Before I could set goals for next year, it was important to take a moment and look back. Almost a year ago I listed plans for 2010 and published them here. How did I do?
Personal Goals
I can tell you my plan to lose 25 pounds was a complete bust. I probably even gained a little weight (although health issues contributed to that). I’m not giving up thought so it’s time to rethink how to be successful in the new year.
The other goal in the category was to put up pictures in the living room and window coverings in the kitchen. I would say it’s a success in both rooms.
The kitchen has a brand new blinds over the sink that had to be made to measure. I could put more on the walls in the living room but at least it doesn’t look like we just moved in anymore!
Financial Goals
Just like the above category, we had success and failure with financial goals. I made tremendous progress on my debt snowball. After next week, there will only be one debt (other than the mortgage) left.
The goal to prepare wills fell by the wayside. It’s a chore we never got around to.
Blog Goals
Major success in this category! One goal was to improve the blog design. My new theme was installed in March and I’ve been tweaking it ever since. I even made myself a new header.
I was hoping to reach 100 subscribers by year’s end. It seemed like a stretch because I had 14 at the time. (yes, you read that right.) Well, today’s feedburner count was 315!
A Good Year
There were failures on the list but a whole lot of success. Thank you so much for your comments, guidance and company here throughout the year. It keeps me motivated and I hope we all learn together.
Come back Friday to find out what’s in store for 2011! How was your year?
{ 19 comments }
Good work on your kitchen, debt, and blogging goals! 315 subs is great progress!
I love your blog design! Also, I’m impressed that you went from 14 to 315 subscribers! A rousing success 🙂
Great job on increasing your subscriber count and making so much progress on your debt snowball!
@ Sam, looking back has really motivated me for next year since I could account for the year’s accomplishments. Everyone should have a blog (just kidding, maybe).
@ Kellen, I didn’t know my starting number of subscribers in 2010 was so low until I went back to feedburner and checked it. I’m thrilled as I grew most of it the second half of the year.
@ Jackie, sometimes when you pay off debt it seems neverending. Being able to add it up and see how much I paid off was rewarding.
It has been a god year to me in all the plans, no wonders but no problems either ^^
Congrats on reaching your goals. Great subscriber count. I am still trying to get mine going..it is a very slow trickle. Best of luck in 2011.
Congratulations on your successes! I look forward to reading your goals for this coming year.
@Ju, I’m glad you had a good year as well.
@ Miss T, having giveaways helped a lot in building subscribers if that’s of any interest to you.
@ Little House, let me know what you think of my goals when they’re out tomorrow.
Congrats on hitting your successes and way to call yourself out for missing your goals, too. Hopefully next year you’ll achieve them. Never saw your old design, but I love your current one. 315 subscribers? Awesome. 🙂
Sounds like you had a very successful year. Mine was pretty good. Got a new job, traveled internationally twice and have a fairly healthy family. Excited to see what Bucksome Boomer has in store for 2011!
Congrats on your goals. One of my goals for the new year is to move to WordPress and get some design done on it.
@Buck, I started this blog to keep me focused on my financial goals and it wouldn’t be effective if I didn’t hold myself accountable. The old design was a free theme that wasn’t very flexible. Believe me, this is much better!
@ Jenna, Congratulations on the new job. Traveling abroad is something I want to start doing once we’re debt-free. I don’t want to die with regrets about the places I never visited.
@ Passive Income Earner, You’ll be very happy with moving to Wordpress. I taught myself so it doesn’t require professionals. 🙂
Congratulations on the successes! You know you learn a great deal more from your misses. I encourage you to include them in your 2011 goals.
i drool over your 315 subs! I just switched to feedburner in early November and so far I have 70. I hope to double that next year. This year I gave myself a “C” on my goals. I met most of them but the emergency fund thing tanked a few goals. I plan on doing much better in 2011. I told my readers to adopt a theme song for the year. Do you have one?
Big congrats on the blog goals! I bet 2011 will be even better.
Kay Lynn,
Congrats on all of your accomplishments in 2010.
Losing the weight isn’t so easy, especially when you hit middle age. I started last year with a goal to lose 22 pounds. I even bought a new scale, sweats and some walking shoes. I quickly lost 12 pounds and then hit the wall. I have gained 2 pounds since then, but that’s not bad for the holidays. I guess my goal for 2011 will be to lose the remaining 12 pounds.
Happy New Year.
Bret
Great job on subscribers. I wish I were further along with readership but I’m really happy with the visitor I do have.
I love having goals that are measurable. I guess that’s why I like paying down debt so much. I wish being healthy (eating right and losing weight) was as easy to track, but it seems to take months before I see changes. I don’t know how people do the lose 1 pound a week thing. I guess I’m just not that motivated.
Congrats on the success of last year! I think your blog is looking great.
@krantcents, I agree in learning from your failures. That’s why I revised my methodology for the weight loss goal. Hopefully I won’t be revising that goal again for 2012!
@ Sandy, That’s a good idea to come up with a theme song. Mine will be “I’m free” by the Who. That’s how I will feel when that last student loan payment is made.
@ Well heeled, thanks for the kind thoughts and for being one of my first PF friends.
@ Bret, congratulations on the progress you made last year. It sounds like you have a plan for this year. After two days of healthier eating and a little exercise, I already feel better.
@ First Gen American, it takes time to build up the subscribers. You’ll see some blogs accrue them really fast but most of us are slow and steady. I am going for slow and steady on the weight loss too by not focusing on the scale each and every day. I’ll just weigh once a week and track that way.
@ Life and my Finances, thanks for the complement. Glad to add you to my reader recently!
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