I'm Still Here

I have a bit of survivor's remorse.  The cut today was almost completely random.  I think it was designed to be exactly random so they could say they had no favortism.

This article makes it sound not so bad.  It looks like less than 200 out of 13,000, but the "hospital diagnostic manufacturing" they're talking about is the Abbott Diagnostic Division.  My area lost 50%.

2012 Goals One by One - Spiritual (Scouting)

I gave myself the following goals for 2012:

Spiritual (Scouting)
Commissioner's Key

1. Goal
Earn Commissioner's Key by the end of the year

2. Benefit of meeting the goal =
Demonstrate proficiency to those I support, encourage other Commissioners to excel, push myself to perform at the right level to provide the right service to my units, and make myself more comfortable with my role as a Commissioner

3. Reminder of this benefit =
Get the patches and pin them in my hat until I earn them

4. Anti-benefit, the benefit of not accomplishing this goal =
More free time to work on my other goals

5. Alternate means of achieving the anti-benefit =
Better organization. Work better, not harder

6. Task list (or milestones, or intermediate goals) =

Commissioner Key Requirements
I. Training
1. - Done - Complete the three session training program outlined in Commissioner Basic Training Manual
2. Complete personal coaching orientation including the orientation projects.

II. Tenure
1. - Done - Complete 3 years as a registered commissioner within a 5-year period.

III. Performance
1. Earn the Arrowhead Honor Award for your position. Earn Unit Commissioner Arrowhead
a. - Done - Visit each assigned unit eight or more times throughout the year
b. Fill in and follow up on Commissioner Work Sheets or self assessment forms for each assigned unit:
c. Conduct membership and leadership inventories in each assigned unit
d. - Done - Attend six District Commissioner staff meetings and provide the training topic for one meeting
e. - Done - Participate in a charter review meeting that results in on-time unit reregistration
f. Participate in a charter presentation
g. - Done - Attend a council Commissioner conference, and
h. Help a unit resolve a specific problem or improve some aspect of their unit operation.

7. Next Step =
Commissioner worksheets and work with units on problems

8. Who do I have to be to be able to make this goal (or who will I be when I make it) =
Unit Commissioner

9. Accountability =
• I will remind the District Commissioner and my ADC that I'm working on this and intend to complete it.
• I will carry and complete the tracking card
• I will schedule dates in my calendar

2012 Goals One by One - Mental (Music and Writing)

I gave myself the following goals for 2012:

Mental (Music and Writing)

Make at least 4 novel submissions this year

This is problematic because of two things. 

I really need to set a goal for myself to learn Greek.  The older my in-laws get the more I need to learn it to help understand what they need and to help my wife.  As they get older and they have a harder time remembering things the easier it gets for them to speak Greek and the more essential it is for me to understand and help them.

The other thing is this.  As morbid as it sounds, my Dad had always said that all the men in his family died in their 50s and 60s.  We thought that might have been because they were all firemen (that's right, fireMEN) and the smoke and stress may have gotten to them, but when my Dad died a couple of years ago, after having been a Police Officer and having the benefit of modern medicine, I became concerned. If I've only got 60something years in total then I only have 20something more years to go.  At the rate I expect to take it, it will probably take me close to 20 years to get a doctorate.  That and my GI Bill will run out in another 6 years or so mean that I'd better get on that horse sooner than later.

So that means I have three things that I HAVE to do because of WHO I am:

Writing Books

Learning Greek

Getting Back to School

I'd better wait on School though since we still have to figure out how to put kids through school.  I guess that votes that down for this year.

The nice thing about writing is that I can do it at any age and in any physical condition.  There is no time limit.

Greek is somewhat time limited.  I need that skill now and the longer it goes the more I need it and the better I need to be at it.

