Last year, I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I set goals. “I don’t like long lists of resolutions,” I wrote. “You need focus to achieve a goal. If you set too many goals, it’s difficult to keep them all in mind. When you lose sight of a goal, you begin to drift.”
At the start of 2008 I shared three goals for the year:
- To save a $10,000 emergency fund.
- To lose 40 pounds.
- To write a book about personal finance.
How’d I do? I had mixed success. Still, I’m pleased with the results. I pursued each goal the entire year (instead of giving up, as I often have in the past with resolutions), and I made progress on each.
Saving $10,000
Last February, I wrote about the power of positive cash flow. When I started to take control of my finances in 2004, I had a negative cash flow. I was spending more than I earned.
By reducing my expenses and increasing my income, I managed to generate a positive cash flow, which I used to pay off my debt. At first, this positive cash flow was small: about $50 per month. But I continued to cut expenses and to find ways to earn more money, so that by the time I eliminated the last of my consumer debt, I had generated a positive cash flow of over $1,000 a month — a figure that still boggles my mind. (What if I’d done this ten years ago!?)
Once my debt was gone, I turned this positive cash flow (which increased during 2008) toward saving. I funneled the money into an online high-yield savings account, and by the end of the summer I’d met my $10,000 goal! (Since then, I’ve been setting the cash aside for a new car.)
Losing 40 pounds
On 01 January 2008, I weighed 207 pounds. My body fat was 33%. Today, I weigh 197 pounds. My body fat is 31%. Looking strictly at the numbers, you might count this as a severe failure. I think of it as a modest success. I’m comfortable with that progress.
During the middle of the summer, I actually managed to weigh in at 187 and 26% body fat for about a week. I was training to run a marathon. I was eating well. I felt great. I was getting fit!
But I was pushing myself too hard. The changes I’d made weren’t sustainable. I refused to admit that at the time (despite advice from readers at Get Fit Slowly, my fitness blog), but in retrospect it’s clear. From couch potato to marathon runner in six months was a little too ambitious, and ignored the “slowly” part of my mantra. I hurt myself, then experienced some family trauma, and my unsustainable fitness program was swept out the door.
Writing a book
My final goal was to write a book about personal finance. That didn’t happen either. Again, I’m not disappointed.
I started the year by interviewing several published authors (Ramit Sethi, Penelope Trunk, Liz Pulliam Weston), looking for advice. I also spoke to a handful of literary agents. After careful consideration, I decided that this wasn’t a goal I wanted to pursue at the time.
Throughout the year, I spoke with several more authors (Scott Burns, Timothy Ferriss, Leo Babauta) and picked their brains about the process. Finally, just before Thanksgiving, I decided that maybe I do have a book in me. I’m now in the process of crafting an outline so that I can write a book proposal.
Other goals
Though I had only three primary goals for the year, I also set several secondary goals:
- Fully fund my retirement account. Mission accomplished!
- Begin accelerating our mortgage payments. Kris and I began prepaying our mortgage in February. Ironically, it’s the best investment we made all year.
- Perfect my paperless personal finance system. This isn’t perfected yet, but I’m working on it.
- Document my progress toward fitness at Get Fit Slowly. I did well at this for most of the year, but for the last three months, I haven’t done as much as I’d like. GRS is my top priority.
- Read Proust. Alas, I didn’t make time to read Proust in 2008. I read many other great books, but the mammoth Lost Time wasn’t one of them.
Again, that’s not a bad record. I do need to make more time for leisure reading, but I’m pleased with the other things I accomplished.
No more resolutions
In previous years, my New Year’s resolutions have been abandoned almost from the start. I’d go to the gym for a few days, but then miss a day or two, and feel like a failure. By instead setting goals in 2008, I was able to stay focused, even when I lost my way. Better yet, I was able to actually accomplish something, even if I didn’t always reach the goals I’d set for myself.
How did you do on your goals (or resolutions) for 2008? What did you accomplish? Are you pleased with your progress? What could you have done better? What lessons did you learn that can be applied for 2009?
Please don’t share your goals for 2009 just yet. We’ll talk about them on Friday.
This article is about Real-Life, Self-Improvement
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One of the keys to accomplishing that weight loss goal is to cut consumption. Take in fewer calories. Perhaps you can apply your cost reduction and saving techniques to your weight loss goals. Wealth without health makes no sense.
