A few goals for the next year.

I have been meaning to write this post for a couple of months now, as a new year’s resolution type of deal. Now I have never believed in setting resolutions as I don’t think they are often followed through. So I decided to set myself a few goals for this year and I’ll look back on them come to the end of the year.

1. Try to blog more.

I’ll be the first to confess that this site has been neglected over the last few years. I have owned this domain for coming up to ten years this year, it has been my playground and had more redesigns than I care to remember. So with the latest redesign, I am hoping to write some more and fill this site up with some useful content. I may even post some of the earlier designs for a giggle if I can dig them out.

 2. Start my own business.

I have always wanted to be my own boss and run my own company, but I never found something I was truly passionate about. I think that you have to start your own business for the right reasons, and I think a great number of people start up to take advantage of the perks that being your own boss can bring, such as setting your own hours. I still think that you have to be passionate and truly love what you do to be your own boss. There are going to be long hours, days where you would not be working in a 9 to 5, and those occasions where you have to say no to a trip down the pub. If you are not passionate and don’t truly love what you do then these days will just be a chore.

I have since found my passion for designing websites, which is something I have been doing for about 10 years now but have never felt confident enough to be paid to do. So if you have a passion then why not try starting your own business? Don’t be afraid to fail!

3. Get healthier.

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I think this is probably the goal that I and thousands of others have set on numerous occasions, and failed miserably. The one reason I have failed over the years to lose weight and get healthier is that I have not set myself any goals or measured my progress on a regular basis. I am trying a different approach for this year. I have purchased a Fitbit which tracks your sleep and walking and syncs this to the internet. I also am using myfitnesspal.com which allows you to track your exercise and eating habits. You can also sync your Fitbit data to this. My usage of myfitnesspal gives me an exact figure of the amount I eat and the extra amounts I can eat through exercise. It also allows me to set goals and keep good track of my progress.

I’ll try to write more about this on this blog and a review of my Fitbit after  I have got to understand it more.

4. Learn a new programming language.

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I think that a person should learn a least one more skill in a year. I have chosen to learn jQuery. I have a basic knowledge of the framework, through the sites I have built, but would love to have a better understanding and be able to use the framework more in the sites I build. I am currently using www.tutsplus.com with their 30 days of jQuery course, but looking out for some good resources and books to expand my knowledge. Please leave a message in the comments if you have any suggestions for books or resources to use.

5. Be more positive

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Yes, I am a master of negativity and always see the worst in situations. So here is to the new year and a new start, a more positive 2012.

So do you have any goals for the year? Any challenges that you have set yourself? Feel free to discuss them in the comments