A Slower Pace

My post earlier this week gave an update on a slice of my 2012 personal goals. I have since finalized all of them and have written them down adding progress indicators to those that I have already worked on. Other than some obvious anonymizing of data, I am posting them here publicly to share as well as to keep me accountable. Like my 2012 reading list, I will add a sidebar link and continue to update progress on my 2012 personal goals.

1) INTELLECTUAL – Complete 2012 reading list by the end of the year.

• Identify list and order – STARTED 12/27/11
• Follow schedule

• Financial Peace Revisited – FINISHED 1/02/12
• QBQ – FINISHED 1/03/12
• The Servant – FINISHED 1/14/12
• Switch
• Hurt Healer
• Make It Count
• One Minute Manager
• EntreLeadership
• The Reagan Diaries
• The Tipping Point
• In Praise Of Slowness
• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
• Epicenter
• Maximum Success
• The Leadership Challenge
• Jesus, CEO
• The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People
• Multipliers
• The Red Badge Of Courage
• The New Rational Manager
• Team Of Rivals
• Better
• The Checklist Manifesto
• Big Ideas
• Decision Points
• 1001 Ways To Reward Employees

2) SPIRITUAL – Read through the Bible in entirety – STARTED 12/28/11

• Select Bible in a year reading program – COMPLETED 12/27/11
• Complete daily Old Testament and New Testament readings each day – STARTED 12/28/11

3) FAMILY/SPIRITUAL – Take family on a mission trip in 2012.

• Proposal to Charity President – COMPLETE 1/13/12
• Compromise with wife – 1 week mission trip, 1 week relaxing vacation – COMPLETE 1/22/12
• Schedule and plan weeklong family participation with Charity
• Volunteer and work

4) FAMILY/SPIRITUAL – Plan and implement weekly family devotions.

• Identify time and day
• Identify readings
• Follow schedule

5) FAMILY/SPIRITUAL – Get K and D into Southeast Christian Church youth groups by end of 2nd Quarter.

6) FAMILY – Visit 4-6 historical sites w/kids by the end of 2012.

• Identify sites, number
• Schedule and calendar
• Follow schedule

7) FAMILY – Identify 50 geocache sites and find them by 2012.

• Join Geocaching.com and get app – COMPLETE 1/28/12
• Identify targets, number
• Schedule and calendar
• Follow schedule

8 ) FINANCIAL – Future proof my life #1 – get a living will created and notarized for me and wife.

• Contact legal resource – COMPLETE 1/23/12
• Identify primary and secondary POA – COMPLETE 1/23/12
• Created and signed – wife – COMPLETE 1/26/12
• Created and signed – Dan

9) FINANCIAL – Future proof my life #2 – get a will and trust created for the family.

• Contact legal resource – COMPLETE 1/23/12
• Identify executor and guardian – COMPLETE 1/25/12
• Create and plan trust
• Sign/notarize will
• Create and document financial trail for executor

10) FINANCIAL – Future proof my life #3 – implement Financial Peace Jr. by end of 2012. – COMPLETE 1/02/12

11) PHYSICAL – Exercise routine that maintains 190 lbs – STARTED 12/27/11

• Cardio for 30 minutes 4+ times a week – STARTED 12/27/11
• Wii Fit to track days and cardio duration – STARTED 12/27/11
• Start a daily food journal

12) PROFESSIONAL – Create first iOS app

• Refine current flow – COMPLETED 1/02/12
• Create proposal – COMPLETE 1/10/12
• Send to #1 prospect – COMPLETE 1/11/12
  • Follow up  – COMPLETE 1/23/12
• Send to #2 prospect
• Send to #3 prospect
• Send to #4 prospect
• Outsource programming – eLance app

Note how I tried to hit the various spokes of the wheel (as written about in this post). I am excited because even into February now, I have maintained my momentum on these goals and look forward to continued action and accomplishment.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Below are a couple of observations by my son, D, from this week.

After spending the day at the hospital — “Dad, why are there nurses smoking? Shouldn’t they know that it’s bad for you?”

Funny statement this morning — “Dad, you know how you can hunt a deer and donate the meat to the Hunters for Hunger? Well, I want to hunt squirrel and rabbit and donate the meat to Wayside (Christian Mission). They can use the meat and the city folk won’t know the difference.”

That kid cracks me up,
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

It’s about time I got back to posting. I unexpectedly took a week off for no good reason other than I was focused on higher priorities — family, work and such. And this week has been challenging because Mrs. ASlowerPace is in the hospital after having surgery Monday. Because it was digestive tract related, her fun in the hospital will last most of this week. I have been playing Mr Mom and also commuting to downtown Louisville to visit my wife daily. Fortunately, she was covered in prayer by many devout folks (if I have not said it before, prayer works — not to get what we want but for us to connect with our Creator who intimately loves and cares for us). Her recovery is painful but on track and I hope to take her home after she is able to eat, digest and pass food.

But in the meantime, January has come and gone. I blogged a post or two at the beginning of the year about making some changes and focusing on goals and action rather than the society norm of broken promises and failure. And while I have not completed my entire 2012 personal goal list, here is a short summary and milestone check.

PERSONAL – 2012 reading list – started 12/27/11
While I have lost a bit of momentum off the first couple of books, I am still a week and a half ahead of my calendared book list. Link here to follow progress.

SPIRITUAL – Read through the Bible in a year – started 12/28/11
I am on day 36 (yes, I started before the beginning of the year) on my YouVersion OT and NT Bible plan reading. I have not missed a day and am already 10% with reading through the entire Bible.

FINANCIAL – Future proof my life

• Meet with an attorney and have a living will for me and my wife. – COMPLETE 1/26/12
• Meet with an attorney and have a will for our family created. – started 1/24/11 and in progress
• Implement Financial Peace Jr. for our kids. – COMPLETE; implemented 1/02/12 and functioning flawlessly
• Review of life, home, and auto insurance plans. – still outstanding

PHYSICAL – Exercise routine that maintains 190 lbs – started 12/27/11
While I have not hit 190 pounds yet, my declining slope of weigh tracking should get me there. And I have engrained the habit of morning workouts into my routine. See my Wii screenshot below.

There are more personal goals I have for 2012 and I will try to be as transparent as I can (without compromising too much privacy). The learning lesson for me this year is that action is SO MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL than planning or perfection.

I guess Nike got it right a few years ago with their slogan — “Just Do It”.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net