“The Effect of Health on the Marginal Utility of Consumption” –
http://www.aeaweb.org/annual_mtg_papers/2009/retrieve.php?pdfid=87
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JD,
You nailed it with putting goals to work instead of relying on resolutions. On my website I ask profile questions before a member can join. As you know one of the goals on the site is to improve their financial position by $5000 by either paying off debt or saving or the combination of the two. About 70% of the members have cited sticking to their goals and staying motivated to reach them to be their most difficult obstacle to overcome in the challenge. People can type in any thing they want to describe their challenges they have to overcome, yet over and over the issue to getting ahead is sticking to their goals and staying motivated. Only two people have cited not making enough money. So, it seems to me personal finance is more about setting goals and sticking to them, not how much money you make or how well you can play the market. The members are being honest with themselves because as I look back at every failed aspiration or resolution I’ve had, if it wasn’t a deeply rooted goal, I never made it.
Chett
http://www.5k5k.org
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Regarding the weightloss goal. I think all of us know (for the most part) which foods are healthy or not. We also all know that exercise is important. The key is accountability and follow-through. Find a workout partner (not your wife) and set a time to meet at the gym 3 or 4 times a week. Earlier in the day is best. I did this for 2008 and am down 40-50 lbs (varies day to day). There were many days that I did not want to get out of bed and go to the gym at 6:30 AM. However, knowing that I was meeting someone…..always got me up. My friend has expressed the same result. He also is down 40 lbs. We’ve both got another 30 to go.
The reason I said….not your wife…earlier is that it would be too easy to both skip the workout.
Take care,
Mike
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Our goal for 2008 financially was to significantly reduced expenses and cut my credit line debt in half (from $40K to $20K). The objective was to be able to easily live off one income if the unthinkable happened.
Well the unthinkable did happen. In December, my husband was laid off. By reducing our expenses, we can live off my income, take small bits from his emergency savings, AND I will still be able to pay off the rest of my debt by the end of 2009 (including my car).
As for healthy goals, I wanted to loose the last 30 lbs. I did not acheive that goal. But I did not gain weight either. I kept up a good exercise routine and I am happy about that. 2009 is a new year though.
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One of your goals was to “fully fund my retirement account,” which you say was accomplished. How do you define that? By one measure, it sounds like you are ready to give it up now and hit that rocking chair. Somehow, I doubt that.
People have different definitions of things like “fully fund.” I asked people around my office if anyone was “maxing out” their 401(k) because I had a question about that. Several people said they sure were — but what they meant was saving the 5% that qualified for the company’s maximum contribution of 5%. What I meant was hitting the annual dollar maximum.
So, how do you define “fully fund?”
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I guess I didn’t really have any financial goals or resolutions for 2008. I managed to finish paying off all of my credit card debt despite not having that as a goal. It just seemed like the closer I got to paying that off, the more focused I became because I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn’t until I paid it off that I really got into reading PF blogs and trying to decide what to do with all the extra money I had that wasn’t going toward that debt. Since about 2000/2001 I have had myself on a budget and I have done pretty well, but there was always credit card debt. NOT ANY MORE! WHooo hooo!
In addition to paying off my cc debt, I also began to focus on frivolous spending and cutting unnecessary expenses. We just refinanced my husband’s car which will save him $350 over 3 years, and we switched to getting cable, phone and internet all from the same provider which saves us about $30 per month.
All in all, I am very happy with the progress we have made this year, but at the beginning of 2008, I didn’t even know we would have these goals. It just goes to show that January isn’t the only time of the year to set goals!
Happy New Year to one and all!
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@Cybergeezer (#5)
When I say “fully fund my retirement account” (or “max out my retirement account”), I mean that I want to fund it to the maximum the law allows every year. That means that I’m contributing as much as possible to a Roth IRA and that I’m contributing as much as possible to my 401(k) — the latter of which is new this year.
The actual amounts will vary from year-to-year because my income varies. (Blogging income seems almost random at times.) In 2008, I contributed the maximum the law allowed for my situation. That’s my definition of fully funding a retirement account.
So, I’m with you: it means hitting the annual dollar maximum.
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I didn’t set any resolutions last year either but I did focus on a few goals and accomplished them.
1. Stayed in school. I lack academic confidence and it’s the hardest thing to do for me.
2. Move back in with my parents to save money and fix my bad financial situation. I loss my job in 2007. I didn’t find a new job after a month. The industry I was working in started falling apart and I didn’t have the skill set to find a new place in it or another industry.
