2013. Goals.

I figured I'd post this for two reasons - the first being that I think it's a nice way to follow a review of 2012, the second being I'm unoriginal and I've seen this done by a few other people I'm following/talking to.

Why not, eh?

My 13 goals for 2013.

1.  Read the Bible through.  I know it's a very common New Years' Resolution, but it's something that I've wanted to do for a while.  To be honest, there will be days that I don't get a lot from it - when you're trawling through Leviticus and Deuteronomy it can get somewhat dry, but I'm looking forward to finding those gems as I go.  It'll be worth reading about what we can and can't eat (or used to not be able to eat) and what to do when your older brother dies without having kids and you're the second oldest and unmarried just to come across those pieces of the puzzle that fit together centuries apart.  The little prophecies (foretelling) of the things the Jesus would be and do that were written a thousand years before He came to earth.  I'm looking forward to it.  That and the stories of the battles and wars in the Old Testament.  I could see myself wielding an axe, so it's fun to read about it.

2.  Print a photo.  I'd really like to take a photo that I feel I can print out on a canvas and have on our wall.  I have a few at the moment that I really like, but I'd like to really get into taking more photographs and using them - as opposed to simply storing them on the computer or carrying them round unused on an external hard drive.

3.  Travel.  I don't know where or when - my wifey and I have a few plans regarding what we're wanting to do in terms of travel this year, so we'll see where they lead to.  I've got a little travel project that I'm really wanting to get started, too.  Which will be nice.

4.  Make a book.  I've had a book idea for a while but it's been a case of money.  That's all I can really say about it at the moment.  Once I've got the money saved up for it, I've got a few people on board who are going to help with it, but for now it's the waiting game.

5.  This is a secret goal and will be shown upon its completion.

6.  Sing in church.  I love singing and I'm much more confident when I'm playing the bass and have a massive speaker behind me, but to be in the position where I can hear my own voice is daunting.  It's a great fear of mine that I sing out of tune and put people off around me.  I don't like being a distraction.  I know that sounds a bit up myself, but I don't want to be the reason someone feels the need to sing quietly.  I want to focus on God when I sing and not worry about anyone else and I want them to do the same.  It's an odd one.

7.  Pitch a game idea to a company.  I've got a few games that I've been working on and building up over the past few years and to be able to go to a company and pitch one of them would be wonderful.  I don't fully know how it works, but it'll be an experience.  And even if it gets shot down - as painful as it'd be to see my baby torn to bits - I'll learn from it, rethink the game idea and come on back.

8.  Get a job in the industry.  This is a harder one to think of because of other goals and situations.  I love my jobs.  Nando's is an amazing, fun, friendly place to work and there's not one of the 35/40 staff members that I don't get along well with.  Mountain Warehouse is also a fun, friendly place to work and full of the things that make me dream of going back to the States.  I regularly make a list of the things that I'd want for different situations in America.  It's harder to think of things for here, because there's not as much opportunity in terms of getting out and about.  In the States, you can camp pretty much anywhere you can pitch a tent and you can fish nearly any public water you can get to.  I'd make several bags full of differing equipment in my mental lists at Mountain Warehouse and create them for individual purposes.  From bug-out bags to a little day sack.  It's really good fun.  Really good fun that  I have off the clock, mind you.  To lose those jobs is a hard thought to have, but it's a sacrifice I'd happily make for a job in the games industry.

9.  I'd like to create something in a medium I don't use that much.  At the moment, all I can think of for this is pastels and paint, but that could be a 3D model or even a Warhammer figure.  Yea, I have those. Although I have an army's worth of figures, I work on them individually, so it takes a long time.  I love getting Greenstuff (a sculpting putty) and making little modifications to the little green men I collect.  At the rate I do it all, however, it's going to take about 6 months to complete my smallest unit of maybe 7 figures.  I don't mind, because I don't play, I just have the things for the purpose of modifying them.  It's pretty fun.

10.  This is a secret goal and will be shown upon its completion.

Thought I'd break up the word wall with a picture of a caterpillar.

11.  Redesign my blog.  I've been wanting to do this for a while and I've got a good friend who has a layout that I'm going to use.  I know it's won't be wholly original, but they'll be my tags, my photos, my ideas within the template.  I'm really looking forward to it and hope to get it done pretty soon.  I need to figure out what photos I'll be using for what tags I might create.

12.  Spoil my wifey.  We have differing lists of the things we're wanting.  I like the small things - the things that, really, don't mean a whole lot and I don't really need at all.  My wifey likes the practical things that we can use a lot and think about passing down to our kids.  That sort of stuff.  The unselfish things.  I want to spoil her this year with the things she wants.

13.  I'd like a conversation in Korean.  A couple of years ago when I was studying in the States, I had two Korean roommates.  Taek Ho Lee and Jongmin Park.  Really nice guys.  They'd have their friends round a lot and we'd sit in the living room and they'd teach me little bits of Korean.  It's always hard to learn a new language, but that difficulty is somewhat amplified when you're not using the Roman alphabet.  It's fantastic, but the areas of learning languages are highlighted - Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening.  Then there's the idea of Casual, Plain and Polite terms and words.  It's a challenge to learn everything at the same time.  To the point that I am looking a lot at the reading and writing and - to an extent - speaking.  I haven't found anyone yet to speak to and learn that way, so that's an aim I have for this year.


So there we have a few goals for this year.  These are by no means the only things I want to do this year, but they are a few things that I really want to push to do to better myself and learn a lot more.  I'll add a 14th:

14.  Read 5 books.  I'm not the best at reading.  I started a really good book once and didn't want it to end, so stopped reading.  Yea, I know it doesn't make sense.  I did finish a book last year, though.  Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller.  A fantastic book that does a great job at explaining the basics of Christian values and lifestyle in a very relaxed style of writing.  It's a really great read and I'd recommend it highly.  I'd lend it to you, had we not given out every copy we own.  Wisdom is a lady worth chasing and I intend to chase her in mind, body and soul.  In body by working out and maybe taking dance and fighting classes - to gain that knowledge of what I'm able to do.  My physical limits.  In soul by pushing forward in my faith and getting to know God more.  By listening to His voice and following what it it He's wanting us to do.  In mind by reading and trying to expand my knowledge of various aspects of life, science, nature, etc.  I have always held the opinion that you evangelise out of the heart in which you were saved.  That is to say when you see people on the street telling others how sinful they are and how they should repent right now and follow Christ; they do this because it's what caught their attention and found itself appealing to them; so it's the way that they naturally think works for everyone else.  Personally, my family have taught me God's love through their relationships and their kindness.  My dad has always been my role model in temperament, knowledge and - to an extent - wit; my mum has been my role model in her hospitality and warmth.  Both are creative and both show love for everyone.  In a roundabout way, that's why I want to gain knowledge and wisdom - so that in my relationships with people, I can show them Christ in a loving way and have an answer for things that they might want to ask.

I'd call that the more final list.  Once again, there'll be a lot more that I want to do but may not have thought of right now; some that I will have no idea about right now!  Either way, I'll let you know what they are when they crop up.

Have a great day.

Peace.