Public Accountability (Well, Sort Of)

For the last two weeks, I've been going over the past year in my Annual Review, a concept I picked up from Chris Guillebeau and the Art of Non-Conformity blog. It's been a very liberating process; I really enjoy setting goals. The problem is that I rarely stick to the goals I set and often end up disappointed, or end up achieving in ways I hadn't intended to or doing things that aren't intentionally part of my desired development.

Well, courtesy of Mr. Guillebeau, I am taking greater control of my outcomes for this year. And, thanks to all of you, my readers (the one of you that I have--thanks Angela), I am making my goals public and thus increasing accountability for their achievement.

So here's what I've been brainstorming:

Health/Fitness Goals

• Lose 20 lbs.
• Take up a new sport (tennis)
• Be able to do 100 pushups
• Be able to do 200 situps
• Establish a consistent sleep routine

Family

• Organize family exploration of Los Angeles
• Restore backyard garden
• Walk four times a week with my dad

Friends

• Organize a League vacation
• Play in an organized basketball league with the League
• Meet every Alpha Zeta's parents
• Show my gratitude to each one of my good friends in one tangible way
• Have meal dates with every Camp Kesem counselor

Service

• Log 100+ hours of community service
• Create and maintain a service blog

Spiritual

• Attend services at a mosque, synagogue, Buddhist temple, and at least (3) other Christian churches
• Join a non-denominational Bible study
• Read all of C.S. Lewis's philosophy

Academic/Learning

• Earn an 'A' on my thesis
• Earn my Bachelor's Degree
• Earn a 4.0 GPA for my last undergraduate quarter at Stanford
• Pass my CBEST
• Pass my CSET
• Score a 1540 on the GRE
• Become proficient in Spanish and in American Sign Language

Writing

• Write 50+ blog posts
• Recruit a readership of at least 1,000 for my service blog
• Take a creative writing course
• Write 250+ journal entries
• Perform (3) pieces of spoken word
• Write a 10,000-word "Nice Guy Manifesto"

Professional/Career

• Shadow/classroom aid for a teacher
• Apply to (5) fellowship opportunities

Financial (Earning)

• Establish at least (2) "non-work" income streams of at least $500 per month

Financial (Giving)

• Donate 10% of my annual income to charitable causes
• Create an income stream that is entirely philanthropic

Financial (Saving)

• Have at least $10,000 in the bank by the end of the year
• Save $5,000 for my "Special Project"

Travel

• Visit at least (5) different countries
• Complete photo tour of San Francisco
• Complete photo tour of Los Angeles
• Complete photo tour of Pacific Coast Highway in southern California

Music/Dance/Art

• Attend at least (2) performing arts events in Los Angeles
• Attend 25+ dance workshops
• Learn (5) songs on ukulele
• Create and perform an individual dance project at Stanford

Miscellaneous

• Read 30+ books
• Watch the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films
• Learn to speed-read
• Obtain my bartending license

It seems like a lot to achieve in a year, but I'm excited for all of these goals. It's likely that I'll add, subtract, and modify this list, but even having a concrete list is a huge first step for me in seeing these dreams through to fruition.

Updates to come throughout the year.