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My 2013 Goals Update – January

software updateSeveral weeks ago, I detailed a list of goals I would like to accomplish during 2013. You can read more in-depth about these here. So, this is my first update for the month of January:

Goal #1: Read through the entire New Testament of the Bible and the book of Proverbs by May 31st.

I feel really good about my progress on this one. I finished the books of Matthew and Mark. I basically have read several chapters each day and am currently in Luke 7.

I have not started any reading in Proverbs yet, something I have to remedy soon.

Goal #2: Pay off our mortgage debt by the end of the year.

After one month, nothing has changed here. We are still on track to get this done as we paid the extra we had calculated would be necessary.

(Side note on Goal #2: Those of you in the personal finance blogosphere know there are varying levels of disclosure when it comes to amounts of money put towards purchases, debts, budgets, etc. Some people are wide open, while others keep their personal finances closer to the vest. I don’t know which approach is better…I guess it just boils down to what you feel comfortable with in each situation. On this item, I have chosen to wear the vest as to the total amount of mortgage debt we are paying off this year.)

Goal #3: To support Mrs. Luke1428 as she obtains her CPA license and MBA by December, 2013

This continues to be a huge challenge for the family but Mrs. Luke1428 is progressing nicely. She currently has five more weeks to go on the following two courses:

Tax Research and Jurisprudence. In this course she is learning about tax law as it relates to Congress, the IRS and the courts. Learning how to research and quote tax law here – fun.

International Business. This class is all about doing business globally. Her main project is focusing on the culture of Bahrain and how the culture affects U.S. business people doing business there.

After these are completed, she will have four more classes to complete the CPA and four more after that to finish the MBA.

Goal #4: To run a half-marathon in under 2 hours, a full marathon in under 4 hours and run 1,000 miles for the year.

My half-marathon is scheduled for March 17th, so a little more than a month away.

I was very happy about my running totals for January. I ran a total of 13 times and a distance of 81 miles. That total was about 40 miles more than I ran last January.  I only missed one day on my running schedule.

The really awesome part of the month was that I had to do many early-morning, cold weather runs. I also chose to run one day in the rain instead of skipping or rescheduling that run. Doesn’t sound awesome, but I love the feeling I get when my mind and body can overcome the bad weather.

Goal #5: Redo the Luke1428 blog design by August, 2013.

No action on this goal yet, although I am working on adding some pages to my current blog. I added a page for “Resources” to add documents and links to that I hope will be helpful.

Goal #6: Join a local running club by March.

No action here either. This is the most immediate goal that I have to take care of this month.

Next update will be at the end of February.

How are you coming on your 2013 goals? What has been the best/worst part thus far? What’s your take on giving details about your finances – more disclosure…less disclosure?

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Comments

  1. 81 miles, wow! That’s so great. I used to be a HS runner and found in incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. Here in the city there aren’t a lot of good trails and I hate running on pavement. It’s definitely something I’d like to get back into. As far as finances, I share percentages and some numbers, but the actual numbers for everything aren’t really that important (or at least nobody has ever asked me why I don’t share them).

    • I don’t have many good trails where I’m at either. Usually running at the park on paved bike paths or on the roads. I’ve been running most recently with the Brooks Glycerin. It’s a little pricey and a tad heavier than the ASICS or Saucony Guide I’ve used before but it’s the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. Really performs well on the pavement I think.

  2. Those sound like some pretty ambitious goal Brian, especially paying off your mortgage by the end of the year. I guess it all depends on how much you have left to pay on it but it’s defiantly attainable if you put you mind to it. Good Luck.

  3. Great start on the goals! Good luck to your wife for getting both her CPA and MBA this year. That is a ton of work but once it is over, it will feel so great!

  4. Laurie www.thefrugalfarmer.net says

    Great goals, Brian! I’m impressed and a bit envious about your mortgage being paid off by the end of the year – way to go! We’re with you on wearing the vest for now, but will likely disclose the numbers as we get closer to our goals. As we’re new to this PF thing, we haven’t set goals yet and I’m having trouble. I don’t want to set them too high, or too low either, as for the monetary goals. Is it better to set them lower and exceed them rather than set them too high and set yourself up for failure?

    • That’s a good question, Laurie. I know that we try to make our goals realistic, so not too low or too high. I think that I would try to set them high enough to push yourself, but not so high that they are not achievable — realistically.

    • Setting goals is a challenge. I don’t mind having “low bar” goals as long as they are relevant and move me in a direction. For example, a goal to save $1,000 in three months may not be that hard but it is an incredible worthwhile goal to achieve. Once there, you are going to feel really good about yourself. You can then take a step towards the next goal, which probably will be slightly tougher. I think the bigger danger is setting unrealistic goals that are not achievable. If you fail at these, it may turn you off to goal setting altogether. Thanks for the comment!

    • I wrote a post about this called “Get SMART in 2013.” It’s all about the important ingredients to setting a goal. Click on the “Articles” tab and scroll down until you find the link towards the bottom of the page. Hope that helps.

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