I have had a great year. I realize that these past few years have been rough for a lot of people, and I have had a very untypical experience. I was able to transition seamlessly in 2011 from employment to self-employment, and then in 2012 back into employment, with no loss of income or time; in fact, my income has risen a bit, at least keeping up with the cost of living, if not slightly better. The position I have is one I enjoy immensely. I am doing work that matters, for people who express genuine appreciation, although I would do the work even without it. I have had to stretch and learn because I am not operating in the private sector anymore, where much of our efforts center around “Get the job done whatever it takes” strategies. I have had to navigate through procedures and processes that can often seem like an impediment to progress, but serve a strong purpose for accountability.
So what lies ahead for me for 2013?
Well, as I have said before, I am learning Python and Dreamweaver, and I’m studying for Security+ certification. I now have a plan in place to make some progress every day. As long as I do something every day to further these goals, I will eventually get there, and I won’t lose momentum.
I have other goals as well, mostly rotating around self-reliance and resiliency, and I have found a podcast and website that has a strong focus on those ideals. it’s called “The Survival Podcast” (website of the same name), and the host is a guy named Jack Spirco, who is incredibly well-versed on the subject. Even if you’re not a doomsday type prepper, if you want to learn about self-reliance, he’s the go-to on the subject, not just because he knows it all, but because with his network of contacts, he knows someone who knows it all.
He recently started another website called 13skills.com to encourage his listeners and readers to set goals to learn new skills or to improve their skills. The topics are very broad, and I guarantee you can find something in his subject lines that you are interested in improving. The object is to introduce accountability in our New Year’s Resolutions.
Most of my skills goals that I set were around improving my gardening and preserving skills, but I also set up one overarching Computer Skills goal, which contains the three things I’m working on right now. The only one I am serious about completing within a time frame is the Security +, but I haven’t set a date on it. After I finish reading through the material one time, I’ll set a date for the test, and that will be my accomplishment date.
How ‘bout it—could you set 13 improvement goals? I bet you could. Here are my 13:
Alternative Energy; Composting; Food Storage; Gardening; Fruit Orchard; Freeze Drying Food; Canning; Aquaponics; Beekeeping; Butchering; Making Salves and Balms; Nutrition; and Computer Skills.
That’s what 2013 holds for me. What’s in your wallet?