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My 2018 Goals: Stretching Myself

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

 

In one of my high school classes, a teacher had us write down three goals that we wanted to accomplish before graduating.  My three goals were: to weigh 175 pounds, to dunk a basketball, and to lift 200 pounds on the bench press.  

 

Unfortunately, I did not reach all three of those goals.  I graduated high school weighing 140 pounds [soaking wet].  I could dunk a tennis ball, but unfortunately not a basketball.  But at the gym, I was able to bench press 200 pounds.  One out of three ain’t bad!  

 

However, I was able to accomplish all those goals eventually.  Each just required different timelines.  I finally reached 175 pounds in my 30s, and I was able to dunk a basketball by my freshman year in college.  

 

Sometimes, some goals just take a little longer to reach than you might anticipate.

 

For 2017, I tried to set goals that I thought that I could reach without too much trouble.  For 2018, I’m going to try to set some harder goals knowing that I probably won’t reach them.  It will give me something to strive towards.

 

So without further ado-– my goals for 2018.  

 

FINANCIAL

  • GROW NET-WORTH (EXCLUDING MY HOME AND 529 PLANS) BY 25%.

Yes, this is the same goal that I had last year.  I honestly don’t think that we will be able to replicate what we did last year.  I don’t think the market is going to return almost 20%, so unless we make some substantial sacrifices, I’m not sure we will be able to reach this goal.

 

With that said, I am hoping that we’ll be able to increase our side hustles to make up the difference.  More on that below.

 

  • SAVE 70% OF OUR TAKE-HOME PAY.  

This is the same as last year as well.  We didn’t reach it last year, and like the previous goal, I have a hard time imagining that we’ll be able to reach this lofty number this year.  With that said, I don’t want to decrease it because I like pushing myself.  

 

While we have hovered around 65% for the past couple of years, I’m not too upset that we haven’t broken through the 70% barrier.  In the last couple of years, we’ve added two kids, started funding multiple 529 plans, and still maintained an enjoyable lifestyle without a major salary increase.  While it would be nice to achieve 70%, I know it will require some serious belt tightening or a salary increase.

 

REACHING FIRE

  • INCREASE PARTICIPANTS OF THE COURSE.

As many of you know I created a course last year called Reaching FIRE.  I put in a considerable amount of time to create this course from scratch.  I piloted the class this past fall and received some great feedback from the class.  

 

“This course is so much more practical than [a competitor]. Not only do you have a live instructor to review and discuss topics with, but also by providing tools and resources.”

 

“I learned a lot and I enjoyed Rob’s teaching style. By the end of the class I had a plan to reach financial independence. The class had a well rounded approach to finances versus focusing primarily on debt.”

 

“Rob, was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend the church implementing this course as it will benefit so many others.”

 

“I really enjoyed the class and was able to take away things that I can apply to my life. The fact that Rob is so accessible and down to earth, and a regular person, not a celebrity, gives hope to other non-celebrities that we too can make it financially.”

 

I currently have two meetings scheduled this month with different churches to potentially teach this course in the near future.  My goal is to do so at least once every other month, with the hope of six runnings in 2018.  

 

BLOG

  • MAINTAIN VIEWERSHIP OF 100,000 PAGE VIEWS.  

While I reached 100,000 page views during one month last year, it was not consistent.  My goal this year is to average of 100,000 page views per month, with a total of 1,200,000 page views for the year.  Admittedly, this goal will be extremely difficult to accomplish, but I am up for the challenge.  

 

  • MAKE $1,000 A MONTH THROUGH THE WEBSITE.  

I’m really excited that I made $3,000 through the website last year.  This year, I’d like to increase the goal to $1,000 a month.  While that is a huge jump, I am hoping that my continued investment in the website will yield a nice return.  

 

On top of that, I am hoping to branch out and provide financial coaching to folks, as well as eventually figure out a way to monetize the Reaching FIRE course.  At times, I struggle with what I think I can charge people for my one-on-one services.  At this point, I have not charged anybody a single dollar, much to my wife’s chagrin.  

 

Hopefully in 2018, I can figure out what I am truly worth.  If you have any advice, please shoot me an email, as I am all ears.

