A couple weeks ago I wrote 20 Ideas for New Year’s Resolutions. Today I want to share some of my own resolutions for 2013.
Even though I rarely fulfill all my goals and resolutions I set at the beginning of the year, I love setting goals and having something to work towards. The new year is the perfect time to think and reflect on what you want to accomplish.
Here are my goals for 2013:
- Exercise 3 time a week for at least 30 minutes
I had this same resolution for 2012, and besides the time I was injured or recovering from surgery, I kept it. I think it’s a realistic goal for just about anybody and oftentimes the hardest part of exercising is just getting started and keeping with a consistent schedule.
- Improve my Microsoft Excel, Access, and Visual Basic skills – look for side income opportunities related to these skills
As an accountant, I used Excel 90% of my day. Throughout the past couple of years I have developed fairly advanced Excel skills, including automation through the use of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Throughout the next year, I hope to continue to develop my skills in Excel and start learning more about Access.
This goal is kind of twofold as I would like to both build a business on the side as well as improve my skills. I would like to do more side work in this area because I’m good at it and I enjoy the work. I am still trying to figure out the best way to measure this goal.
- Make at least $1,000/month in side income
I would love to create consistent $1,000/month side income by the end of 2013. I think $1,000/month is a goal that is realistic given the constraints on my time. This income would be on top of my regular full-time job. I plan on achieving this goal mainly through spreadsheet and database consulting (see goal above) and through blog income. I don’t expect too much income from this blog for the first half of 2013, as I plan on reinvesting almost all the revenue I make back into the site.
- 6 or more posts/week on Young Adult Money
I started Young Adult Money in July of 2012, and since then I have posted 5+ times a week. I have heard of many, many bloggers who have quit around the 6 month to 1-year mark. My overall goal with this site is to post great content first and foremost. Long-term I would like to have the revenue to hire 2+ writers who will post 1-3 times a week. I think it’s good to have other perspectives, and while guest posting fills some of that voids, I think having multiple writers would be an incredible asset.
- Find Time to Relax
When you are juggling too many things, it’s easy to burn out. One thing I want to be intentional about in 2013 is finding time to relax and unwind. Working out, reading, and drawing are a few things I want to be more intentional about in the new year. As far as drawing, I haven’t done it in years but recently my wife bought me some supplies to get started again. This is another goal that I still have to figure out how to measure.
I am excited for 2013, and I think it will be a great year. I hope everyone reading this is pumped for a (symbolic) “clean slate” as we ring in the New Year in a few days!
What are your New Year’s resolutions for 2013?
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Photo by Chris Worden
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I’ll let you wait and see my stance on New Year’s Resolutions on Monday :)
@Money Life and More I looked at them as more “yearly goals” keeping in mind that I constantly am re-evaluating my priorities an dhow I spend my time, versus the traditional sense of a New Year’s Resolution (i.e. NO CHOCOLATE ALL YEAR!).
Good luck with your goals! I hope you do find time for yourself to avoid burn out.
@RFIndependence Thanks! I hope you do well with your goals as well. I desperately need to avoid burnout and it would be so easy. I am honestly having trouble balancing even one client with the side biz. I just need to be more efficient and prioritize my time better.
Good luck with your goals! I’m sure you’ll do great in 2013.
@SenseofCents Thanks a ton!
Good luck with your goals. Access is a complicated and tedious program. We weren’t friends. :) I think blogging too many days can easily lead to burnout. Eventually I’d like to do 3 with one guest post per week.
@Beachbudget Thanks a ton, and best of luck to you with all your goals as well. Access is more of a pain than I expected…but it’s so important to understand it in my field (and in many fields!). It’s funny how I love to write and draw but I spend my days working with numbers, spreadsheets, and databases haha.
Staff writers would be an asset, I think. You have done such a good job with consistency and finding good topics to write about, but you are right about other viewpoints. I’m looking forward to 2013 as well, and I think it will be a good year.
@Eyesonthedollar Thanks, you have done an awesome job as well! I don’t know how you do it with a kid and an optometry business (as well as that rental property!). Staff writers would be great, but with this project and the current state of our finances I am forcing myself to justify them based on the site’s income rather than investing a few grand into the site. I would love to have someone posting regularly, though, and compensating them for it.
Finding time to relax is important. I added reading and knitting to my goals for this year because I enjoy both, but often get to wrapped up in other things (blogging, work etc.) to make them a priority. Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!
@StudentDebtSurvivor Thanks, wishing you a great 2013 as well! I have a lot of work, but I need to either get ahead or just say NO (even if it means missing a blog post). It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I only posted 5x a week instead of 6.
That last one about relaxing is definitely something I need to do. Sometimes you just get so caught up in working and being productive you don’t make sure you have time to smell the roses and enjoy life. Cheers!
@momoneymohouses I took some time to relax tonight. Watched the Viking’s game and some more tv without working on a thing! It definitely felt good.
You have some quality goals there DC. I think they are good. I plan on trying to make some money through the blog this upcoming year, but I want to work on expanding my work with excel macros. That is something that I do with many people and it has paid well. Good luck!
I use Excel almost daily in one of my “side” gigs – it’s a program I never really used prior to now, and I’m amazed at all I can do with it.