That sets it then.  As much as my psyche and muse hammer at me, as much as it's a part of who I am and what I can't stop myself from doing all the time, writing will just have to take a back seat to Greek.  Setting it as a goal is the only way I'll be able to give it enough weight to overtake the writing urges.  I will keep the novel goals as sub-resolutions, that is, the parts of it will be shorter term goals of certain months, but I can't make that my Resolution for 2012.

1.  Goal

Be able to hold a conversation in Greek and be able to read a newspaper in Greek by the end of the year.

2.  Benefit of meeting the goal =

"…be able to write your mother-in-law a letter?"  My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  This isn't far from the truth.  The benefit, as I said is better communication with my in-laws.

3.  Reminder of this benefit =

I need to put Greek labels on things.

4.  Anti-benefit, the benefit of not accomplishing this goal =

More time for writing. 

Less reminder that I'm a big dummy that can't learn languages very well.

5.  Alternate means of achieving the anti-benefit =

Short term writing goals.

Rewards for each Greek language accomplishment I reach.

6.  Task list (or milestones, or intermediate goals) =

Get books on learning Greek

Posting labels

Schedule time to study

FIND my copy of Rosetta Stone or buy a new copy on eBay

Complete Margarita Greek learning software

Attend Greek school classes at church and enroll next year

Do ALL exercises through Greek school

Get extra assignments from Greek school teacher

Find on-line Greek classes

Get Greek books from the library (this should be a pre-cursor to buying the books)

Speak Greek as often as possible

Find a learning partner

7.  Next Step =

Schedule time

8.  Who do I have to be to be able to make this goal (or who will I be when I make it) =

A Greek speaker

To remind myself I should get a subscription to a Greek newscast

9.  Accountability =

Ask my wife for a Greek only day a week

Schedule

Buy books (put my money where my mouth is, or should be)

2012 Goals One by One - Social (Family)

I gave myself the following Social goal for 2012:

(Family)

Quarterly Dates - one substantial date each quarter

This should be easy to state, not so easy to do.

1.  Goal

Quarterly dates, that's going out to dinner and something else, a movie, a show, a game something.  It could be a night/weekend away too.

2.  Benefit of meeting the goal =

Reinforce our marriage bond, and reinforce the need for fun together (especially for Mrs. Prop)

3.  Reminder of this benefit =

I'll have to think about this one.  Probably something reminding me of our wedding placed somewhere I can see it daily.

4.  Anti-benefit, the benefit of not accomplishing this goal =

Save money.  This one will cost us some.  This is also an anti-goal Mrs. Prop will stress and I will have to overcome her.

5.  Alternate means of achieving the anti-benefit =

Cook more dinners at home, less eating out in general.  Make it obvious when we save money that sort of way.

Another way is to find free activities to attend along with dinner.

6.  Task list (or milestones, or intermediate goals) =

• ·         Sit down and plan with Mrs. Prop
• ·         Set calendars
• ·         Send invitations to Mrs. prop
• ·         Choose sites for events
• ·         Choose sites for meals
• ·         Make reservations
• ·         Perhaps save money
• ·         Look for coupons

7.  Next Step =

Sit down with Mrs. Prop and set the date and activities for 1Q

8.  Who do I have to be to be able to make this goal (or who will I be when I make it) =

Less selfish husband.

9.  Accountability =

• ·         I will check in with a friend (please note who and how often).

o   Mrs. Prop is integral to accomplishment of this goal

• ·         I will create a chart / schedule (please note where & how often you will use it).

o   I should post date nights in the kitchen

• ·         I will create a reminder on my calendar / PDA / computer.

o   Mine and Mrs. Prop

2012 Goals One by One - Physical (Work)

I've given myself the following goal to support my physical needs for 2012:

Get a new position at work

1. Goal
To avoid a layoff, get a new position, ideally a promotion (over level 14) in a division that is not ADD by the end of the first quarter.

