.

Specific: I’ve a web page to-do record. I’ve to outline that a bit of extra, however this turns into a function record inside a function record.
Measurable: I will measure it after I finalize the to-do record.
Attainable: Yep, I keep an eye on all of the code at the web page, so the purpose of failure is solely me.
Relevant: The web page is the trade. Check.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Launch New Website

I had an concept for any other weblog, which is a zeal of mine. It’s comparable to non-public finance, so I’ll percentage it right here when it’s in a position. I need to do extra than simply any other private finance weblog despite the fact that. I need it to be a web page the place you do stuff no longer simply learn the newest submit and transfer on. Unfortunately, developing the infrastructure for that stuff isn’t simple. I’ve been looking to really feel out to different private finance bloggers to peer in the event that they’d be fascinated with sharing it someway, however that hasn’t received traction. For now, it’ll simply must be a weblog.

One drawback is that managing two blogs is numerous paintings. I will slightly organize this one in addition to I must. However, the opposite concepts is simply too excellent to surrender.

Specific: Launch a brand new weblog. That’s obscure, so let’s make it higher. Launch with 25 articles already written.
Measurable: This feels adore it is all or not anything, however there are numerous steps. I’ve accomplished numerous it already.
Attainable: At this level, I may most definitely turn the transfer the next day to come, however I need to do a larger release than that. Whether it’s manageable long-term is a tricky query.
Relevant: I like the theory (which I’m purposely being obscure about), so I’d say sure.
Time-bound: May 1, 2021.

Personal Goals

Lose Weight

I received a “Pandemic 15” and were given very as regards to a large quantity at the scale that I don’t need to achieve. We’ve been doing numerous cooking and luxury consuming. My spouse and I are difficult every different (her concept) to shed pounds. We have a chart at the refrigerator the place submit our day by day weigh-ins.

This labored for the primary month, however we’ve each stopped updating it. I’m changing it with a handy guide a rough spreadsheet that I made for every week of the yr. We’re going to place our moderate weekly weight from our Fitbit Aria into the chart. I’m hoping this may paintings higher – and be extra correct since it’s a median.

I’m going to check out to lose the ones 15 kilos through following my excessive Lazy Man Diet. The vitamin is simply too excessive to persist with long-term, however I must have the ability to organize a majority of it 4 or 5 days every week a few occasions a month.

I’ll wish to upload extra workout than strolling my canine… particularly weight coaching and aerobic.

Specific: Lose 15 kilos. Check.
Measurable: With my Fitbit scale and a spreadsheet, that is measurable.
Attainable: It undoubtedly gained’t be simple, nevertheless it’s imaginable.
Relevant: This is a bit of arguable. I generally have such a lot of different issues pulling me in several instructions that I will’t put a complete effort into this.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Make a Bucket List

I wish to get a hold of some issues that I need to do and revel in.

Many private finance bloggers with cash shuttle the arena. I do know that I don’t just like the act of touring. Being in a brand new position is excellent. Getting to the brand new position is dangerous. Everything about an aircraft is designed to make you uncomfortable. That’s actually the plan with trainer seating. Some would possibly say that we splurge for the nice seating, however the spending vital for that creates nice inside warfare for me. It doesn’t get any higher if you end up on the vacation spot, as a result of then I’ve to handle such things as restricted web get right of entry to… or paying outrageous costs for comfort.

Recently, I’ve settled at the concept of getting a complicated area. I don’t know the place it will be or how we’d get it, however I really like the theory of a sizzling bathtub, indoor pool, and a minimum of Three monkey butlers.

As a part of this, I’ll discover creating a dream board. That gets me to the dangerously shut position of scrapbooking. Now I’m beginning to perceive why I at all times put this off.

Back in January, I added this merchandise. It was once the perfect merchandise to make growth on. With a bit of Googling round, I got here up with an inventory of 20 pieces. I’d nonetheless love to do extra and make the dream board, however I’m going to mention that is part accomplished for now. Numerous the pieces are laborious or unattainable to finish all over COVID, so running in the course of the bucket record itself goes to be a job for all over again.

