Tag Archives: 2017

Goals for 2017 – Nudging the needle

The PolyBlog
January 4 2017

I have already posted my analysis of 2016 (2016 – Progress on my red goals) and how I struggled through some of the year with health issues and getting my sleep “fixed”. I don’t know that I’m all the way there yet, but it’s an improvement. I’m also going to try something new with my goal-setting this year — combining nudging behaviour with the idea of “levels of success”.

First and foremost, I don’t think I can be as ambitious as I normally am. I have a lot of goals, that’s true, but the sad reality is that I barely nudged the needles last year, let alone moved them. So I’m going to focus on goals that are narrower in scope.

In addition, I find the GREEN / YELLOW / RED doesn’t really lend itself well enough towards a sense of accomplishment — it is more of a way of measuring risk or progress status, not the actual accomplishment. So, this year, I think I’m going to think of it more as “Level 1” goals that I will aim to do first, and if or when I accomplish one, I will set the next in that vein. Take books for example…I could commit to 50 books for the year, and informally I probably will, but more importantly, I’m going to commit to, say, 10 books. When I’m done those, i.e. achieve that first “level 1” goal, then I will move on to Level 2 for another 5 or 10 books. And so on. See how many levels I can get to. I could do “1 level, 1 book” but if I aim for 50 books, then 50 levels seem silly.

Overall, I think I’d like to be somewhere up to a maximum of 5 or 10 levels per area. Let’s see how it goes.

My Blue Goals – Level One

  1. Reading – Fiction: 10 books: Crime and Punishment; Alison Gordon [Safe at Home (1990), Night Game (1992); Prairie Hardball (1997)]; John D. MacDonald [Nightmare in Pink]; C.S. Lewis [The Last Battle]; Cassandra Clare [2 – City of Ashes]; Janet Evanovich [#21]; Jeff Lindsey [Darkly Dreaming Dexter]; Sue Grafton [T is for Trespass]
    • Others for the future include Diana Gabaldon, George RR Martin, Ian Fleming, James Patterson.
  2. Reading – Non-Fiction: 3 books: Lawrence Block on Writing the Novel; Jeffrey Kottler on Change; Morgan on Images of Organization.
    • More on the list, like Wayne Gretzky and Joseph Campbell on Masks of Gods, but I’m not ready to commit to them yet. My non-fiction reading is pretty slow, and of the initial three, I’m near done on one, and at least half-way on another so just hoping for one more.
  3. Reviews (Books): 15 old book reviews + 5 new ones
    • I have a bunch to clear out, and I’ll add the new ones. I hope to do MORE than 20, but I’ll keep it as Level 1 for now.
  4. Reviews (TV): 100 new episodes
    • While that sounds like a lot, it really isn’t. I can do 100 in my sleep, but the real question is if I have the time to even watch. Certainly not as much soon. I also want to add a bunch to the website as Season reviews, but that will come later.
  5. Astronomy: Fixed battery supplies + 1 viewing
    • I want to attend the RASC annual meeting, do at least 1 viewing at Star Party+Luskville+cottage, but I’ll start with 1 viewing. And work on reading the new RASC guidebook for the year.
  6. Photography: Five “setup” cards + use remote
    • I’m going to cut back on my ambitions on this one, just focus on the basics to start. Maybe finish the Great Course if I have time.
  7. Learning: Complete the video game course
    • I’m hoping to do some more on the Psych course, or maybe switch to Raspberry Pi work, but for now, just the VG course.
  8. Organize: No clue. How about purge 50 books plus weed extra electronics and fix Evernote setup?
    • This one is usually my biggest, but I feel like I have some good options in place, just need to use them. So nothing else to add right now.
  9. Finance: Delete 2 unused credit cards
    • I also need to do our RRSP and RESP in February.
  10. Cyber: Monthly backup for three months
    • Plans to sort music, but not there yet.
  11. Honey-do list: Assemble exercise bike.
    • Hang pictures — we have almost nothing up around the house, time to fix that.

My Green Goals – Level One

  1. Andrea: Trip to Mexico + 5 NAC outings
    • Maybe some movies, more dinners out alone, game nights after J goes to bed, etc.
  2. Jacob: Bonding through video games, particularly Disney Infinity to the end of one of games
    • Dusting off SonicDad, flying the drone, following up on serial casting, designing new games, etc.
  3. Website: Update for BGPS additions
    • Need to add some users to AstroPontiac

My Yellow Goals – Level One

  1. Writing of HR Guide (Blog): Finish draft of HR Guide
    • I still have to edit/finalize, proof, publish. And then start on volumes 2 or 3.
  2. Writing (old): Post 3 short-stories
    • I need to clear out some of my old stuff and put it on the site
  3. Writing (new, personal): Jacob age 7 to 12 mths
    • While I had hoped those ones would be cathartic or something, they weren’t. Still good work for my heart and brain though.
  4. Writing (new, other): 5 new “other” posts
    • Not sure if it will be about goals, writing, publishing, etc. yet but 5 is a good place to start.
  5. Memes: 25 more LunchNotes, 25 Quotes, 25 Humour
    • I have no idea how many I will actually get to this year, but let’s start with 25 of each.
  6. Photobooks: 2016 YIR book
    • Lost more to do, but one is good for now.
  7. Photos (estate): scan 100 photos
    • I’d love to scan it all, but have to start somewhere.
  8. Astrophotography: One decent shot
    • Sure, I would like to do more. Level 2 would likely be a complete set of moon phases (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full). Level 3 and beyond could be constellations, planets, figuring out the laptop thingy, filters, etc. But I’ll start with the moon. And somewhere in there I have to sort my existing astro photos.
  9. Cooking: 5 new dinner recipes tried
    • I have a list of 37 possibles, so that shouldn’t be difficult but I’d like to do some speciality on wings somewhere in there.
  10. Baking: 2 cookies, 1 bread and 1 bun, 1 ice cream, and 2 other (pies, cakes, etc.)
    • I have a list of 49 possibles, so that shouldn’t be too hard to find some to choose.

My Red Goals – Level One

  1. Psychological resilience: Another session with counsellor in April
    • Need to figure this one out long-term, maybe more focus on stress / resilience.
  2. Career: Recertify french for written.
    • Recertify oral, find a new job.
  3. Health maintenance: Sedation dentistry appointment
    • With the sleep machine “solved”, back to regular stuff for now. Should throw a physical in there too.
  4. Exercise: 10 sessions on the exercise bike
    • I have no idea how to measure this yet, things have changed in my focus, will have to work this one out later, but start with the bike. Need to add in walking at lunch, weekend excursions, etc.
  5. Stretching / Yoga / Kata: Setup the sub-set of stretches and print on boards, plus 10 sessions
    • Need a more “regular” setting, maybe number of weeks where I met my goal that week? Merge with the exercise one?

So that gives me 29 goals, all with more narrow scope than usual, and the initial level identified.

Let’s see how I do. Onward in the quest…