2. Benefit of meeting the goal =
Not get laid off, continue to provide finances for my family, help ease the financial earning need of Mrs. Prop

3. Reminder of this benefit =
I don't think I really need a reminder, the fear is palpable.

4. Anti-benefit, the benefit of not accomplishing this goal =
Don't have to put in the extra effort of writing a resume and a cover letter. Don't have to put myself out and let the status quo

5. Alternate means of achieving the anti-benefit =
I don't know an alternate way of being lazy, or nervous about a new job

6. Task list (or milestones, or intermediate goals) =
Search the job board daily
Complete mentor request
Meet with mentor
Develop growth plan
Write a cover letter that can be used and then used as a basis for the rest of them
Submit applications as often as possible, for anything even close
Create job history file (thingie)

7. Next Step =
Search job board
Complete mentor request

8. Who do I have to be to be able to make this goal (or who will I be when I make it) =
A manager and more confident in the Abbott job search system

9. Accountability =
Set my growth plan
I will create a reminder on my calendar.

2012 Goals One by One - Physical (Health)

I gave myself the following goals for 2012:

Physical (Health and Work)

Honestly I've got to split these out, I can't have one without the other, for so many reasons.

1.  P90X or Insanity

2.  Get a new position

Social (Family)

Quarterly Dates - one substantial date each quarter

Mental (Music and Writing)

Make at least 4 novel submissions this year

Spiritual (Scouting)
Commissioner's Key

The article in LifeHack gives 9 parts to each resolution.  I'm going to do the Health one today.

1.  Goal

Finish P90X or Insanity by 30 June 12.

2.  Benefit of meeting the goal =

Live longer, give myself a chance to do something after retiring and enjoy my grandchildren

3.  Reminder of this benefit =

I think about short life all the time with reminders of my father's cancer, but I think I will also find a symbol of Archaeology to put on one side of each of my computers and a grandchild for the other side.

4.  Anti-benefit, the benefit of not accomplishing this goal =

Get to relax and not exercise.

5.  Alternate means of achieving the anti-benefit =

I'll take September off of exercising.

6.  Task list (or milestones, or intermediate goals) =

• Get P90X (it's on hold at the library)
• Alternate is to borrow it from a friend
• Last alternate is to buy it
• Exercise in the meantime so I can be ready to do it
• Get all the equipment I need for it

7.  Next Step =

Find out what the starting requirements are for P90X and Insanity

8.  Who do I have to be to be able to make this goal (or who will I be when I make it) =

Buff stud (just kidding), I have to be thinner and stronger

9.  Accountability =

• I've posted this here, and I will keep posting here on a weekly basis once I start
• I will have a spreadsheet to track my progress
• I will post my before, during and after pictures.

2012 Resolution Worksheet

I’ve been doing a lot of research, looking for a better way to manage my tasks/time.  I pushed and squeezed and prodded and stomped on, but I just can’t get Allen’s GTD to fit my life.  I NEED priorities, I need that life goal orientation, but I need it to be able to zoom down into daily activities.

I've reviewed last year's resolutions and although I accomplished more than I think  a lot of people do, I didn't get a majority of the things I wanted to do done.

If I carried forward the things that I didn't do last year I would have:

Health
1. Weight - >220
2. Finish P90

Family
1. Quarterly Dates
2. Game Night
3. New Pet
4. Walks

Music:
1. Play with my family (both in my house and a holiday gatherings)
2. Learn to play bass

Scouting
1. Commissioner Key
2. Archaeology Merit Badge Clinic

Writing:
1. Do NaNoEdMo in March
2. Submit my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel to a publisher

Work
1. Don't get laid off  (though this was a success last year, I'm keeping it)
2. Get a Promotion

Also, these were the goals I thought up back in early November:

“I have some new goals. Some have developed from these and some are completely new. I'm going to record them so I don't forget. These are new and not carry-overs from 2011:

1. New Job outside ADD
2. Fix Lincoln Avenue Trail
3. One new fiction story a week (maybe I can split this between fiction and Papa stories)
4. Learn sax and get back in both the Libertyville Band and the CLC band
5. P90X or Insanity
6. 100 Bike commutes
7. Learn bass
8. Earn the right to write a NaNoWriMo by making 3 novel submissions by November”

Some of those match each other and some of them I just don't want to do any more (or think they wouldn't be worth doing).  Also, this says nothing to continuing what I already have, but for the sake of argument let me put the two lists together with what I think are worthwhile.

