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Since we are half-way through the year, I thought now would be a great time to review the progress on our goals from the beginning of the year. Admittedly, looking back at some of the goals I set, I question why I stretched myself in certain areas while remaining a bit more lax in others.
The good news is I can adjust them over time. Hopefully by next year, I will improve upon my goals and stretch myself even more.
So without further ado, the progress on my goals thus far:
Financial
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Grow net-worth (excluding my home and 529 plans) by 25%.
Pass
To date, our net-worth is up 14%. Projected out, that means that we are right on schedule to hit our goal of 25% increase for the year. With the market up 8.24% for the year so far and at 9.34% with dividends, my net-worth is outpacing the market. Although honestly, I am a little hesitant to believe that the market will continue to rise at this rapid rate, especially with the passing of tax reform looking bleaker by the day. I predict the market will pull back if the tax reform doesn’t get passed this fall. Even so, that is a couple months away.
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Save 70% of take-home pay.
Fail
Ugh, I was doing so great in the first quarter when we were able to achieve 71%. However, clearly in the second quarter of the year, we faltered, as we are now saving 62% of our take-home pay. Although I had a feeling that this figure would drop. We have had to pay for home, auto, and umbrella insurances, estate planning documents, and a vacation. Hopefully with these expenses behind us, we can get back on track.
Blog
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Increase viewership.
Pass
Wahooo!!! I’m over 50,000 views as of last month, which far exceeded by original goal of 30,000 for this year. I want to thank you all so much for your viewership. With that said, since I’ve pushed through the goal, I’ve decided to up the goal for the rest of the year to 100,000 page views.
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Make enough money through the blog to sustain the costs associated.
Pass
I’m really excited that over the last three months, I’ve made $800. With the blog slowly growing, I am receiving more revenue, which is always nice, although it pales in comparison to many other bloggers. If you have any tips or ideas on how you have increased your revenue, feel free to share!
Personal
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Work out 4x a week and weigh 175 pounds.
Pass
I’ve been attending bootcamp four times a week consistently. While I know it’s not possible to spot reduce, I have definitely seen the little pooch belly that I had acquired over the years slowly diminish. On top of that, I am feeling really great and even hope to do a Spartan Race one of these days. I have also lost eight pounds since December and now weigh exactly 180, so I’m only five pounds away from the goal.
Plus, I convinced my Dad to join, which only took seven months of prodding. He showed up unannounced, and he LOVED it. He thought it was a wonderful workout and is looking forward to the next class. Being able to work out with my Dad is definitely going to be fun.
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Eat healthier.
Fail
I am still not eating as well as I should. I tend to indulge in a pizza every week or two and probably eat too much red meat. However, I have cut back on sweets. I use to have a bad habit of crushing fistfuls of Hershey Kisses after dinner. I’ve replaced that with a chocolate protein shake, which has satisfied that craving. But it’s clear that I definitely need to incorporate many more fruits and veggies into my diet.
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Find a new job.
Pass
I started a new job in March, and it already feels like a much better fit. Interestingly enough, it looks like when I’m least looking, something else appears on the horizon. While nothing is imminent, I may have the opportunity to move abroad sometime in the next couple years.
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Go somewhere memorable for our five year anniversary.
Pass
My wife is due right around our five year anniversary date. At the time of creating this goal, she was not pregnant. While we’re not going to go anywhere exotic for the occasion, we will be at the hospital, which I’m sure will be quite a memorable experience.
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Read the Bible and pray with my wife everyday.
Pass and Fail
My wife and I have been doing a consistent job of praying together each night. Even when we are really tired, we carve out some time to do this. With that said, we have not been reading the Bible together everyday or, for that matter, at all. I need to start incorporating this into our routine. We really have no excuse.
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Show more empathy.
Pass
I think I have done a better job in this area this quarter. As a new manager, I have definitely tried to put myself in my employee’s shoes, especially when I ask hard things of them. I know that I still have room to improve, but I am going to give myself a little slack and say I’m passing in this area.
That is a pretty good score!
Thanks!!!
Nice job on your goals! Keep it up!
Dan @ Pennies and Dollars recently posted…10 Tips and Tricks to Save Money On Raising Kids
Thanks Dan!!!
Sounds like you are killing it. 70% (or 62%) of take home pay is amazing. That is how you fast track FIRE.
Huge congratulations on the blog growth too. I would say you are well ahead of the curve on blog traffic for only a year of writing.
The veggie thing is tough for me too. If only God would have made cheesecake a vegetable 😉
What version of the Bible do you read. I recently read the New Living Translation and would call that my new favorite.