Specific: Create Bucket record… accomplished (for now). Dream board… at the to-do record.
Measurable: This isn’t very measurable, so I’ll estimate that it’s 50% accomplished.
Attainable: It doesn’t get extra doable than developing an inventory.
Relevant: This could be very related. I’m getting close to some extent in my lifestyles the place I wish to get started residing lifestyles a bit of.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Professional Training

I wish to paintings on actual abilities this yr. I’ve an issue with this since I don’t have a large block of time for deep finding out. I’m principally hanging out small fires all day, apart from for once I’m losing time on social media or information websites. In quick, I wish to organize my time higher and be extra disciplined.

As for one of the vital abilities I’d like to be informed, I’ll cross with Canva (for running a blog), Pinterest, movie making/modifying, and AI. My stage in computational linguistics is over 20 years previous now. I believe like I must have the ability to refresh the ones abilities and spot if there are excellent jobs involving computer systems and language processing in this day and age. (Yes, that is sarcasm.)

Specific: This is a kind of pieces that wishes its personal record or plan. This merchandise, because it stands, isn’t particular.
Measurable: It’s no longer particular, so I will’t measure it.
Attainable: I will do a couple of of these things like be told Canva smartly and take a Pinterest direction. Putting in combination the time is a complete different ballgame.
Relevant: As a lot as I need to do these kinds of issues, present commitments make those very tough.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Family Goals

Travel to Eurpoe

Remember again within the bucket record the place I discussed that I don’t like touring? Well, my spouse likes being in a brand new position greater than the ache of touring. Back in January, she was once mapping out a Three-week commute to Greece, Germany, and Venice, Italy. The timing of that is very particular for this summer season too for the reason that Greek leg is a pharmacy cruise. It turns out we may be able to organize it for round $10,000 thru a mixture of army reductions and issues.

I didn’t assume it was once prone to occur again then and he or she’s come to phrases that the pipe dream gained’t occur in 2021. We’ll push this one to 2022.

Finish the Basement

Since final summer season, I’ve had a function of completing our basement to create extra space for the circle of relatives. Having a buffer of the principle ground between our children can be extraordinarily useful even with out a deadly disease. There’s numerous decluttering paintings to do earlier than we will rent a piece team – we’ve been storing child and child stuff for Eight years now… and had numerous stuff earlier than that. I believe we’re about 60% in the course of the muddle.

We had an organization come do an estimate and it kind of feels like we’ll have the ability to transfer ahead with this. It’s nonetheless a few months away, however I’m constructive about completing this in 2021.

Specific: Complete completed basement.
Measurable: This is all-or-nothing, however there are some steps in between.
Attainable: We must have the ability to do that.
Relevant: It’s very related as we’ve discovered that COVID creates the desire for a bit of more room.
Time-bound: Deadline is December 31, 2021. Check.

Parenting Goals

It’s laborious to get a hold of plans for the youngsters. Their pursuits are at all times converting. The issues we will do all over COVID stay converting as smartly. We’ll must play it through ear. That mentioned, I believe we will take a look at a couple of issues:

YouTube Channel

I’m no longer positive if a YouTube channel is correct for a 7 and Eight-year-old. I believe it’s value a take a look at… so long as we organize expectancies. There are some helpful abilities that we will discover with this. The youngsters (and their dad) can be told filmmaking. I will lend a hand them learn to arrange and description their ideas.

The boys struggle every different somewhat just a little (as chances are you’ll consider given their age). I am hoping (in all probability naively) that they’ll have the ability to attach on their shared passion of Pokemon.

Specific: There are numerous small steps to this one. There could also be a variety of doing this “just to get the checkmark in the box” and doing it truly smartly. I favor the latter, however we will have to accept the previous.
Measurable: I’m going to try for 10 hours of labor/play in this over the yr.
Attainable: We’ll make very little growth all over the varsity yr. The youngsters simply have an excessive amount of to do. This relies on how a lot time all over the summer season they have got, which is dependent upon whether or not there’s summer season camp or no longer.
Relevant: It’s laborious to mention how related that is. The youngsters’ pursuits trade briefly and I attempt to adapt to the following factor if one thing doesn’t stick.
Time-bound: December 31, 2021

Drone Flying

I were given the youngsters a small drone for round $25. It’s sufficient to stay them and train them the fundamentals. I’ve a extra complex $70 person who I were given on Black Friday final yr, that we will transfer directly to.