Health
1. Weight  >220
2. Finish P90X or Insanity

Family
1. Quarterly Dates
2. New Pet
3. Walks

Music:
1. Play with my family (both in my house and a holiday gatherings)
2. Learn to play bass

3. Learn sax and get back in both the Libertyville Band and the CLC band

Scouting
1. Commissioner Key

Writing
1. Do NaNoEdMo in March
2. Earn the right to write a NaNoWriMo by making 3 novel submissions by November

3. One new fiction story a week (maybe I can split this between fiction and Papa stories)

Work
1. Don't get laid off  (though this was a success last year, I'm keeping it)
2. Get a Promotion outside ADD

There are two others that don't fit these categories:

1.  Learn Greek

2. Fix Lincoln Avenue Trail

I've found a website called LifeHack and an article there with a New Year's Resolution Worksheet.  I think I should put this together with the four basic needs and come up with 4 goals for this year.

So I will give myself a goal to meet the following needs:

Physical (Health and Work)

Honestly I've got to split these out, I can't have one without the other, for so many reasons.

1.  P90X or Insanity

2.  Get a new position

Social (Family)

Quarterly Dates - one substantial date each quarter

Mental (Music and Writing)

Make at least 4 novel submissions this year

Spiritual (Scouting)
Commissioner's Key

The article gives 9 parts to each resolution.  I'm going to take each of these in the next five days and write out those 9 steps.

2011 Final Review

I’ve been looking at Stephen Covey’s book First Things First, and several other things, because I want to reevaluate my long term goals, my brand: who I am essentially.

Covey says there are 4 areas of your life that you need to get to work together in order to really achieve that level of life accomplishment.  These are universal needs of the Spiritual, Physical, Mental and Social.

I’ve also seen some articles that ask you to grade your performance and see how well your doing in these areas.  I think I’m going to look at how I did in 2011 and then grade it against those 4 aspects.  Then I will look at how fulfilled I FELT against how fulfilled Covey said I SHOULD FEEL.  Let’s see if he’s right, or see if he makes me feel differently about my year.

Health
1. Waist - 36
Success
Bought new pants and 36s fit noticeably better than 38s. Was measured at my health screening with my shirts on at 36.  The 36s are now a bit tight and my belt is tight at the last hole
2. Weight - >220
Fail

Lowest was 222, now  I’m back up to about 230.
3. Finish P90
No longer relevant.  I switched to Body for Life (which I didn’t technically complete, but I did very well in)
4. Bike commute as often as possible (75 times)
Success

DONE 2 Nov 11!
5. Walks (10k steps a day)
Success

Averaged over 10k for the year

Family
1. Pay more attention to family finances
Success

I think I'm doing that.   This was not really well defined.
2. Quarterly Dates
Fail

Complete fail.  We didn’t have a single one
3. Game Night
Fail

Only attempted one and it didn’t go off.
4. New Pet
Fail
We did talk about a dog, but decided that even if we got one that the end of the year would not be the time to get it.
5. Walks
Fail
Didn’t walk with Mrs. Prop once this year

Music (these are sort of in order):
1. Learn to play ukulele (the definitions are still subjective)
Success

Not well defined, but I’m well along and Christmas was pretty successful
2. Play with my family (both in my house and a holiday gatherings)
Fail

No one seems to want to get together to do it.  I think the main problem with this is the need for others to want to do it too.
3. RE-learn to play sax.
Success

At least a partial success because I played in a band, but I still need loads of practice.
4. Learn to play bass
NA

I dropped this fairly early on and replaced it with sax.
5. Join a band
Success

Libertyville Village Band

Scouting
1. Commissioner Key
Fail
Still working on it
2. Archaeology Merit Badge Clinic
Fail

