A little late but...
A little late, but perhaps just in time…
Let me share something about myself with you. It’s about this time of year that I take a look at my life, sit down and write out my annual goal list.
I have done this on and off for about 25 years. That’s right, just about the time that John Lennon died at the hands of an insane fan, Marc Chapman.
For all of the crap it had sometimes invited me into, I am rather glad that I took the time to think ahead and make crazy statements about what I perhaps half believed that I could accomplish.
Of course, very few of those dreams ever realized themselves into the sometimes excessive results that I expected (like so many young people my age, I tried very hard to become a rock and roll musician. The closest I would ever reach that target was to play guitar in a bar band. Yeah, I know you’ve heard all that before…) but at least I allowed myself to experiment with the boundaries of the world around me. It is rather weird to talk to kids today about what they plan for their future. More often than not, they have no plans. They live their lives as I used to: as spectators of their own existence.
So it is here that I look back at my old goals, read them and cringe, mostly. More often than not, I will find myself revising my old statements, usually in a rearward direction.
Now I can pull out this year's list and share some of it with you. You can tell me if I am aiming a little too high or way off my mark.
What follows is a short excerpt:
Frank Austad December 18, 2005
Goal Date Status (1/7/06)
1. Keep thejob; improve performance Always Tomorrow Still working
2. Pass MCSA exams Mar. 15, 2006
3. Pass CCNA exam April 15, 2006
4. Find job that pays 60,000/year with benefits May 15, 2006
5. Invest $25,000 in stocks Jan. 1, 2007
6. Retire with assets of over 2 million dollars Jan. 1, 2010
7. Run Ebay business with income over $100K Jan. 1, 2008
8. Publish first book June 1, 2006
9. Find/implement means of surviving super storm April 1, 2006
10. Clean office Now
11. Implement workout routine Jan. 2, 2006
12. Volunteer to work with charity Jan.1, 2006
13. Create liberal/scientific/artistic think tank Jan. 1, 2006
14. Finish Julie’s bass amp Dec. 15, 2004
15. Build fuzz-tone, treble booster, business Feb 1, 2006
16. Record music Dec. 28, 2005
17. Form band Mar 15, 2006
18. Clean house Now
19. Rebuild fence Mar. 15, 2006
20. Become a Teacher Sept. 5, 2006
21. Dig sump in front yard June 15, 2006
22. Play blackjack, winning $600/week. June 1, 2006
Let me share something about myself with you. It’s about this time of year that I take a look at my life, sit down and write out my annual goal list.
I have done this on and off for about 25 years. That’s right, just about the time that John Lennon died at the hands of an insane fan, Marc Chapman.
For all of the crap it had sometimes invited me into, I am rather glad that I took the time to think ahead and make crazy statements about what I perhaps half believed that I could accomplish.
Of course, very few of those dreams ever realized themselves into the sometimes excessive results that I expected (like so many young people my age, I tried very hard to become a rock and roll musician. The closest I would ever reach that target was to play guitar in a bar band. Yeah, I know you’ve heard all that before…) but at least I allowed myself to experiment with the boundaries of the world around me. It is rather weird to talk to kids today about what they plan for their future. More often than not, they have no plans. They live their lives as I used to: as spectators of their own existence.
So it is here that I look back at my old goals, read them and cringe, mostly. More often than not, I will find myself revising my old statements, usually in a rearward direction.
Now I can pull out this year's list and share some of it with you. You can tell me if I am aiming a little too high or way off my mark.
What follows is a short excerpt:
Frank Austad December 18, 2005
Goal Date Status (1/7/06)
1. Keep thejob; improve performance Always Tomorrow Still working
2. Pass MCSA exams Mar. 15, 2006
3. Pass CCNA exam April 15, 2006
4. Find job that pays 60,000/year with benefits May 15, 2006
5. Invest $25,000 in stocks Jan. 1, 2007
6. Retire with assets of over 2 million dollars Jan. 1, 2010
7. Run Ebay business with income over $100K Jan. 1, 2008
8. Publish first book June 1, 2006
9. Find/implement means of surviving super storm April 1, 2006
10. Clean office Now
11. Implement workout routine Jan. 2, 2006
12. Volunteer to work with charity Jan.1, 2006
13. Create liberal/scientific/artistic think tank Jan. 1, 2006
14. Finish Julie’s bass amp Dec. 15, 2004
15. Build fuzz-tone, treble booster, business Feb 1, 2006
16. Record music Dec. 28, 2005
17. Form band Mar 15, 2006
18. Clean house Now
19. Rebuild fence Mar. 15, 2006
20. Become a Teacher Sept. 5, 2006
21. Dig sump in front yard June 15, 2006
22. Play blackjack, winning $600/week. June 1, 2006
posted by Frank Austad at
10:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home