I have been dragging my feet on this for a few weeks now. Most people put up their resolutions pre-NYE, or at least within a day or two. But I have really struggled with what to prioritize as my 2014 goals. If you will recall (which you won’t, because I didn’t until Facebook reminded me), 2013 was a pretty big year with lofty resolution goals. Here is a recap of what was resolved on 1/1/2013 and the outcomes:

2013 New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Get Married.
   1. Success! She didn’t leave me at the alter and I didn’t ask any groomsmen to “bring the car around”. All and all, I’d call that a success.
2. Learn how to use a DSLR camera.
   1. Well, Dana and I did pay $80 for a class from National Camera and came away feeling like experts. And I did sign up for a weekly email lesson from a digital photography webpage. And in all honestly, our honeymoon photos came out spectacular … but I have to give Dana the credit. She somehow has a better knack for the camera then I do and always takes the better shots. So we’ll call this a success, but through proxy of a better person. I’m more a in-front-of-the-camera guy anyway.
3. Go on 5 new camping/backpacking/outdoor adventures.
   1. Sadly, this resolution had the worst results. Because I needed to use all my PTO on the wedding and honeymoon, I’m not sure how I thought this could be accomplished. I had a killer weekend mountain biking and waterfall skiing in Paraty while studying in Brazil, and then hiked the Ice Age Trail with Puchtel a few weeks later … but that is where the fun ended. No summer excursions or winter camping in 2013, a sad realization…

Well, now it’s 2014 and time to forget accomplishments and wipe the slate clean of failures. It is time to take on new challenges, new goals, and new adventures for a new year. It will be fun to come back a year from now and see how many of these I accomplished, but here’s hoping for a better than C-average like 2013:

1. Graduate Business School.
   1. After 3 long years, I damn well better.
2. Go on 4 new camping/backpacking/outdoor adventures.
   1. Five may have been too much, but damnit if I can’t at least do 4. Hell, I have 2 planned before June already.
3. Learn to play the Harmonica.
   1. I bought a Hohner Special 20, subscribed to Mitch Grainger’s video lessons, and plan to get puckering, bending, chugs and all the other blues harp goodness figured out.
4. Teach Pippa how to catch a Frisbee.
   1. If I am going to have a dog, you better believe she is going to learn to run, catch, and return a disc instead of a ball.
5. Read 10 Business Books (or Executive Summaries), and 10 fun books.
   1. With school done, let’s keep the learning and the fun reading going.
6. Make big career moves.
   1. With an MBA complete, 10 full years of consulting expertise under my belt, and new aspirations to obtain, this is the year I’d like to focus my career to the next level. I’m not going to quantify it, but I want to look back and say “I did something bigger and better to escalate my professional career in 2013.”

So that’s it, here’s to a new year, a new set of goals, and a new chance to feel good in 12 months for accomplishing all I set out to do! Don’t let 2014 be a boring year for you, challenge yourself to go above and beyond, do something more, do something different, and do something you’ll that makes you live the mantra “I just want to live while I’m alive.” I know I hope to. 🙂