Here goes:
Earn my doctorate - I am almost done with my masters degree. I have found three different Ph.D or Ed.D programs which I would qualify to enter. As soon as I can, I am applying to them.
Get professionally published - I am already published as a coauthor in a peer-reviewed journal. I need to work on becoming a lead author now. I might be able to develop a paper or two out of my masters' thesis.
Publish a work of fiction - I just need to take time out and write. Plant my butt in the chair and put words on the screen. I have a great idea that just needs to be written out. Maybe I'll delegate two hours a week to this project.
Travel abroad - I have always wanted to travel to another country and get to know the people as they really are--not stick to the tourist traps. Sandy and I talked about this a few weeks ago and she suggested I look into a short-term missions trip with our church. We send teams to Ecuador several times a year. I can plan ahead on this one: save up money, brush up on my Spanish, and maybe even learn some useful skills that will make me an asset to the team. If it works out, I may even do it more than once. And as a bonus, I can pack my binoculars and at night knock off some Southern Hemisphere deep sky objects! For more leisurely travel, down the road we'd like to take a Caribbean cruise. Jamaica is definitely a favored destination, and now that the embargo is lifted Cuba would be interesting to visit as well.
Get the Man Cave in order the way I'd like it - This one is easy: an hour a night at minimum, just putting things where I want them to be. Once the back patio is clear I can move a few things back there where I can use them more effectively (my exercise bike and weight bench, for example) and clear even more room in the garage. There are shelves and workbench space I cannot utilize efficiently the way things are now, and having those shelves available will make putting things away easier. The gaming table/train table idea is still very much in the works, especially now that I know what size I need for my table surface.
Start martial arts again - As soon as I lose another 60 pounds there is a Brazilian jiujitsu studio near my home that is calling my name. This particular style suits my build and will allow me to protect my head and my eye in a way many other styles won't. And rank advancement is fairly quick (although not ridiculously so). I am waiting to lose the weight because my joints remind me daily that I am 46 and not 26 anymore, and I don't want to risk further injury.
Complete a Spartan race - The Spartan Sprint is 3-5 miles with obstacles, and is designed so that 95% of the general population can complete it. I can already run about 3 miles even as I am right now. With some effort, I could knock this one off next year. Keep working on it, and I can do the more difficult races as well (it will also help me get to the martial arts goal too).
Attend a bachelor party - I don't know if this will ever happen. I never got one before I was married--all of my male friends were either out of town or not interested. And somehow I figure I'm missing out. It doesn't help that every opportunity I've had to attend one in the past 11 years has somehow ended up with me not going. The question is, how can I possibly pull this off? When my son wants a bachelor party, how the heck am I going to put one on for him if I don't know what to expect myself?
Now, can I pull all this off? Everything on here except for the travel and the bachelor party I could pull off or at least start in the next year. Ecuador I can do in two years. Having goals is nice, but without some kind of plan to reach them all they are is dreams.
Let's be about it!
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