2008 Goals

Here it is, a bit behind schedule and long overdue, but I finally did it! Woo hoo!

This year, I see my goals as being a lot more personal. I know that I'm in a much different place, and I'm a different person from who I was a year ago. Hugely different. I really want my goals to reflect that, which I think they will just by virtue of the fact that the "new" me has crafted them. I also commit to updating my progress on working toward completion of these goals over the course of the year. Doing so in this public forum will help keep me accountable

Regular Goals --

Personal: Learn to snowboard with enough proficiency that I can tackle a green trail by 31 Dec 2008.
Personal: Accumulate $20,000 in emergency funds by 31 Dec 2008.
Personal: Achieve $150,000 in net worth by 31 Dec 2008.
Personal: Save $15,000 for a house down payment by 31 Dec 2008.
Personal: To find and accept an offer on a new, rewarding and fulfilling job by 29 Feb 2008.
Business: Unwind my real estate investing partnership by 30 Jun 2008, including all asset sales.
Business: Hand off my consulting customers to responsible, attentive, competent person with high integrity by 30 Apr 2008.
Business: To ship a prototype of our application running on Windows Mobile and the iPhone by 30 Sep 2008.

Stretch Goals --

Personal: Read 50 books by 31 Dec 2008.
Personal: Accumulate $30,000 in emergency funds by 31 Dec 2008.
Business: To have a beta release of our application running on Windows Mobile and the iPhone by 31 Dec 2008.

You'll notice some carryover from the 2007 goals, as the goals which came across are very important to me from a quality of life standpoint. This year, I want to seriously look at acquiring a piece of real estate to make my home. While I plan to keep an eye out for real estate investments, my interest has waned due to the problems I've had with this existing partnership as well as a desire to focus on building my software startup. I had to make some major changes there, parting ways with my partner, and I'm looking to really rev that project with input from a group of advisers that I trust and respect. That can be considered fallout from the year that was.

You'll also notice that several of these goals are what might considered "negative" or "inverse" goals. Unwinding my partnership and handing off consulting clients are efforts to really focus my energy into those areas that are the most rewarding and supportive of my overall life goals. I have made them goals here because I want to be free and clear of these obligations as quickly as possible, as all time spent addressing these areas means time that is not available to work on mobile software development, networking, or building my new career.

If anyone knows a competent, underemployed Windows expert who might be interested in taking on some side consulting work, by all means, have them contact me. They must be local to the Washington, DC area, as my clients are located in the DC metropolitan area and Baltimore. I will conduct a test (or possibly a series of tests) to determine competence and integrity. Since I consider all of my clients to be friends, I have to be comfortable with whomever I recommend to take over my duties. This person will be entrusted with the "keys to the kingdom" with regard to each of these businesses.

Finally, anyone who is interested in purchasing investment property in Baltimore should contact me. These are all rentals in the standard Baltimore mold - 3 bed, 1 bath rowhouses. You can get a good deal on pricing because we have equity in all three, but honestly, we're looking to get out of them as quickly as possible. All 3 can be purchased as portfolio, or individually, although clearly the best room for negotiating a deal will be in buying multiple properties. I am also accepting referrals to other interested, serious investors as well. This is the real albatross around my neck, and the most urgent pain point in my life right now.

Anyway, let me press publish on this. If you're interested in either offer, let me know. Until next time, good people...