It’s a long story, but basically and simply it’s a fail

Writing:
1. Do NaNoEdMo in March
Fail

Tried again in November and December, still with no luck.
2. Submit my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel to a publisher
Fail
3. Blogging
A. I will blog more posts this year than any previous year
Success
B. I will review and update my 2011 goals at least quarterly
Success

Work
1. Don't get laid off
Success

This really was out of my hands so it doesn’t really count
2. Get a Promotion This is a Q4 thing, and I've told my boss about it
Fail

I have applied, but very late in the year.

So, just using raw numbers I have:

Health:  3/4

Family: 1/5

Music: 3/4

Scouting: 0/2

Writing: 2/4

Work: 1/2

Total:  10/21

About 48% so I guess that's why I feel pretty bad about that.  On the other hand, 21 goals is a lot.  Maybe that was too much.

I could look at it this way, I had 6 categories; 4 of those had a successful majority.  That's 67%, still an F but substantially better than 48% which isn't even half.

If I look at these by the measure of Spiritual, Mental, Social and Physical I would assign them thusly:

Health & Work = Physical

Family = Social

Music & Writing = Mental

Scouting = Spiritual

So I did have them all covered.  Looking at them in that way let me grade them:

Physical (Health and Work) = 4/6 F

Social (Family) = 1/5 F

Mental (Music & Writing) = 5/8 F

Spiritual (Scouting) = 0/2 F

I still didn't get anything higher than an F.

On the other hand (how many hands is that).  I did address ALL the needs and in the end I accomplished 10 New Year's Resolutions.  That's pretty spectacular in a way.  Also this is pure numbers.  I didn't weigh any goals higher than any others; although some were clearly more difficult and I paid I lot more attention and effort to them.

If I ignore the numbers and grade them on how I feel I'd say:

Physical - Success

Social - Fail

Mental - Success
Spiritual - partial success (major improvement)

That would seem to be a pretty good year in that view.  It was certainly better than 2010 (it would have to have been).  The failure I had in the Family arena did hurt drastically, almost completely ruining the year.  We've had some very trying times this last year.  I'm glad it's over.

The challenge now is to keep up what I have and meet the other needs I have not met yet.  Also, I need to define who I want to be, in several roles (Father, writer, Scouter etc.) and how they fit into my goals.

Happy New Year

Yeah, yeah, I know it's five days late.  I'd like to say I was on a five day bender, but the truth is that I have a lot to put together and I'm just not ready.  I wanted to put together a final review of 2011's Resolutions (a 2011 Resolution Resolution as it were), my 2012 Resolutions (or goals as I think I may look at them), and I wanted to start in on some things (which I have not decided yet).

None of those are ready.  The 2011 Resolution review would be fairly easy, but it leads so strongly into 2012 that I'm hesitant to do it.  I'm reading First Things First by Stephen Covey before I write my 2012 goals and I'm going to be following it for my task management this year.  I had dabbled with Getting Things Done by David Allen, but it just doesn't work for me primarily because it just seems like a rat on a stationary wheel (a lot gets done but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere).

I'm very strongly thinking of a theme for 2012, or a motto (or slogan, not quite sure which).  I'll let you know what I decide on.

I'm thinking I'm going to set some challenges for myself, like post a joke a day for a month (I would write the jokes of course), and/or write a short story a week for the year (with a goal of 50 stories).  I'm definately thinking that I'm going to make a goal of a certain number of novel submssions this year, but I haven't set the bar yet.

Oh yes, that reminds me, I did not meet my own challenge for the end of the year.  I did not complete either Boys of Saint Leonard's nor Eve's Christmas Eve Adventure to get them ready for publication. 

What does it matter, no body is reading this blog anyway.  Certainly no one cares enough about it to comment on it.  So to all you stoppers-by who were looking for something else, Happy New Year.