Seattle’s survived another grey winter and while spring is not quite here, St. Patrick’s Day seemed to be a good time to stop and take stock of how well my 2013 resolutions are going. If you’re going to stick to goals you need to review them often enough to see progress, or reset if you’re off track. Making my goals public is one of the ways I’m trying to keep myself accountable to reaching them all.
When I put together my resolutions I divided them up into groups: professional, photography, financial, physical and fun. I think I’ve made some progress in all but one area since a few goals won’t be attainable until the weather improves.
Professional
- Build something great, and have fun doing it.
- Write more for this blog and others, at least 4 to 6 times per month.
- Find venues within the Seattle technology and startup community to mentor and support others.
- Spend more time with people face to face, without the limitations of networks and gadgets.
I’m mixed on this one. While I’ve been posting more for this blog with 24 published posts so far this year, it’s been a long process to find an exciting new role. After the holidays the pace has picked up considerably in February and March. The Seattle tech event calendar is pretty full though I still think I need to do more to actively engage with the community. One thing that wasn’t a goal but where I’ve been spending more time is working on my own project/startup idea. It’s still too new to talk about here but coding and prototyping has me pretty excited about it.
- Take more kinds of pictures, specifically more portraits and street photography. ;
- Show my photos publicly, such as a gallery or coffee shop.
- Shoot more often, but shoot less.
Mission accomplished on this one. The effort I’ve put into my photography have really started to pay off. Not only am I shooting more on my own and striving to always have a camera with me, I’ve gotten out to with the Seattle Flickr meetup group a couple of times. I think my portfolio has become a lot more diverse and I’m shooting more people than just places or pets. Flickr has become my “gallery of choice” though I still occasionally post to Instagram.
I was also able to finalize a photo license for a book jacket in January which was the first time I’ve ever licensed a one of my photos. Hopefully it won’t be the last. I’d still also like to shoot portraits and headshots for anyone who might need them, so don’t hesitate to drop me a note.
Financial
- Pay off old debts
- Take care of the farm
- Follow up on commitments to Transylvania University and Delta Sigma Phi
Still looking for the right executive role takes time, and I’d rather move slowly into the best role than jump into the wrong one. The most positive note is that I have made some important progress in putting some old debts behind me, closing an important chapter in my old life from Los Angeles.
Physical
- Get a full physical examination and start annual habit
- Lose 75 lbs
- Run a 1/2 marathon and a full marathon
No visit to the doctor yet but I am working out a lot. This morning I jogged 5 miles on the treadmill, which is a pretty big accomplishment for a guy with only one good knee. I’ve signed up for my first official “race” this spring, the Earth Day 5K in April along the Seattle waterfront. The weight isn’t coming off as quickly as I’d like, but I’m confident the scale will catch up with my miles soon enough.
Fun
- Get home to Kentucky at least once a quarter
- Get my golf handicap down to 10
- Roadtrip!
- Renew my passport (it expires this year) and use it
No travel and no golf. Warm weather is just around the corner! (I hope)
How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? How do you keep on track as time goes on?
stevebanfield.blog 