In 6th grade, I started writing out my life goals list. Each year, I make adjustments and go for it.

I am big on goal setting. I just refuse to drift through life. Most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning their life out. I think that’s a tragedy. Chris Brogan came up with a cool new idea for goal setting in 2009. I am going to borrow from his concept for my personal use, but I still have to set concrete, measurable, specific goals if I am ever going to accomplish them.

These are not resolutions.  Resolutions stink.  These are GOALS.  This list isn’t all of them, it’s not all of the details, and they are not in any order. That would just be too personal…so, here are my 2009 goals that I feel like sharing:

• Take Amber out at least 26 times.  That’s every other week. And not just for dinner and a movie. I’m talking stinking awesome, knock her socks off dates. Shower her with affection and always put her before myself. Always.
• Spend good, quality time with Couper every day. Some days it might be 10  minutes; others it could be 10 hours. I refuse to miss my son grow up.
• Lead our church to an average weekly attendance of 1,000 people…this goal has a HUGE sub-list of smaller goals.
• Lead our set design, tech, lighting, etc area to a WHOLE NUTHA LEVEL.
• Read 40 books. See my 2009 reading list here.
• Pray. A. Lot. I have to figure out what God wants me to do long, long, long-term ASAP and start working towards it, intentionally. Its eating me up inside.
• Send more personal, handwritten notes to people
• Go on a mission trip out of the country. No idea how this will ever happen financially.
• Continue to run a lot and knock out a few races. Also, in the area of fitness, I would like to start biking more and bulk up a little. That’s right, everyone else wants to lose 10 pounds…I want to gain 15.
• Cut back on some of our “dumb expenses” like cable tv. We blow money on all kinds of stuff we don’t need in this country, just because we can. I’m not going to do that anymore. We will be “trimming” this year so that we can save for the future. Live like no one else now so that you can live like no one else later.
• Beat Steve Etheridge in a game of washer pitching. Now THAT is a goal.
• DJ on the radio for a day. For some reason that is on my life goal list. I’ve just always wanted to do it. Maybe if I beat Steve at a game of washers he’ll let me do it. Heck, if he wins, he can have my job for a Sunday.
• Re-invent The Connection Church on the web. I’m so sick of our website I could puke. That makes sense though. I have to look at it and work on it every day. Its a great site…very functional and simple. But, we’ve had it almost 4 years and its time for it to go.
• Help Cole find a hobby that helps him relax. “Going to church” isn’t a hobby.
• Build a porch swing. I’ve wanted to do that for years.
• Not punch anyone at my 10 year high school reunion.