42 Miles and my 2012 Lifelong Project Goals

It’s been an exciting year for me – so much has changed in my life from last January to now. Let me catch you up on my top five highlights from 2011:

1. Indianapolis, Indiana. Probably the most surprising decision this year was my choice to leave Sarasota to consult on project management for a large hospital in Indianapolis. It’s been a good decision, though I’ve really missed my life and friends in Florida. My colleagues at the hospital are some of the smartest people I’ve met and it’s a pleasure to work alongside them.

2. Published three books. It was a busy year of writing three books this year. I wrote Project Management for Small Business for AMACOM Press, Certified Technical Trainer+ Certification Guide for McGraw-Hill, and I published Vampire Management through Amazon. I’m proud of all three books!

3. Two half marathons. I eased off running a bit this year and ran just two races – the Carmel, Indiana Half Marathon and then the Geist Half Marathon where I earned my personal record of 2.03! That was a thrill.

4. European Vacation. One of my goals for 2011 was to return to Europe. I was able to spend 10 days in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, and Paris. It was a joy to visiting some friends from previous business in these cities, but also to meet with a friend from the states who happened to be in Paris at the same time I was travelling through. This was a wonderful experience and a special highlight of my year.

5. Heartache. Not all of life’s experiences are joyful, but even heartache offers lessons. An uncle and a friend died this year and both were sad moments. These were good people who were always kind towards me. This year I fell in love with a woman who wasn’t what she seemed. My gut told me something was wrong, but time proved it. She was seeing another man even while we were making long-term relationship plans. The lessons learned from these bitter moments are that life is short and that I’m still capable of love. While it still hurts, we all know that time and self-love helps to heal the ache and longing. I believe better days are ahead.

So I know you’re eager to hear what exciting things I have for 2012. Well, I’m eager to share! I’ve created goals that are blocked into just three categories: health, personal, and business. Here you go:

 

Health

Shed 20 pounds by March 12, 2012.

Run three half marathons by December 1, 2012.

Run the Chicago Marathon for the third time – and beat five hours – October 7, 2012

Run 42 miles on December 30, 2012. (That’s right – 42 miles on my 42nd birthday.)

Be happy, joyful, optimistic, and open to adventures.

 

Personal

Purchase a new car. (My old 99 Dodge has been a good car and I’ve taken care of it, but it’s about time for a new ride.)

Move to downtown Indianapolis to be closer to work.

Vacation to Napa Valley.

Motorcycle trip around Lake Michigan.

Follow my gut instinct.

Be open to a meaningful and honest relationship with a beautiful woman.

 

Business

Grow my business revenue by 25 percent over 2011.

Publish a non-business book.

Develop four online classes (PMP, CAPM, Project+, and CTT+) for my web-based training site.

Grow my instructor-led training courses by six weeks this year.

 

Why I share

I believe accountability helps to achieve and commit to goals – and that’s why I’m sharing these goals here and with others. When goals are a secret it’s easier to ignore them and let them fade into the background. I’ll update my progress on these goals as the year progresses. I’ll also share some news about that crazy goal of 42 miles with you over the next few weeks. Now what goals have you accomplished in 2011? What goals have you created for 2012?