Monday, December 29, 2014

Reviewing my resolutions

It's interesting to see other bloggers starting to put out their battle plans for 2015 with their great goals and targets. It's just not me though, not because I don't believe in goals and planning but I think it shouldn't be dictated by the number of revolutions the earth rotates about its axis and around the sun. I think it should be set when one is motivated and the circumstances forces a change in plans :) For me, if you feel all motivated to begin the new year at the end of the current year, go ahead and plan it out. I just feel I'm still in a holiday mood now and I'm not so ready to begin my year, haha :)


I looked back at my past post to see if I did any resolutions (and more importantly, whether I kept to it or not). I realised that while I do set long term targets, I seldom have any new year resolutions. The resolutions, if they are present, is to give myself some leeway to break my long term targets. Blur? Let me explain.


I've some perennial goals and are always present. It's always in my mind. Here's a few:


1. Save 50k per year. While the figure might change pending on circumstances, the goal is still intact, plus minus a few k. For example, my savings target this year is just 30-40k, that's because my outlook for this year isn't that great. Fortunately, I was proved wrong, lol

2. Have a fitness program. This goes on and off, mostly depending on my schedule. At least I worked hard for about a quarter to half a year (before my peak season starts), thereafter my fitness schedule goes to the dumps as work picks up. But at least my diet is the thing that can stay constant. I'm eating better food and less economic rice. While economic rice saves me money, it is very oily, salty and the food is not always the freshest nor the best parts. Tze char seems to be the costlier choice, but better in quality and I can always ask them to use less oil and salt (which they do).

3. Read 52 books a year. Always. No excuses.


These are always going to be my resolutions, so much so that they are the default mode. There's no need to dedicate one day, every year, to write them out again unless one day they proved to be suitably non-challenging anymore. From what I can see, it's not going to be any easier but harder to achieve them. So as long as they challenge me, it'll be there. Here, take a look at some of my 'resolutions' that I've written in the past:


1. Repugnant resolution (2011)

2. Resolutions: To spend more money (2011)

2. New year resolutions redefined (2010)


Firstly, that's not a lot of resolutions written since I started the blog in 2006! Secondly, my resolutions, as mentioned earlier, is all about breaking my perennial goals. Spend more money, work less, enjoy life more, eat more nonsense foods, experience more life, all written in a wishy-washy, messy manner! That's in direct contrast to my clinical and surgical goals - a fixed number by a certain fixed date. Interesting isn't it? Maybe even a bit schizophrenic.


No, I'm not crazy! Okay, maybe just a little.

But that's okay. I'm a complex person and I reserve the rights to be both superbly rational in one minute and a crazily emotional beast the next minute. As long as I'm happy, that's the most important condition.


Wishing everyone a fulfilling, healthy and prosperous 2015 :)


15 comments :

Singapore Man of Leisure said...

LP,

I see you are in touch with your feminine side too.

Women have a different concept of time...

How much longer dear?

10 more minutes!

Yeah, right!

How much longer dear? It's 10 minutes already!!!

10 more minutes!

And men wonder why women live longer?

OK, this one may fly over the heads of most men.

LOL!

Eh? What has this got to do with your post?

I happy; I write.

I wrote; I happy!

Createwealth8888 said...

Good to have rubber time.

No need to hurry and hardly short of time too.

Not enough? Just stretch it longer.

LOL!

la papillion said...

Hi SMOL,

Haha, look at my nickname: La papillion! Not exactly a macho man kind of name huh? Some readers thought I'm a female too :)

At the end of the day, happiness is most important :)

la papillion said...

Hi bro8888,

Aiya, I don't like rubber time. Time for me isn't flexible, it's exact :) But living with another person who doesn't treat time like I do taught me that there's another way to see time!

darren said...

Hi LP

You've pretty much covered the basics in your goals - money, health and mind! Of course don't forget another important aspect - relationships (both with family and friends)!

la papillion said...

Hi retail trader,

Indeed,that's the point of 369 degrees planning - to cover as many areas as possible. I didn't include 2 things in that list, spiritual and relationships. It's kind of funny to put these as goals :)

Rolf Suey said...

Hi LP,

Just wrote the same thing on B blog about target....

