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Setting goals is really easy. We all do it, every year, around new-years. “This year I’ll get in shape, and be a better person, and stop drinking bleach”.

It usually lasts a few days. For some even weeks. For very few, if any, it actually pans out the way we planned. But I think the problem lies in us planing. It is always easy to make plans. We can plan from here to the moon, and then put the plans in a drawer never to be looked at again. I say this, knowing I am no better myself. In fact, I have countless documents, wherein I set goals, and even plan out how to stay on track for them. I have those documents, full of good intentions, and no actual intention to stick to any of it.

This year is going to be different. Another dead horse to beat until the end of time. But the difference, this year, is that I will be putting my goals on this website, and track them here. Now my goals are no longer plans that I keep to myself. Now they are promises to anyone who reads them here. That means, if you read this, every goal I set here, is a promise, made to both you and me. And you are free to contact me, and ask about the progress on any of these goals, at any time.

Goal Setting

The first issue to adress is to find the right goals to set, and the right timeframes and other parameters, to make them both challenging, exiting and obtainable. If my goal is to eat healthy, at least once, that would be boring, and not very challenging. But if I plan to go full health-nutter, eat loads of veggies every day and cut all sweets, cakes, alcohol and other unhealthy foods, that would be completely unobtainable.

To find the balance, I will try to stuff my goals into the SMART model. Meaning all goals should be:

• Specific
  Can be written down, or explained, exactly what the goal is.
  “I need to be healthy” is not specific.
  “I need to eat vegetables daily, and exercise twice a week” is better.
• Measurable
  Can be measured or quantified.
  “I need to be rich”. Great. Compared to what?
  “I need a $100,000.- stock portfolio and be debt free” can be measured. Hell, the bank even does that for you in that case.
• Achievable
  “I need to have seven million followers on twitter”. Unlikely. It’s not even called Twitter anymore…
  “I need to double my follower count across social media”. Can be done, with effort.
• Relevant
  “I need to be a world class knitter”. To me, that is not relevant, as I have no interest in knitting, nor do I see a use for it.
  “I need be certified in the Angular development framework” would be a lot more interesting to me, and be relevant to both my professional and personal projects.
• Time Bound
  “I need to get out more, in the future” Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow…
  “I need to go on at least five coffee dates with friends or family, before Easter”. That’s a deadline that can be looked up in any calendar you can get your hands on.

Sticking to these fairly simple rules, will improve the quality of my goals, and give me a much higher chance og achieving them.

My Goals

Now we have the format locked down. Time to start setting some actual goals then. No more pushing it off. We are done procrastinating. Shenanigans are over, and we have to get down to business. There is no talking my way around it now. Everyone read on this far, they expect some real content now. Get on with it. Like, now. Go.

Right. SMART goals, coming up. Note that these are all made as new-year-resolutions, so the Time-bound part is a given, unless the goal specifies otherwise (One Year).

I will list my goals in categories, and fill out the SMART letters, where I feel it relevant. If letters are missing from some goals, it is because I found it too obvious to spend time writing down.

Professional & Educational

1. I will start a sustainable side hustle
   S: Any small business, that is net positive, meaning it generates more money than I put into running it. I don’t know what kind of business, which takes a bit away from the “Specific” part, I guess.
   M: Should be easy enough to look at the numbers and see if it is net positive or not.
   A: It really shouldn’t be too hard, but it will take some effort. Definitely achievable, but it won’t come from nothing.
   R: It is relevant to both build my character, and my wealth.
   T: It should be started and reach profitability this year, but it should also be able to survive for a lot longer.
   
2. I will get two more certifications, in areas that are interesting and relevant to me, personally and professionally
   S: Getting two certifications, in Tech.
   M: This is pass/fail. Timmes two. And finding a learning path for the certifications will help measure the progress.
   A: With some effort, it shouldn’t be a problem.
   R: I will gain more knowledge and get better at my job. I will also strengthen my resume.
   T: This year

Physical

1. I will be able to run 5 km, at a 10 min. mile pace
   M: I count in Nautical miles. It’s the only mile anyone can seem to agree on. It is 1852 meters. Five kilometers is equal to 2,7 miles, which I should run in 27 minutes.
   R: I don’t really “need” this, but I do need to start considering some kind of exercise. And I honestly believe that any man should be able to do a 5K run, just in case of zombies or something.
   T: I would really like this to be achieved in the spring, when the weather is nice. It might be too hot over the summer, and it might be too dangerous during the winter with the snow and ice.
   
