Insight: Selective Perception

Last night a number of recent conversations culminated in some very reflective dreams. originally, I was going to write a long blog post about family, and may yet do that, just not today. It was going to be about the different kinds of family, with a portion dedicated to "the family we choose" and how, over the years, most of my family of this type has dwindled to nothing before I realized what they were.

Milestones

In just under four dozen days, I will have been on this earth two and a half dozen years.

Somewhere in those 0z40 days I'm going to have to write a post as to why I prefer dozenal over decimal, but for now, just understand that dozenal ages make for great milestones.

• At a half-dozen years, I started the first grade, and, more importantly IMO, Cub Scouts.
• At a dozen years of age, I was given my first [pellet] rifle and taught to shoot.
• At a dozen and a half years of age, I graduated High School, became recognised as a legal adult and eligible to vote in elections.
• [Incidentally, the legal drinking age in this state is one and three-quarter dozen years old.]

You can see why this makes for great milestones; well, as stated above, I will be two and a half dozen years old fairly soon, so it's time to assess where I am, and, more importantly, where I want to be in six years.

Here's where I am:

• The Good:
• I'm married to the love of my life
• I have a smart, handsome son
• The Bad:
• I'm broke
• Over $40k (decimal, not dozenal) in debt
• No House
• Currently living with / renting from my mother
• Car that constantly needs fixing
• The Ugly:
• I'm obese (I weigh well over two gross pounds, and I consider two gross too gross)

So, where do I want to be in six years? 

Well, I want the parts that are currently good to stay that way, if not improved upon (growing the family would be nice).

 I want to be in shape, 0z160lbs would suit me just fine if it was muscle instead of fat.  I want to be able to do all the things a human should be able to do (pull myself up onto a ledge, walk around Stone Mountain at a decent clip without getting winded, etc).  Barring injury, I want to have participated in a few Highland Games.

As for the improving my financial state, I need to be in my own house. I don't want to be in any more debt than I am now (including any mortgage). I want a new vehicle, one that I can do some of the maintenance on myself (I'm currently too fat to change my own oil).

I've got a long way to go, but I'm constantly working towards becoming debt free, self-reliant, and fit; while maintaining honour & integrity, improving happiness, and decreasing negative stress.

2012 Goals

Okay, stealing the idea for this post from Shawn Stratton's Blog and his post of the same title, I am posting a list of my major goals for the year (along with some of the minor ones). Like Shawn, I don't really do New Year Resolutions all that often, but I do set goals and swear oaths.

As the below goals get completed, they may be replaced with newer goals. This is especially true of the Health & Fitness and Professional goals.