2012 Goals

Last year, I set my goals a bit too low. On the one hand, that was a justifiable attempt to focus my efforts on less things to do them better (which worked). On the other hand, I did not use my full capacity. First of all, I can write a lot more, and was until I got morally crushed by the ‘workshop’ at World con. Second, I had met almost all of my goals by early December, with the exception of the script. Goals need to be something that are attainable, but at the same time push you to your limit. One should seek, and strive and always attempt to exceed one’s grasp, per the poem. And I agree with that philosophy.

So this year for each goal category, I’m setting up three kinds of goals. The ‘Critical’ goal will be the most important, without the completion of which, that entire category is essentially a failure. There will also be up to three ‘Important’ goals which should be met because they establish quotas for very long distance goals that will take many years to complete. The final category will be ‘bonus’ goals, which I believe would be nice, are something I want to do, and can be something that will help me become a better person etc.

Physical

Critical Goal: Reach and largely sustain a weight of 250lbs.

Important Goals:

Reduce Toxicity by 20% (Test Jan 2012 and Dec 2012 at least)

Increase Aerobic Endurance by 50% (Test Jan 15, 2012)

Flat Abs (Subjective improvement of 100% based on comparison Jan – July – December 2012)

Bonus

Do the Warrior Dash at least once

Play in some physical competitive league/sport/tournament thing

Mental
Critical Goal: Read the following six books:
*The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
*The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
*The Federalist Papers
*Infinite Jest
*The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keyes
*Common Sense

Important Goals
Learn 3 New Non Social Skills (Likely Dancing, Cooking and Something Outdoors)

Read at least 5 books about a single major contemporary sport (Not the Olympics)

Read at least 10 books from the ‘classics’ list

Bonus:
Write a review for each book read in terms of a goal on my review blog to keep track

Read 10 books from the top 100 Sci Fi list of all time (Or bestseller if I’ve read
them all)

Emotional
Critical Goal: Develop an optimistic attitude (Or at least make significant progress towards such)

Important Goals
Laugh at least once a week

Empathize with someone of another perspective at least once a week

Stop talking about people that I no longer want or need to have anything to do with on a regular basis

Bonus
Learn to control my attitude at will

Experience prolonged joy

Spiritual
Critical Goal: Refine my personal spiritual beliefs to decide what it is I really believe about God. Post to my spiritual blog by the end of 2012.

Important Goals
Read the spiritual text of a major world religion

Meditate often

Go to Alchemy

Social
Critical Goal: If appropriate come April 2012, Operation Bitter Apple

Important Goals
Reach Level 20

Take 6 Swing Classes and Go out Swing Dancing at least 6 times

Attend at least 5 FL ‘Events’

Bonus
Take an Improv Class

First Life (Retired)

Critical Goal: None. A ‘retired’ life by definition has no critical goal.
Important Goal

Run 3 ‘mini arc’ games of 3 sessions each.

Record any games played in my RPG blog.

Take at least 10 yoga classes.

Bonus
Attempt to run a PBEM for 6 months

Run another mega plot on Dark Metal mush

Wrap up Belan’s arc successfully

40 Karma increase for Bob in Shadowrun Missions
Play in at least 2 Larps
Help run games for SEIGE 2012
Pay an Homage to Byeard M by running one of his games at a con
Establish ties to Portland Gaming community.

Second Life
Critical Goal: Finish the first draft of Novel Five (Starting March 2012)
Important Goals:

Finish Play/Poem “Tenth Muse” by March 2012.

Write 2 Feature Length Movie Scripts

Start the Tossing Grenades at Windmills Podcast (by April 2012)

Bonus
Sell something written to a ‘gate keeper’ that is a professional or semiprofessional publication.
Write 5 Horror short stories
Write 3 Sci Fi short stories
Write 2 Non supernatural stories
Write 1 entirely inappropriate story
Write an entry for each Write Club monthly venue
Join Atlanta Playwrites
Write 10 Episodes for Earth and Sea and Star and Sky.
Write $200000 worth of Grants for Mythic.
Establish ties to the Portland Writing community.

Third Life
Critical Goal: Produce Unfood (or at least have it Produced)

Important Goals
Get involved with another web series either as writer, crew or elsewise.
Take an acting class
Film footage for “Earth and Sea and Star and Sky”

Bonus
Be an extra in at least one short film
Read at least 20 hours for GARRS
Take another sound class
Help with sound in at least one short film
Enter something in some film festival somewhere.
Participate in the 48 hour film festival in some capacity
Establish ties to the Portland Theater Community.