Grant @ Life Prep Couple recently posted…Why I “Choose” Free Will
Thanks for stopping by Grant!!! I’m default to the NIV version most of the time but definitely enjoy reading from the NLT from time to time 🙂
Great job Mr MSM! And great list of goals to strive for in the first place. There’s lots about blog monetization on The Busy Budgeter (or all over pinterest really :p)
Lily He-Prudhomme recently posted…12 Things I Stopped Buying That’s Saving Me Money & The Planet
Thanks for sharing Lily!!! I will definitely have to check out her secrets 🙂
Doing good on those goals! I’ve been doing well overall but totally failed on a bunch of my goals in June. I was very sick for several weekends, traveled for work, and generally didn’t do well the whole month. Oh well, this is a new month, so I’ll just get back on track!
Thanks for stopping by Liz!!! It’s definitely hard to stay on track when you get sick. I know that I feel like I’m starting all over again at times 🙁
Great job! Many of the “fails” are either close to your goal or still very impressive (62% savings!).
Mrs. Adventure Rich recently posted…The Three Year Experiment’s Interview w/ Mrs. Adventure Rich
Thanks for stopping by Mrs. Adventure Rich!!! I’m close but stay have some room to stay motivated 🙂
Congrats on the great improvement on your viewership. It’s really amazes me to try and guess how you are able to manage your time with all these activities.
A 14% increase in net worth and a 62% savings rate is still pretty awesome. I am still trying to increase my savings rate, but the cost of living in my area is super high. However, I am still happy that I am on track to achieve my $100K increase over last year’s net worth and $1.3M at the end of this year.
Leo T. Ly @ isaved5k.com recently posted…Achieving Financial Independence
Wow $1.3M is huge. Plus a 100k increase. You are crushing it Leo!!! Great job!!!
Wow, that’s still a great savings rate! I’m FIREd so my savings rate is 0% or even negative. 🙂
And congrats on already making money from your blog.
Mr. Freaky Frugal recently posted…Instant savings with discounted Gift Cards
Hahhaa…you win!!! Best response of the day 🙂
Great progress Rob. Even the fails are borderline. Your hard work on the blog, regular posting and replying to all comments is paying off. Continued success!
Brian recently posted…Have you Been Strategic about Career and Money
Thanks Brian!!! It definitely feels like a full time job. Hopefully one day it will be 🙂
I love this post! I still can’t believe we’re half way through 2017. It looks like you’re doing amazingly well with your goals. I know you’re not perfectly happy with the 62% savings rate, but it’s still REALLY high! Things do happen unexpectedly in life, so don’t beat yourself up about it. You still have 6 more months to exceed your goals!
50k views is awesome! I know your readership will continue to increase, so just relax and see what happens at the end of the year! ^.^
Ms. Frugal Asian Finance recently posted…The Costs of Marital Conflict
Thanks for stopping by Ms. FAF!!! It’s nice to set goals but I definitely realize that some of them are stretches 🙂 I definitely want to enjoy life as well 🙂
Hey, it sounds like you’re crushing your goals! Congrats. 🙂 A 60%+ savings rate ain’t too shabby, though!! You’ll get on track next quarter. 🙂 Great job with getting fit, too! I’ve been working out (mostly) every morning and woo, it’s tough. I started doing actual fitness instead of just doing Zumba for cardio and it’s clear I have a long ways to go. But it’s all about progress. 🙂
Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…A Love Letter To My Nest Thermostat
I woke up at 5 am three times this week for 530 am classes. It’s a great feeling after working knowing that it’s done but oh man, by the time I get home I am whooped. I have been taking 10 minute power naps to get me through the rest of my day when I get home. Hopefully I start getting use to the early morning workouts 🙂
Awesome update and nice work MSM. You are doing very well in all aspects of life it seems! I’d be pleased…
Thanks for sharing.
Erik @ The Mastermind Within recently posted…Influencing Generation Z to Leverage the Internet and Capitalize on Technological Progress
I am definitely seeing some progress in areas 🙂 Hoping I can continue for the rest of the year.
Awesome progress on basically everything! The food thing is definitely hard to follow, I hear you there. Once you get into a routine, if you can stick with it for 6 weeks I’ve found it’s super easy to keep up.
We started eating much healthier in February for a 6-week weight loss competition my wife was doing. We’ve kept up our eating habits since then and both look and feel a lot better than we did prior. Don’t beat yourself up over cheat meals, either! 🙂
Keep chugging away at other stuff on this list. And 62% is nothing to scoff at!!
Thanks for sharing Dave!!! That’s awesome that you were able to stay on the healthy eating kick. I’m doing better but I definitely have a long way to go.
Great job with your goals! Have you ever heard the expression “abs are made in the kitchen?” For me, and maybe for you, I realize that all the exercise in the world doesn’t mean much unless I watch what I eat. This is my toughest area too!
Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…What Good is FIRE Without a Little FUN?
I am definitely familiar with the term. Now if only my abs liked the food I was making in the kitchen 🙂
Man you blog is kicking my tail. I’m only 2 months younger then your site but my incomes somewhere near sixty dollars since the beginning… I’ll just pretend page views don’t exist;). But in all seriousness your doing very well with the blog and everything else. Now that you’ve done a checkup it’s a great time to recommit on the misses.