3. Ran the Chicago Marathon. I actually did it. I wanted to lose weight also. I loss a little bit but my main concern was to start training and actually do it. Now I’m addicted to it. It’s really hard to lose weight. There so many habits to change.
I wrote my 2009 goals on my personal blog at http://www.markemmanuel.com/. They are similar goals as last year but modified to reflect the next step towards my 10 year goals.
Good luck to everyone and have a Happy New Year!
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I set financial goals, personal goals, exercise goals and volunteer goals for 2009. My financial goals are to purchase a 6 mo. $1,000 CD each month, and to put $500 in a high-yield savings. This gives me peace of mind knowing that I have money available now (in the savings acct.) and money available in the future w/the CD’s. At the end of 6 months, I can have them deposited into my checking account/savings acct. or have them rolled over. It’s so easy to buy them online and takes less than 5 minutes. You can also buy 3 mo. CD’s. This has a lot of psychological benefits for me that are too. Instead of buying something during the month for a pick-me-up, buying the CD at the beginning of the month IS a wonderful pick-me-up, and so for the rest of the month, I focus on things I already own, value them, and use them.
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I’ll go with the poundage and debt. What little extra I have of both need to go! Happy New Year to everyone over here at G.R.S.
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So are you just that much closer to getting the MINI Cooper or has that ship sailed?
My goals for 08 were to continue losing weight. I am finally down in “normal” BMI mode. March of 07 I was 250. Yesterday I weighed in around 185.
I paid off my car loan successfully and quite a few years ahead of schedule. I honestly forget if I had a 4 or 6 year loan. I paid it off in 14 months so what difference does it make. =D
My savings fund didn’t do as well since most was channeled towards debt. I have a student loan left but I’m really torn between paying it off (it’s at 4.75%) or just saving the cash. I may do something in between and just send in larger payments but not the giant payments I made to my car.
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Never believed in making resolutions, but began doing that in the last half of 2008 with medium success. Now working on the resolutions for 2009, because reaching one out of three goals is a lot better than reaching none at all
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Perfecting your paperless system can be done VERY easily with a Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner – they make a MAC version – couple this with an online database you can upload them to and you’ve got a WINNER!!
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J.D.:
At least you didn’t weigh MORE at the start of the New Year. If you keep steady year after year, chipping away at the pounds a few digits at a time, maybe that’s the way you’ll learn to reduce your poundage — and most importantly keep it off for life. So do the math — in how many years will you be at said desired weight?
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We were able to max out two Roths and a 401(k), and pay down principal on our mortgage, although not as much as I wanted. My goal was to apply another mortgage payment to principal each month. Unfortunately, we had to move (rented out the home since we plan to retire there) so that principal payment stopped. And until Thanksgiving, I maintained a 100 lb. weight loss for the second year in a row. I WILL get those extra 10 lbs. off, however, and get back into maintaining that loss. What I didn’t do at all, though, was to finish a craft project I wrote down as a goal. Ah, well, there’s always 2009!
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Congratulations to everyone who kept physical fitness / weight control resolutions or goals! I think they are much more difficult than financial goals.
2008 was the first year that I kept a resolution for a whole year — perhaps because it was such an easy one. I resoloved to carry a bag with me and not take bags for purchases if at all possible. It worked! I had many good conversations about not using paper/plastic bags with check-out folks and others waiting in line, AND I think I may have purchased less because I was more conscious about what I was doing. I guess it is now a habit, and I’m still thinking about a good resolution for 2009. Maybe a goal to throw out/shred some paper every day would help me feel better about too much paper stores all over my house!
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Some personal development gurus recommend only setting one or two goals each year and truly focusing on achieving them. One well-known PD guy suggests one personal goal and one professional goal. Another suggests that we shouldn’t really focus on goals, we should focus on initiatives. I really like that idea and it seems to be the route I actually end up taking when I am successful. Most goals are not fixed, but are really ongoing improvement processes we’d like to achieve. (J.D.-I think your success this year is clearly success with “initiatives,” more so than goals. The change in jobs was fixed, but everything else is ongoing.)
Our financial goal are largely on auto-pilot with maximum retirement funds and such, so we don’t usually look at those any more. We just continue them.
