This Resolution Plays for Keeps

New Year's resolutions are a tricky thing. According to StatisticBrain, approximately a quarter of the resolution-making population doesn't make it through the first week (wow, seriously?) and only 8% are successful in meeting their resolution (ok, it's official, we suck). Why so much suck? It's because we have sucky goals that suck worse than we suck.

Take a look at the goals we make each year. Lose some weight. Exercise more. Call mom more. Drink less. All good, but basically, they're just about "doing your best". Can we even measure it? When do we know we've met our goal? We're not likely to stay committed to these. Goals setting should be done with a purpose. Goals should be:

• Public: Telling people you're going to do something makes you more likely to commit to the goal. Tell people you're going to do something on Facebook, and you might do it just to save "face". (WORDPLAY! HOW MARVELOUS!)
• Time-bound and Specific: It should be clear what you're trying to do. Losing weight, for example: how much weight? by when? You need to give yourself a deadline so you'll get around to it and you need to know what the target is exactly.
• Attainable: This is kind of a no-brainer, but sometimes we don't think about it. If you don't believe you can possibly accomplish something (like running a marathon if you're not yet a runner), you're not going to get it done. Think about what it will take realistically to accomplish the goal.
• Difficult: You need to be able to tell the difference between the current state and the goal state. Too easy and it won't mean anything. Too hard and it may not be attainable.  

To steal a page from Red Debted Stepchild, I'm setting some goals that are "cross-off-able" and also taking a stab at using the guidelines above to make better goals.

FINANCIAL ANDREW 2014: Save $3,000 and ACTUALLY SPEND IT on a vacation before September and increase our cash savings by $24,000 by January 2015. 

No shortage of wants here, just a shortage of cash. We definitely want to buy a house soon (dropping $1,535/month on rent for a one bedroom is getting OLD), but we haven't been on an amazing vacation yet and we're not getting any younger. We're gonna have to stash $2350/month (currently on a $2,000/month pace) so it'll take some belt tightening. We can do it. I got faith.

FITNESS ANDREW 2014: Do 15 pull-ups in a row before next Christmas and complete a Tough Mudder by August. 

I typically reserve this time of year for "finally" getting in shape. It's the same routine every year: go to closet, get dressed, put on shoes, lose track of ear phones, despair, "man up", step outside, run, and then condemn all other runners in my mind for making this whole damn thing socially acceptable while I nurse shin splints and eat a row of Double Stuf Oreos because I fucking earned it. Still, I don't want to die a fatty on the couch so here we go again. This past weekend, I could do 8 pull ups in a row, but I haven't really been working out recently because I tore three tendons in my left ankle last July playing basketball. This feels doable. Should also make a Tough Mudder doable, but I'll probably need to get some friends to do it with me.

CREATIVE ANDREW 2014: Average 2 blog posts a month by the end of the year and complete at least 3 "projects" before next year.

I just want to stick with this whole blog fad, ride it out 'til the end. Who knows if the Internet is even ready for blogs? I DON'T CARE IF YOU READY WORLD WIDE WEB! YOU CAN STAY OR YOU CAN GO BUT THIS IS HAPPENING! .... and I like to refinish furniture and stuff. Gonna do some of that this year fo' sho'.

PROFESSIONAL ANDREW 2014: Become a GS-13 by October. 

I am a GS-12 right now, GS-13 is up next. As a Federal Government employee, this will be the first promotion I will have earned "competively". If you're not in the Government, this makes no sense to you. I'll explain later. Just go with it for now, OK?

SPIRITUAL ANDREW 2014: Find a church by the end of March and volunteer at Habitat for Humanity at least once before the end of the year.

Not sure what the deal is with us, we are devout believers in God but we've been living together for 4 years and we've only tried once to find a church (it did not go well!). Time to get it together. Working on my relationship with God is a mega-priority. I'd also like to start volunteering again. My wife and I met in college at James Madison University in Virginia where we were both "brothers" in a co-ed service fraternity. Giving back does a body good. Habitat for Humanity, which I've never done, seems like a good place to reengage.

... and finally!

WHOLE 30 ANDREW 2014: Complete the Whole 30 challenge starting January 1st!

Much more on this to come, but this is definitely my shortest-term, but maybe the most challenging, goal.

If you're reading this, what are your goals? Let me know!