Goals for the New Year

Happy New Year! I'm sure that many of you made resolutions this year. I have found that it is important to set goals in order to have something to aim for.  Even if I don't reach the goal, any amount of progress is an improvement from the current situation. Additionally, by making my goals public on this blog, I know that I will be held accountable throughout the year.

This year, I've created goals in three areas:  personal, musical, and spiritual. Here are my 7 goals for 2015 with a brief explanation of each.

PERSONAL

• Begin a personal savings account. I'm thankful that I am not reckless with my money, but I've never been one to stash away cash for the future either. There always seems to be something that the funds are needed for immediately. This year, I am going to strive to put a portion of each paycheck directly into savings. I've not come up with a plan yet -- whether I'm pushing for a set amount each month or a certain percentage -- but I have a few days to figure this out. January is not a major source of income for me.
• Increase my personal reading. This continues to be an annual goal. 2014 was not a good year for me as a reader with health crises on every hand. In 2015, I plan to read more than I did last year (21 books is the number to beat). Honestly, I'm hoping to regain the momentum from 2013 and improve on that year's number of 46 books.
• Lose 10 pounds. Weight loss has been the unattainable goal for the past several years. Fast food, lack of time to exercise, and sleepless nights are the major culprits. Rather than shooting for the moon as I normally do -- hoping to drop below 200 pounds -- I decided to be a little more realistic and aim for 10 pounds. To hold myself accountable, I'm going to publicly admit that at the time of writing this post, the scale reads 229. (Ouch...that's painful to admit!) Let's see what happens in 2015 with my waist line and my weight.

MUSICAL

• Improve my knowledge of orchestral repertoire. I love classical music. I am fairly well versed in piano literature and song repertoire. My short coming comes when I begin to think about orchestral music -- symphonies and concertos.  My goal is to become familiar with 24 major works by the end of the year. That works out to 2 works per month. What will determine "familiarity"?  If I know more of the work than when I started, I'll be satisfied. I'm going to let my interests guide me through the year rather than feeling tied down to an arbitrary list. I plan to begin with Tchaikovsky's Pathetique (Symphony #6, Op. 74).
• Perform a solo piano recital. This is going to happen in 2015! I've finalized the program for the most part and now I'm in the process of learning the repertoire. I anticipate this will be performed in early fall.  Here's what's planned:

 

·  “The Alcotts" from Piano Sonata 2 by Ives

·  Sonata in F Major, K. 332 by Mozart

·  A nocturne by Faure (either the Eb minor or Db major)

·  Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1 by Brahms

·  Prelude and Fugue in C Major, WTC Book I by Bach

·  Napoli Suite by Poulenc

• There might be another short piece included.....I'm just not sure right now.

 

SPIRITUAL

• Read through the Bible. I've done this a couple of times, but feel a need to commit to an entire reading of Scripture again in the New Year. One of my challenges in the past has been not having a Bible physically with me when I'm on the road. This year, I am using The One Year Bible Online. The website sends a daily link to my email account that I can access from my phone, tablet, or a computer. I actually began this project in mid-December and have found the process to be very convenient.
• Become actively involved in a Bible study group. Now that I've settled down and found a home church, it's time to make connections and commit to a small group. I'm picky when it comes to Bible teachers that I will sit under each week. So far, my solution has been to avoid Sunday School all together. That's no longer acceptable.....so this weekend, I commit to beginning my search for a Bible class.

Now they're out there......so I have to get to work! What are your goals for the New Year? Do you share any of mine? If so, let me know.....I'd love to have an accountability partner.