The other day I was revisiting my 2011 goals and I realized I hadn’t made as much progress as I was hoping for. However, in light of the events this year, I’m still able to pat myself on the back and say, “Good job. But you can do better.”
Let’s start with a quick venting session:
- I didn’t work nearly as much the first three months of this year as I normally do. This is partly due to my position as a substitute teacher, but also due to me being picky about where I sub. I’ve become a bit spoiled.
- I took 4 months off to finish my teaching credential knowing I couldn’t work those months and really didn’t have a great financial plan in place to make up for the lost income. Dumb!
- My goals changed a bit – I decided (with prompting from Mr. LH) to pay off our car sooner than later. A lot of extra payments have been applied over the last two months. This is great, but I hadn’t planned for this.
- I received an unexpected tax bill from ’09. Ouch is all I can say about that!
Now for a clean slate:
- I’m close to paying off my car loan, have a tax bill to work off, and student loans I need to tackle. Total amount to tackle: $35,000.
- My savings account is looking a bit skimpy. My new, realistic goal, is $7,200 saved for the year. (SMART goals are on the way to accomplish this).
- Blog goals: Ramp up my readership to 375 visitors per day. I’ve been neglecting my blog a bit due to school, but I’m done in 3.5 weeks. And yes, I’m counting down the days: 16 more. 😉
- Bike goal: I didn’t hit my 1,000 mile mark. So, I’m going to set a more attainable goal of 600 miles. I’m also working on a bike blog as well. But that’s another story.
As I formulate a plan to pay down my remaining debt and save some of my income, I’ll report quarterly.
What goals are you reviewing or reevaluating? What makes them SMART?
23 Comments
Good job finishing up your teaching credentials! You can always go bike the extra several hundred miles after Thanksgiving! 🙂
@Financial Samurai – I have one more paper to write, so the extra biking will have to wait until Dec. 17th when I’m officially finished. 🙂
Nice – yes, I did basically the same thing on the biking goal. Literally the same. I was shooting for a goal of 1k and because the fall season came sooner than anticipated, I moved to commuting by train instead of bike. This means I am several hundred miles short and I’m too busy to bike on a regular basis.
@20’s Finances – The train is a great alternative to the car, so at least you can pat yourself on the back for that! I’m really hoping to ramp up my biking next year. We’ll see! 😉
Yes, congrats on the credentials. That is a huge milestone to celebrate.
I am not a biker but I have had some fitness goals I have been working on this year. One was to do push ups properly and I can now do so. Now I just have to increase my reps.
Congrats on the credentials! It must be so exciting. Are you looking into other locales in California where you can teach?
@Well Heeled Blog – I’ll be finished Dec. 17th (I need to reword my post. 😉 )I’ll be looking all over CA for teaching jobs as they are few and far between. Trying to stick within 30-40 miles of the coast, but we’ll see what plays out for next year. 😉
Forgot to add, I haven’t really thought about our 2012 goals yet, but basically I want to max out our Roth IRAs, put some money into our 401Ks, get into good grad schools, and then make enough money on the blog to pay for my rent while in school. I am hoping that is doable.
@Well Heeled Blog – Those are great goals, especially the blog income to pay the rent. You should be able to do that. 😉
I haven’t had a chance to sit down and look over 2012 goals either. Just wanting to get Christmas shopping done first. This is always a busy time of year.
@Cash Flow Mantra – I’m not a big shopper (Mr. LH takes on this chore. 😉 ) Instead, I’d rather focus on goal setting; it’s a way for me to overlook the hectic holidays!
Hi there,
Wow, I think you’ve really set yourself up for a great 2012. You’ve gotten your credentials and knocked down several extra payments on your car. From what I see you are in a terrific position to really pull it off this year. Congrats to you. I haven’t even begun to think about 2012 – still trying to finish up 2011. But seeing your progress gives me hope and I shall start building 2012 right after Thanksgiving. Thanks for the inspiration.
@Ann -Thanks for the words of encouragement. I’m looking forward to the 2012 year (It’s a landmark one for me as well. The big 4-0! Ahhhhh!)
I know 2012 is around the corner, but I still have alot to do to finish 2011. All my goals are SMART because that is what I use. The key in any goal setting is monitoring your progress and adjusting your effort.
@Krantcents – I need to get better at the monitoring. That’s a mini-goal in itself!
Oh girl, we’re in the same boat.
I’ve been neglecting my blog because of school too and I completely understand. 16 more days! that’s exciting!!
My term finishes Dec 4 and I’m sooo excited to be concentration 100% of my energy (after my regular job) on my blog again. Right now, I admit its about 10% of my usual energy because of school.
It’s hard to stay balanced eh?
Hope you have a lovely thanksgiving 🙂
@Young and Thrifty – Definitely hard to stay balanced. Enjoy your upcoming break from school and good luck on your MA. It’s an MA you’re working towards, right?
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.” =)
@Rachel -Great quote! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats on your credentials, and good luck with your new biking goal! My 2012 goals are to max out my Roth in the first quarter, then to create a wedding fund… can’t get married to the fiance without one of those. 😉
Would love to start reading your biking blog. Let us know when you have it up and running! Have a good holiday 🙂
@Camille – Those are excellent goals! Have a great 2012.
Sounds like good progress to me. Well done on the teaching credential. My sister is a special ed teacher in the Bay Area, and staying current on certification with special classes is no small feat!
@101 Centavos – That’s for sure. Getting the credential is just step one. Then there’s a ton of classes I have to take to keep current. 😉