The start to 2015 has already come and gone. I’ve seen hundreds of goals posts up already. I’ve been meaning to publish my own for some time if just to get them set in stone. I have a habit of going back and forth in my mind never settling on one particular direction. Writing down my goals and objectives has been helpful for me personally.
2014 was an absolutely amazing year. I was fortunate enough to get married to my best friend. We moved into an awesome house closer to many of our friends. She landed a job that she loves, and I continued my work at Automattic. We’re truly blessed.
I’m hoping 2015 can be even better. Specifically, there are some areas I want to focus on both personally and professionally.
Become useful with code.
I’ve attempted to learn basic Javascript/PHP for quite some time. I’ve taken some online courses and had the privilege of meeting with someone in-person to hone in on my skills. While I’ve been trying for quite some time, I’m still not useful when it comes to actually coding anything.
In 2016, I would love to say that I have the set of skills necessary to become a contributing developer at Automattic. Considering we only hire the best and the brightest, this is going to be tough to achieve. Here are some milestones.
Contribute to core.
Creating a trac ticket for WordPress Core is scary enough. I can hardly imagine submitting my own patch for a bug. I’ll be submitting at least one patch that gets accepted. This means I’ll likely be submitting dozens of patches that fail hard.
Build a plugin.
It will most likely be simple, and I’m not sure exactly what issue the plugin will address. In my opinion, breaking something repeatedly is one of the keys to self-learning. So, I’ll be getting my hands dirty. Have ideas for a plugin you would like to see? Ping me on Twitter.
Write about what I’m interested in.
Since I’ve left personal training, I’ve struggled to figure out what to write about on this blog. I’m interested in such a wide array of topics that it’s hard to establish a clear focus. That struggle ends this year. Instead of worrying about what category my posts fit under, I’m going to just write about things that I enjoy. After all, the domain bears my name. This site should be a reflection of me on the internet.
Become more balanced in my personal life.
I’m lucky enough to have a driven personality type. I’m constantly thinking about the next thing I could do. The benefit is my mind is often flooded with ideas. The detriment is that I find it hard to flip the switch to off and relax with my family and friends. My goal over the next year is to become more efficient at balancing my personal life and work life.
Goal: Take off days seriously.
I’m lucky enough that I really enjoy what I do. The downside is that I can find myself opening up my laptop on days that I’m supposed to be off. Here are some starter strategies I’m considering:
- Using a different computer login with limited capabilities on off days
- Using an entirely different computer when I want to do/check something
- Relegating myself to my iPad only when I’m not supposed to be working
- Turning off all work-related notifications on my phone including email
If you’ve struggled with this problem in the past, I’d love to hear from you on Twitter.
Goal: Do something fun every week.
I’m one of those individuals that believes experiences trump material possessions. As a result, I’m looking to have more amazing experiences with my wife and friends over the next year. The goal is to do something unique and fun once a week whether that’s going out to dinner or going on a big trip.
Goal: Focus and eliminate.
Working at Automattic consumes the majority of my work time, but I always find myself committing to side projects that end up stealing away my free-time with family and friends. This is completely my fault. I’m absolutely terrible at saying “No.” In 2015, I want to focus on the two or three projects (one being Automattic) that will have the biggest impact. This includes saying “No” to projects that I’m really interested in.
Speak.
This has been a goal of mine for quite some time. I’d love to get in front of a group and chat about blogging and creativity. The roadblock so far hasn’t been my fear of public speaking (I’ve done it before). I just haven’t pursued enough opportunities just yet. I’ll be submitting at least ten speaker applications over this year for WordCamps and other creative conferences. If I get up in front of an audience, I’ll be sure to write about it here.
Compete.
A long time ago, I was an active endurance athlete that frequently competed in half-marathons and off-road triathlons. Somewhere along the way, I stopped competing altogether and settled on more of a lifestyle fitness routine.
In 2014, I competed in a 50-mile endurance race with a good friend of mine. That helped to reignite the fire I have for competition. In 2015, I have quite a few races in mind that I would like to participate in including the Leadville Heavy Half (18 miles above 10,000 ft. of elevation).
Read.
I love reading, and I think it’s a lifehack for learning. Over 2014, I read quite a few books, and I’ll be looking to continue that trend in 2015. Curious what I’m reading? You can find out here.
One main theme regarding my reading: I’m not going to focus solely on non-fiction. Fiction is going to be a huge part of this year to help me expand my imagination and take my mind off of work.
What are you focused on? Tell me on Twitter.