To set target is great and essential, but failing target is not exactly disastrous! To be able to accept changes coming along and adjust to it is as commendable as reaching target by itself.

A target should be a motivation for continuous improvement and not just a finishing point. Do not be bewitched by it, maybe that is not happiness. Happiness is having a target that allow us to work towards it and experience all the falls along the way, and learn from it. Without target, work and failure, all we can do is just talk about others experience on the book and blog. One day when we are old, we realized what is life experience all about?

52 books a year.

Remember when we are in primary school.. The Master Reader Programs... Your uniforms are all badges full....

Haha

May the new year bless you and your family! Keep going!

SS said...

Hi LP,

I looked back on my 2014 resolutions and I realized I didn't complete most of them. LOL

I guess resolutions are made to be broken, so that they imbue a sense of guilt when it happens.

la papillion said...

Hi Rolf,

I saw your beautifully written paragraph on B's blog and I wanted to comment on it, but then I saw that you had put the same reply here :)

I totally agree with you on this. I believe a goal, if set properly, should never be achieved. It's always work in progress. If you want to put a tick besides the goal, you can set yourself an easy target. That's not going to be much of a motivation. A good target is something just beyond your reach. It makes achieving it just beyond the realm of possibility. That's the best kind of goal.

I think it's the experience of having made the journey that matters. While trying to reach that near impossible goal, you have to transform yourself. That transformation, to me, is the whole point of setting goals. A goal that doesn't transform you into something better, is not a goal worth pursuing. We can all set "eat 3 meals a day" kind of goals, but if you've been doing that all the time, what's the point of achieving that goal. It merely becomes an exercise in planning, with insignificant outcome.

Ah, about the 52 books a year. When I started it, I was reading less than 10 books a year. I just suddenly wanted to do it, so I set myself a goal of 1 book a week. Interestingly, it's only when I've the busiest year that I usually hit that goal. That goes to show how much time can be lost if we didn't focus our attention.

You have a great year ahead too - good health, good prosperity, great relationships!

la papillion said...

Hi SRSI,

Haha, as long as you will still try to reach that goal even if you didn't achieve it, I think it's okay :) If not, you should lower that goal a little and see if you can reach it :)

B said...

Hi LP

Actually they are also considered your goals and targets la, just maybe you don't feel them as your immediate goal to die die must achieve next year.

I think you've been well hitting your perennial goals, at least more to it for the effort than the amount so I think that would account for your successful year.

la papillion said...

Hi B,

I think u misunderstood me. I'm all for goals and targets. I'm just not sure about new year resolutions (defined as the setting of new goals for the new year around the last days of the current year or the first few days of the new year) Haha! The 3 goals that I set are definitely not new year resolutions. They are new years resolutions. Every yr, I got to have these 3 goals and additonal goals are usually not planned at the end or start of the year. They are planned when I'm feeling motivated or the circumstances changed.

Still, it's all just in name. I'm sure you can reach your targets this coming new yr ;)

Rolf Suey said...

Hi LP,

Thank you for the compliments and the well wishes.

Experience & Action – Bingo!!!

Ironically in a good way, it is at times when you are most busy that you can do more things!

To a lot of people out there I encountered, stop saying I am very busy, I have no time to do this and that. Maybe they should say I am not interested … instead of busy! 

You are just a great guy and great teacher. Always have utmost respect to passionate teachers!
And yes a beautiful butterfly who writes beautifully.

Time flies, its 31 Dec 2014, I am going back to office really soon after a long break.

Wish you and family, Perfect Health, Wealth and Happy Experiences!

Rolf

PS: Added your bloglink without permission. Hope you do not mind.

secretinvestors said...

Hi LP,

Wow, 52 books a year.. Thats like 1 book a week. Did you attend any speed reading class?

Anyway, may 2015 be a fruitful and prosperous year for you. Hope you can achieve all your goals :)

la papillion said...

Hi secretinvestors,

Ya, it's 1 book per week :)

Nope, no speed reading class. Actually I do read slowly, and I hate speed reading. It just kills the joy of reading. The books that I read must be interesting enough for me to find small little pockets of time to read. I read between work, while waiting and before bed.

The trick to read more books is just to find more time to read, not necessary reading faster.

Thanks for your well wishes! I wish you a merry new yr too!