 

PERSONAL

  • WORK OUT 4X A WEEK AND GET A SIX-PACK.

I don’t know how I am going to accomplish these goals this year.  Having two kiddos has made it difficult to work out as consistently as I’d like.  Plus, my boot camp recently discontinued the 8 pm class that I had been attending.  

 

They do offer a 5 a.m. class.  Although, the thought of waking up at 5 a.m. to workout is just not appealing.  I tried doing it for a couple of weeks.  However, at work, I was a zombie.  Then, I would crash as soon as I came home.  I function best when I sleep at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. or later.  Any alteration of that does not fly.  

 

I have looked into potentially joining a Crossfit gym since they offer slightly better hours.  On the other hand, I’m also considering some fitness apps that I’ve found.  

 

If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know.  I want to stay active, but I am struggling to find the “right” workout program.

 

  • TRY TO OBTAIN AN OVERSEAS POSITION.  

When my wife and I first got married, we didn’t think we would ever be able to go abroad because my wife was the main caregiver to her special needs sister.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but her sister may have some new supports in place in the near future.  At that point, we would have the freedom and flexibility to consider positions overseas.

 

Since I have the go-ahead to start pursuing these overseas opportunities, I need to determine where I would be the best fit so that I can provide some value.

 

Admittedly, I am scared that I won’t be valuable enough.  But then again, I say that with every job that I take.  Sometimes I am my own worst critic.  

   

  • MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 12 LIVES.  

Some of the best gifts that I receive are when people tell me how I have positively impacted them.  Whether that’s through the blog or through the Reaching FIRE class, I love to hear when something has resonated with someone.  My goal for 2018 is to make a difference in one person’s life each month.  Honestly, I don’t have this fully thought out yet, but I’d like to make it happen.

 

  • PRAY WITH MY FAMILY EVERYDAY.  

This is a slight alteration from last year’s goal.  My wife and I agree that both reading the Bible and praying are vital for our lives.  However, if you followed my progress from last year, you might know that my wife and I really didn’t do a great job at reading the Word together.  We have decided to focus more on praying together, and also with our toddler, this year.

 

SO READERS, THERE YOU HAVE IT– MY 2018 GOALS.  DID YOU SET ANY 2018 GOALS FOR YOURSELF?  SHARE YOUR GOALS BELOW.

Comments

  4. Hey MSM!

    Amazing goals that you have here! It certainly sounds overwhelming but I’m sure you’re going to own them!!!

    I really hope you can grow your FIRE course and reach the results you want. The best part would be knowing the fact you helped many people with their financial situation!

    Wishing you all the best in 2018! I’m looking forward to your 2018 posts. As always, I’m sure they will add tons of value to your readers!
    fin$avvy panda @ finsavvypanda.com recently posted…5 Amazing Money Tips From a BillionaireMy Profile

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  5. Great goals! That’s so great that you save so much of your income. (We are definitely not there yet.) And I love that you have big goals for growing your blog. I’m a new reader on your blog, and I love it already:)

    So far we’ve just focused on defining business goals for 2018, but I love that you have a plan for praying together. That will be wonderful for your toddler!
    Mrs. College Rental recently posted…2018 Goals for College Rentals 101My Profile

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    • Thanks for stopping by Mrs. College Rental!!! I’m glad to hear from a new reader 🙂 That’s awesome that you’ve set up business goals. I think it’s so important to get things down in writing to measure against 🙂

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  6. You are thinking really big! Some of those goals are things that aren’t really in your control, but hopefully you have a plan to do the things that are in your control that might make them a possibility. For instance, having a certain amount of views. A more tangible goal might be to put X amount of time in or focus on x strategies and whatever comes of it comes of it, if that makes sense? Anyhoo, I wish you the best of luck on all the things you want to achieve!
    Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…18 Ways to Start 2018 RightMy Profile

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    • Thanks for stopping by Tonya!!! I definitely agree that traffic is not something I have a ton of control over. I may need to revisit that goal and incorporate some of the points you outlined above. Thanks for sharing!!!

