Updates on Goals

Well another week flits on by, sprinting for the tinselled flag of Christmas before February even finished. Still, if hot-cross buns appear in supermarkets, then I’m a happy (Easter) bunny! In Australia, these started in January for some reason. I’ve indulged myself recently on a couple of excellent Flashman books when the brain has been a little addled from the working week. Alas, there is limited learning available other than how a nineteenth century handsome coward rogers and ploughs many a buxom wench on his travels. Admittedly not entirely useful.

A model and her photographer. Photo taken with an ND filter and slow shutter speed to get a swirling, active sea

The classic 7 Habits of Effective People by Steve Covey is currently on the reading hit-list. It’s just an excellent all-around book that puts you in the driving seat for your own development. I love his approach for sharing chores round with his children, plotting family goals and their own individual ones. I’d love to know if this actually worked – did this bite the author in the arse or did they persist into academic or entrepreneurial excellence? I’ve never known any family to attempt such a thing as dividing up the chores, and am absolutely fascinated. In doing a little research, Covey had nine children. And fifty-two grandchildren. Maybe he was reading a little Flashy, eh?

Love this over-exposed shot of fisherman down at the coast

I spent yesterday down the coast, taking lots of photos to improve my craft. I bought some ND filters and love the effects. As for my other shorter term and longer-term goals:

• Daily Tasks - I’m still doing a bit of Spanish along with writing ten ideas and ten jokes, although both sometimes take a huge effort! I sometimes go over my allocated ten and, but more often than not, end up trying to play catchup
• Weekly Exercise - Still accomplishing over 100,000 steps a week and enjoying swimming once or twice a week for twenty lengths minimum. Admittedly, I only enjoy it when I have the pool completely to myself!
• Weekly – Finally I completed the 18-lecture series on Digital Photography by Marc Levoy, and will now undertake the Assignments too. In alignment with one of the ideas I came up with, I think there is great merit in weekly assignments for any budding photographer, so when I set some time to review my ideas (probably in March), I’ll see where this one lands
• Weekly - Longer term goals such as publishing my book, I’ve approach three publishers and will continue to work through my list of 20+. Need to do more of this if I’m honest.
• Longer Term - On-top of this is the weekly blog, making time to contribute to the book, monthly motorcycle write-ups now a financial review every few weeks to see what investments I need to start making to be more financially aware. I feel getting grips with the Barefoot Investor will help, but will look at purchasing a house and some long-term deposits may be on the cards

​When I honestly review the above, the photography and the writing is sending me in the right direction, and I truly believe that writing a photography guide will help me as well as others. However, I’m not doing enough book-writing and not doing enough approaching of publishers. So, while accomplishing small term goals, I need to keep the longer ones in check.
How are your goals going for the year? Are your New Years Resolutions bearing fruit or do you need to readjust? If you’ve achieved them already, what’s next?