FullTimeFinance recently posted…Guest Post: How to manage debt collection calls smartly: Dos and don’ts
Thanks for stopping by Full Time Finance!!! I definitely need to firm up in the areas I’m failing in. I’d love to see all green by the end of the year 🙂
I loved this part of the year, when I (and other folks) look bad at their goals mid-year, grade themselves and make course corrections. Posted on it myself a week ago.
Looks like you are doing well. Congratulations!
Kevin@39months.com recently posted…Book review – The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Thanks for stopping by Kevin!!! It’s always fun to see how people are doing with their goals 🙂
Great job on the goals. Even the ones that you don’t feel you accomplished will give you something to shoot for in the future. Also, you run an amazing blog. The amount of content you come up with is quite remarkable! The numbers show it.
Mr Defined Sight recently posted…Montana Vacation 2017
Thanks for the compliment Mr. Defined Sight!!! At times I am surprised that I’m able to come up with three articles a week 🙂
Great goals, 71% is ambitious but hey what’s the point of non-challenging goals right? What protein powder do you use. So many of them have an appeasing taste, it’s hard for me to get into them
SMM recently posted…Simple Stock Analysis – Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM)
My wife is the nutritionist in the family so I’ll have to ask her. I believe that she gets me Whey but has been talking about getting Pea protein. I’m not sure if she made the switch yet. I honestly just scoop it and drink it 🙂
It looks like you are doing a great job on reaching your goals. You are saving a high %, growing your blog, taking care of your health, raising a family, and growing spiritually. You truly are living the good life. Enjoy it.
Dave recently posted…Locus of Control
Thanks for sharing Dave!!! I am definitely blessed at this time in my life and it’s easy to forget all the blessings that I have.
Great job on the follow through. Looks like you have some excellent habits and all you need is to enjoy life and let time work its magic.
Doctor in Debt recently posted…Five Minute Friday: Your Rapid Response Report
Thanks for stopping by Doctor in Debt!!! Time is definitely going to be a huge factor 🙂
Congrats on your achievements. You’re doing a great job!
And what an amazing saving rate!
Keep up the good work!
What did you do to increase your viewership? I’m trying to increase my views, and from experience I know it’s very hard.
Cheers,
Pollie
I tried to get myself out there in the PF community as much as possible. I read a ton of blogs and wrote comments as much as possible 🙂
Great job! Sounds like you’re not doing too shabby 🙂
Have you thought of trying out smoothies? I don’t put any green in mine when I do have them, but they’re sweet enough to satisfy that sugar craving for me – but much healthier than sugar-alternatives 😛
Thanks for stopping by!!! My wife does smoothies but they smell awful. Maybe I can convince her to slowly build a shake for me that I can start to develop the taste for 🙂 Great suggestion!!
Congrats on all the progress. It has been a rather busy summer for us too and we haven’t been spending as much time in the Word or living our faith as we intended either.
One thing we have been doing is starting to read good books again that challenge us to grow.
Josh recently posted…Schoolhouse Teachers: An Educational Resource for any Family
Thanks for sharing Josh!!! There are so many great books out there 🙂 I wish I had more time to do all the things that I want to 🙂
Congratulations for FAILING to meet your savings goal! A 62% savings rate is nothing to hang your head to, but for all the reasons you’ve mentioned about why you didn’t meet your goal, ares great. What you spend your money on instead, truly shows your “rich habits”.
Insurances – keeping you, your family, and your home protected is priority #1. Skim on the insurances and one unforeseen event could topple your wealth fortress.
Estate Planning – I’d be curious to know how many folks out there actually have their affairs in order. I felt the anxiety leave my body after I completed our docs.
Vacation – knowing when to unplug and pull yourself away to spend time with the family…..well, what else can recharge the batteries better, right?
Church recently posted…Money Challenge: Unlink Your Checking and Savings
These goals are inspirational! It seems like you’re making great progress. And even the “fails” would seem like huge successes to most people. I’ve read that exercise is one of those keystone habits that promote other good habits – would you say that your bootcamp exercise helps you with other goals in your life?
Congrats on the coming child, I’m sure the hospital will be very memorable indeed 🙂
Matt @ Profitable Matters recently posted…15 Of My Favorite Ways to Save Money
Congrats on all your progress MSM! Failing the 70% SR goal with such a low difference would still be ok for me 🙂 Also congrats on your upcoming child!!
Congrats on meeting most of the goals. Sounds like the 2nd half of the year will be great! Keep it up (and I wish I had your page views….I would like to break 20,000 for the year by now….but alas I am only at just a little over 12000. Good luck!
Jason recently posted…If You Can Afford a Vacation You Can Afford to Invest