Fourth Life
Critical Goal: Only take Project Management jobs as my ‘day job’

Important Goals
Make a $5000 profit for Red Anvil Amalgamated
Hire an Accountant in March 2012
Get the CAMP or the PMP by the end of 2012

Bonus
Get at least 4 paid VO gigs.
Get at least 5 paid gigs for Emergency Documentation.
Join and interact with the least Reality Deviant Chamber of Commerce I can find in the Atlanta Metro area.
Start or Join MOD team
Participate in Video Game Jam 2012
Establish ties to the Portland Business community.

Fifth Life
Critical Goal: Finish reading and applying the principals of the core books (US, TAS, and Unknown Book #3)
Important Goals
Find a patron(s)
The Year of the Phoenix (decide by Feb 2012)
Learn Self Defense

Sixth Life
Critical Goal: Decide to implement and then implement EITHER Operation Dark Hammerfell or Operation Montoya Hammerfell
Important Goals
Monitor and Follow Up on Traffic Stop of Evil
Help those trying to make the world a better place indirectly at least 5 times in concrete ways
Avoid voting for War Criminals

Seventh Life (In Reserve till 2027)
Incidental Goals
These goals are all, by definition ‘bonus’ that do not fit into a particular category OR are implementations of Life goals, which are Important.
Go to Dragon Con
Go to Anachro Con
Go to Mardigras (if I win my bet with myself)
Go to FC
Obtain 5 Physical Objects (An annual tradition at this point): Fix the Bumper, Fix my Teeth, Ereader, Running Stilts (Once I reach 250), and a fifth item to be determined in July 2012 at the mid year goal check.
Go to Canooga
Go to at least one Anime con.
Go to Play It On Con
Complete 70% of all bonus goals
Complete 80% of all bonus goals
Complete 90% of all bonus goals
Get a tattoo based on the Gathering of the Seven
Life Goals - "At some point"
1. See the Louvre.
**Keep. Slated 2012-2013. Likely 2013 but 2012 may have great deals that show up.

2. Travel around the world on a one way trip. Japan, Australia, India, Egypt, London, Italy and Hawaii.
** Goal to see all by 2017.

3. Learn a martial art.
**Done

5. Assemble a band for a tour based on music written by me.

6. Start a successful business.

Started in 2011. "Success" is determined in this case by an operating profit of 400% invested capital or $10000. 2011-2015. Otherwise 'failure' and goal removed from dock.

7. Learn a musical instrument.
Slated 2014
8. Sculpt something memorable.

9. Create or help create a graphic novel.
**Completed.

10. Own a plane, sailboat, taught or ultralight and learn to pilot/sail it.

11. Write seven novels.
**4 of 7 done. 5th slated for 2012

13. Go on a cruise.
2012. October unless I find a really cool themed one before or after.

14. Organize a convention on SOMETHING.

16. Build a house (not necessarily my own.)

17. Own my own home (all own, no mortgage)
Slated 2015.
18. Have a room with a secret passage

23. Be in a flash mob dance number.
Do in Winter 2012 unless an opportunity comes before hand.
26. Live the fifth life (who knows what that is)
Started 2012. Likely perpetual but since goals must be achievable, transform this to a tangible in 2012 Mid goal check.

27. Ditto the sixth.
Started 2012. Likely perpetual but since goals must be achievable, transform this to a tangible in 2012 Mid goal check.

28. Ditto the seventh.
**Kept in reserve until 2027.
47. Finish 7 films. (3 out of 7 completed).
Do unfood in 2012.
48. Enter a remote controlled airplane tournament and place in the upper half.
49. Enter a competitive Kite contest (the kind with the razors on the wings.)
50. Blow something up with Dynamite. (Legally)
51. Join the Masons.
52. Hypnotize someone.
53. Firewalk.
54. Visit the Library of Congess


If the right door opens....(ie interesting goals that either depend on another person or a significant amount of wealth that may never happen but that I want to write down)

29. Marry the Right Person.

30. Establish a business empire dedicated to a not for profit foundation.

31. Visit (but do not live in) Space.

32. Buy my own island.

35. Create a functional and profitable news network that actually produces what is independent.

36. Create an institution to focus on pure research.

38. "" Neurological regeneration.

39. Paid Angel agents to quietly and anonymously do good.

40. Create a series of libraries (10) dedicate to principles original to libraries. Secular sanctuaries and temples to knowledge.

43. Breed dogs to live twice as long
**Strangely some people are surprisingly responsive to this. This might move to more realistic within 3-4 years when/if I own a house.

44. Create 3 patents.

45. Own and that is entirely self-sufficient w. energy, food and other items.

46. Become a Father.

Bucket List (the Bucket in the Bucket….IE, I no longer care about this but might change my mind.)
4. Competitively enter a fencing competition.