I don’t know the place it’ll cross, however perhaps we will paintings our strategy to a side-hustle in drone videography?

(This could also be a not-so-elaborate plan to justify purchasing myself a complicated, dear drone.)

Specific: We’ll attempt to get 10 hours of flight time in. Drone batteries don’t final lengthy, so it can be 45 mins right here and there. Five hours may well be simpler.
Measurable: I’m no longer positive if hours is the right kind dimension. Maybe I must goal for 10 days that experience drone flight in them?
Attainable: We must have the ability to reach any function on this house in the event that they keep .
Relevant: I’m no longer positive that drone-flying is related to a lot, nevertheless it’s some excellent leisure and a welcome damage from video monitors.
Time-bound: December 31, 2021

Riding Bikes and Outdoor Stuff

I’m horrible with getting the youngsters out of doors in bodily process. I wish to do higher if it is driving motorcycles or taking part in catch with a baseball.

Specific: I’m going to check out to get 40 hours of this in. I’m no longer positive if that’s the appropriate quantity or no longer. The youngsters did skiing thus far this yr and that was once excellent for five hours. I’m no longer going to depend the entire days that we spend on the seashore as greater than 1 or 2 hours. I need to be extra constant quite than pleasurable this in a handful of days.
Measurable: I don’t need to really feel like I’ve were given a stopwatch timing issues out of doors. However, I wish to stay this extra at the leading edge of my thoughts.
Attainable: This generally is a difficult one with COVID, the elements, and to be had time out of doors of college and summer season camp (if camp occurs).
Relevant: The youngsters surely want their out of doors time.
Time-bound: December 31, 2021

Computer Programming

I truly wish to get those youngsters began in laptop programming. I want it was once like when I used to be a child, the place the pc was once an unending supply of amazement. With YouTube and Alexa, it’s laborious to get youngsters excited in making a pc print “Hello World” countless occasions.

Specific: I believe the function for this must be five hours. I’ve were given some concepts on the right way to make this extra amusing and engaging.
Measurable: Putting a specfic function relating to hours makes this extra measurable. I used to be going to tie this to accomplishments (ooh perhaps a growth check), however I’m no longer ready sufficient presently to make that soar.
Attainable: Like all of those objectives within the parenting segment, it’s an issue of carving out the time in an already busy agenda.
Relevant: I imagine laptop programming could be very related. I used to be finding out it in 1985 in class and at house. I used to be actually writing code on song tapes. The youngsters have their very own iPads and laptops in school this yr they usually don’t a lot on this house. Sometimes, they drag some blocks of code in Scratch. It’s bizarre to me that there hasn’t been extra growth in schooling of this house in a technology. I’m formally Grumpy Old guy within the previous SNL skits… again when SNL skits had been superior :).
Time-bound: December 31, 2021

Specialty Camps

We needed to cancel many distinctiveness camps for the youngsters final yr – the primary yr they had been sufficiently old to do them. Hopefully, they may be able to do Lego, cooking, animal safe haven, theater, crusing camps. If that’s no longer imaginable, we will a minimum of do Lego and cooking at house. We had been in a position to avoid wasting some huge cash final yr, in order that’s a silver lining.

Specific: Sign up for Three-Four distinctiveness camps.
Measurable: Check.
Attainable: With COVID, who is aware of? We have the cash in the event that they off them.
Relevant: These enrichment actions lend a hand the youngsters develop in several techniques over the summer season faculty damage. If they don’t have those camps, we’ll must invent our personal through doing them at house like final summer season.
Time-bound: December 31, 2021

Final Thoughts

Wow, this was once numerous paintings to write down all this out. I believed it will take best an hour, however I believe I spent 6-7 hours over a few days. I believe like I’m unexpectedly hanging up this weblog submit similar to earlier than. That’s what occurs to me when I am getting to three,500 phrases.

Fortunately, it was once a lot more straightforward to place on this spreadsheet.

That didn’t take an excessive amount of time. I realized so much alongside the best way about how I need to craft my objectives. Before I had simply an concept, however now I believe like I’ve a plan, particularly within the objectives which might be extra nebulous like “spend more time outside with kids.”

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