2015 Goals

My friend Greg just posted his 2015 goals, and challenged me to do the same. Luckily, I've already written mine down, so this is just an exercise in justification.

I believe there is value in creating goals every year, even though I freely admit that I am almost always overly ambitious with them. Last January, I crafted lofty goals and failed to accomplish just about all of them. So what is different this year? For one, I hope this post will be a good step towards accountability which may be the most important facet of goal setting.

Also, I think that I am finally starting to get the sort of discipline needed to pursue my passions. I've always had too many interests, but this past year I made big strides in pursuing them, by (among other things) starting Grad School, getting a new job at work, and setting PRs in running. I believe I have momentum, and I plan to use it.

Learn 30 Songs on the Piano

I have never had a piano lesson, but have always had a huge passion for music. Lately, I have become especially interested in classical piano music, mostly Chopin and Bach. I have learned (by reading sheet music slowly and the committing to memory) 10-12 songs on the piano in the past 2 years, ranging from 2-4 minutes in length each. This year, I think I can learn 30 if I just devote a little time regularly.

Write 12 Essays/Blog Posts

Make that 11. Length is not too important, but relentlessness and consistency are.

Read 40 Books

I have always been a big reader, but I actually think I am a pretty slow reader too. I have never read as many as 40 books in one year, but this is really just an exercise in substituting reading for TV at certain times. For comparison, I read 16 books in 2014.

Write 12 Programs

I currently have 2 programs I am working on in Python - one to simulate a card game and another to graph linear trendlines on select data sets. Since I am currently pursuing a Masters in Applied Math, this skill is more important to me than ever.

Bench 200

This might be the most difficult goal for me. My body is simply not built for power lifting. I have been working on my bench for a few years now, and I still have not benched more than 170 lbs. The goal is to lift 200 at least 4 times.

Run 19:00 5K

I ran my first 5K last year, and then shattered my PRs for most distances longer than a mile. My current best is 20:24, which means I need to find a way to shave off approximately 30 seconds per mile. I have never really tried interval training so I think that will be the first thing I do on my way to this goal.

Run 5:15 Mile

Best time that I have officially recorded is 6:00.

As in All Grad School Classes

I took my first Grad School class this year, and I simply wasn't prepared. I had a really bad start, and then worked very hard to pull out a B. The experience was very trying, and I now feel much more confident for having gone through it. I am enrolled in 2 courses for this spring - Computational Complexity and Probabilistic Graphical Theories.

If I take those 2 courses as planned, 1 this summer, and 2 again in the fall, then I will have 5 chances to make this goal a reality.

Take on a Leading Role at Work

As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I am starting a new job at work this year. I have now been out of college a little more than 3 years, and the working world has been a great learning experience. I want to become a leader (in whatever minor way I can) in my new role.

Speak Italian Better than Ever

It is a lifelong goal of mine to become fluent in another language - particularly Italian. It is difficult for me to pursue this wholeheartedly when I live in the U.S. However, as long as I can say with confidence that I am more comfortable with the language at the end of the year than I was at the beginning, I will be one step closer.

2015 Mottos

In working towards these goals, I have also thought of some new mottos to live by. These have been rolling around in my head for the past year, and I would just like to document them here. Dear friends, if I am not living these out, please point out my hypocrisy!

Let Your Actions Define You
Listen
Be Organized and Prepared
Serve Others