I’ve been down the concept of New Year’s resolutions for quite some time, but I’ve always been in favor of setting goals and the beginning of the year is a good time to do that. (I also set monthly goals).

Resolutions

This year though I’ve got a new perspective on resolutions. A resolution is a decision to change your way of being. It isn’t really measurable – one of the main attributes of a goal – but it is actionable. You can refer back to it daily and ask if you are moving toward it.

For instance this year I’ve decided to be more exuberant and over the top. I’m a pretty reserved guy, but this year I’m going to push my comfort zone. And if you are going to make a resolution, you need to do something symbolic about it right now. My symbolic exuberant act is to wear a kilt to a New Years Eve party. Nothing more exuberant than bringing in the new year in a man skirt.

Another resolution for the new year, to be more courageous. One thing I’ve found it the things I most need to do to accomplish my goals are the things I’m most afraid to do. Courage is not having no fear, it is acting in the face of it. Interestingly we had a random secret gift at my day job Christmas party and mine was the Cowardly Lion’s Badge of Courage. God must be trying to tell me something.

Lastly I want to learn Strobist style lighting. At this point it is more of a resolution than a goal because how do you know when you’ve learned something? I will create more specific goals to accomplish this as I go along.

Goals

Goals are much more specific and always measurable. For this year I have the following goals.

Finish a half marathon.
Finish another triathlon.
Go to a SciFi convention.
Go to Switzerland with The Mrs in the Summer
Launch and sustain the Photographer and Model Academy.
Make $20,000 from online business.
Do the Rifle class at FrontSight
Create a BOB for my truck.
Do 30 photoshoots with models in 2010.

Those are my goals and resolutions for this year.