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  13. Great goals! The overseas position is an interesting one. Are there particular countries you’d like to live in more than others? I’ve thought about this too, but I have so much in terms of friends and family here, I feel like I’d be losing a lot by moving overseas. I’m glad you have the flexibility 🙂
    SMM recently posted…Retirement – You May Need A Little or A LotMy Profile

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  14. I’d like to get to 100,000 page views in general. I’m going to push and push, and hopefully I’ll get there!

    4x a week in the gym and eating well WILL get you a 6 pack. I’ve been back in the gym, but with the holidays, definitely eat a little more than I wanted to and now have a few more pounds on me. Not a bad thing, but will want to slim down in the coming months.

    Thanks for the update.
    Erik recently posted…The Mastermind Within 2017 Goals RecapMy Profile

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  15. 2 thoughts:

    If you’re at 100k pageviews a month, I think $1k per month should be easy.

    With regards to the 6pack, diet is just as important as excercise. You can workout a lot but if your diet is carb heavy, the 6 pack will still hide under the fat. Everyone has a 6 pack, it’s just a matter of if you can get your body fat % low enough
    Troy @ Bull Markets recently posted…How the first day of the trading year impacts the rest of the yearMy Profile

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  16. You’ve got some great goals for the coming year.. Some of them are similar to to ones we have at our house.. We’d like to have our family grow more in our faith, and praying daily seems to be one good way to do that. Also hoping to start some sort of daily or weekly family devotional.

    Also hoping to increase our savings to 60%, along with increasing page views and income on my site. The site traffic is trending positively at the end of 2017, so that might be possible. We’ll see about the savings level.

    Here’s to a blessed 2018!
    Peter recently posted…25 Bible Verses For A Happy New Year!My Profile

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  17. Happy New Year!

    I’m still searching for the 6-pack, but I’ve had pretty good results with P90X. You can do it at home with some basic equipment.

    On the overseas position search, I agree with your comment that we are often our own worst critic. I’ve had similar thoughts which have probably kept me at my current employer for over 20 years! I encourage you to at least explore the opportunities in 2018.
    Mr. Need2Save recently posted…HOME: Investment or Just A Place To Live?My Profile

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    • Thanks for stopping by!!! I did P90X for a couple of years. I have to admit I got great results but after awhile I started to get really burned out from the repetition. It’s been a couple of years so I might revisit it again 🙂

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  18. Great goals MSM! I do Crossfit and enjoy the varied workouts. Every other exercise regime I have tried got old after a while, but I have been able to stick with Crossfit for five years straight! Although lately it has gotten a lot harder with a new baby.

    That is a large saving rate, do you include your kiddos 529’s in that? I would guess so if you are putting the max of $8k per kid in for the VA state tax deduction.

    Good luck in reaching your goals!

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    • Thanks for sharing Mr. Widget!!! I have definitely been looking into Crossfit although the costs has definitely given me pause. With the 529, I actually don’t count that as savings since it’s going to be an expense at some point 🙂

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  19. Love the stretch goals! Your site is one of my favorites to read and I think you deserve the growth you’ve seen and the potential future growth as well! Good luck finding the right workout program, searching for overseas work, and all of these goals this year!
    Mrs. COD recently posted…Mrs. COD’s Freelance UpdateMy Profile

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  20. I always love seeing the Bible/praying goals, Rob. You guys are kicking it -keep up the great work!! After trying many different goal setting techniques, I’ve found it best to push myself by setting lofty goals too. I just get more accomplished when I set the bar higher. Excited to see you guys are still looking at a move overseas! That could be super fun!

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  21. I like that your thinking big MSM!! Having these type of goals will make you work at your hardest at trying to strive for them. I like that after $3K in blogging last year you want to get @ $1K a month. That’s four times that amount but hopefully you can work your butt off to make that goal profit and with the page views you have, you can certainly do it.
    Man idk how your will be able to workout that much and now have two kiddos. I struggle to workout myself and I only have one kid. I try to use workout apps and youtube videos whenever I have the time. Maybe you should look into that too.
    Kris recently posted…A Personal Finance Checklist for the New YearMy Profile

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