2. I will be able to do 50 pushups
   S: Doing 50 pushups in one go. No timelimit, no breaks. Those are the rules
   M: Regularly doing a test to see my max, will give a clear indication of the progress
   A: It will take effort, but should be possible
   R: Again, not very useful in my everyday life, but more of a need to simply get in shape

Financial

1. I want to be debt free
   S: Specifically my bank loan. I am not counting my mortage in this
   M: Bank loan = 0. I can always see the remaining debt, and calculate if I am on track. I need to pay around 1200 USD pr month, for the entire year.
   A: I think it is achievable, but I will need to be creative in making money. My day job will not be enough, to reach this goal by new years.
   R: Being debt free is important to me, and will open up new opportunities.
   
2. I want to give back more
   S: This is not specific at all. But the idea is that I want to help people, and give back to people who may not have the opportunities I have.
   M: This can’t be measured. Because no matter how much I give, there are still people in need, in so many ways and places. However much I give back, will always bu just a little bit of the way.
   A: There is no achievement here. Doing more, is an ongoing process. Feel free to ask about it though, and we can have a talk about what I (or we) can do next.
   R: Helping others is always relevant.
   T: Giving back should start now, and never end.

Experiences & Hobbies

1. I want to visit my family in Sweden
   S: Going to Sweden. Seeing them and their house.
   M: Not much to measure. Either I went or I didn’t.
   A: Finding a good time for this can be a challenge, but really only as much as I let it be.
   R: I want to see that part of my family, and we have talked about me visiting “some day”
   
2. I want to see at least one new country
   S: Traveling to any country I haven’t been to yet. Staying for at least 3 days. Not just a layover
   M: Again, I either went, or didn’t
   A: Easy. I just need to pack my shit and go
   R: Seeing new places, meeting new people. Personal growth and fun. Very relevant
   
3. I want to read 30 books
   S: I haven’t picked the books yet, but I have plenty to choose from
   M: There will be a list of books I am reading, or have read, in the bottom of this post
   A: If I remember to read daily, it shouldn’t bee to hard
   R: Reading is good for the brain. I also have over 500 books, most of which I want to read, so ~30 books a year is not unfair.
   T: 30 books in a year. 2-3 books a month.

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Tracking the Goals

In this section I will keep track of the progress on the goals. This section should be updated at least monthly, with the status or updates to parameters on goals.

Side hustle

Still looking for ideas on what to do.

Certifications

Still looking for the right certifications to start reading for.

Running 5 Km

I can’t run at all, yet.

I will try and log my runs and longer walks here, to see the progress.

Date	Event	Distance	Time
26.-27. January	Trawaxa, Scouting event. All-night orientation run (Walking)	~15 km	9 hours

Pushups

I can do 1 pushup, as of January 29th.

Debt

My financial situation is not really something I want to show off publicly, but enough said: I have debt still.

Giving Back

I already give back some. Every month, I pay a small amount to the association for Danish Hospital Clowns. They do a great job for children in the hospital, making the experience less scary, and helping them keep the spirit up, through rough times.

Traveling

Haven’t gone yet. I have started making some plans though.

Reading

During the year I will read The Brothers Grimm Fairytale collection, as well as H. C. Andersens Fairytale collection. Those are both some real chubby boys, so I will work on them, every month.

In January I am reading “Døderummet”. I was supposed to read “The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck” as well, but I haven’t started that, as of January 29th. so I’ll save that for February.

I haven’t been good at reading lately, so I have fallen behind. I will try to pick up the slack in march.

I barely read a word in March.. I am managing to pick some of it up in April though. Hopefully I can keep the momentum.

Nr.	Started	Title	Pages	Finished
1	January	Døderummet	329
2	January	Brødrene Grimm Eventyr	697
3	Martch	Bryster skal Hoppe når man Hikker	262
4	April	Airborne – Digte fra fly (Poetry collection)	42	06. April
5	April	Samlingens Vogter 2: Kattene fra Egypten	181	08. April
6	April	Børnene i Kragevig	452	02. August
7	May	Jeg Skriver på Vådt Papir		18. July
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