Like most people I had several other goals at the beginning of the year, but in the end I actually achieved only one and it’s a goal that is really a combination personal/professioal goal. I launched my gluten-free blog. (It’s GFE–Gluten Free Easily and it’s all about living gluten free, by focusing on real food that is naturally gluten free. http://glutenfreeeasily.com) It didn’t officially happen until Dec. 30, but it took months for me to get to that point (with the help of several key folks). I am seriously thrilled, but now that it’s launched, the work is not done, so it’s an initiative for this year as well.
As far as weight loss, like most everyone else, I want to lose weight, too. Some people lose weight after going gluten free and I did, but only because I also gave up dairy and sugar initially. I don’t believe like some people say that it’s all about calories and exercise. I’ve lost weight before doing minimal exercise (although I value exercise for other reasons), but eating the right foods. And, I did it without limiting the amount of food I ate. (My body regulated what I needed and I listened.) Some folks really do crave certain foods due to food intolerances and subsequent vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Those folks can eat all day long and never feel satisfied. Some are thin, some are overweight. Anyway, lately, I’ve been reading about food combining and have actually talked to folks who’ve done it successfully, felt great, and dropped all their excess weight easily. (One website that talks about food combining to resolve numerous health issues and achive optimum weight is http://www.greattastenopain.com. I am not affiliated with them in any way, but the testimonials are very compelling.) Food combining makes sense to me, so in addition to continuing with my blog, tweaking the diet to obtain maximum health and perfect weight will be on this year’s list.
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For most things in life, getting the direction right (like losing weight instead of gaining weight) is the most important thing. Staying on track, even if a little behind on goals set by arbitrary dates, is often less important
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JD – something to think about….
My advice is to make your fitness goal your main priority. Why? Because it will prolong your LIFE and you will be HAPPIER! What more could you want than a long and rich life?
It sounds like you know why you didn’t meet your marathon goal, but you never said anything about doing one eventually (maybe you will discuss tomorrow?).
If you are thinking about running one, take it slow. I trained for 9 months for my first one (and my training began after I was already averaging about 6-10 miles a week). I know you can do it.
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Hi J.D.
Glad your back from your rest and relaxation. To me it seems that your goals were achieved in the areas that your “passionate” about. Obviously you reached your 10K goal because of your passion regarding the subject- OR your blog wouldn’t be as successful as it it. Your not as “in love” with the idea of health or weight loss. From one blogger to another, J.D. read my post on why goals fail and how to avoid it at:
http://conquerms.com/5-reasons-people-fail-achieve-years-resolutions/
My new years resolution? To have a “rockin” blog where I can stay home too!
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This might be a fitting time to share a great website about goal setting:
http://www.43things.com
In no way am I affiliated with the site, but I do praise it with getting my life organized. Every day is filled with conscious intent now.
Best of luck to everyone’s goals in 2009.
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@Kevin (#19)
Oh, yes, I do plan to do a marathon eventually. I’m going to train as if I’m doing one in 2009, but I’m not going to push myself. Does that make sense? I want to build some base fitness and strength. If it takes all year to do that and I can’t run the marathon in October, that’s fine. There’s always 2010. (I do hope to run one in October, though.)
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By my math, I hit about 20%. I really hate the word resolution. I’m sticking with the friendly corpspeak “opportunities.” We all have opportunities in 2009 we’d like to improve
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Some of my financial goals for 2008 worked and some didn’t. The ones that were most successful were actions over which I had direct control: creating a second income stream, starting a new business, stashing all the post-tax second-income money in savings.
Where I had the least success was in endeavors that required intelligent national leadership and ethical dealings on the part of those in charge of the economy. In my case the effect was most notable in retirement investments. Other than yanking my savings out of mutual funds and putting everything into the money market and CDs just before the market crashed — a feat that would have required a crystal ball — there seems to have been little I could do to protect my assets. Similarly, my son and I would have needed a crystal ball to know that the housing market still had a long way to fall at the time when we invested in a fixer-upper. Along with quite a few knowledgeable real estate investors, we thought the market here had bottomed out. In retrospect, it was obvious that the Bush economy would implode…but who would have expected it to happen so suddenly, and at a time when it appeared that things had already reached their nadir?
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My friend had a goal to read all of Rememberance of Things Past in one summer, and she had me design a “Summer of Proust” logo so she could get a shirt & stuff to motivate her. She got through vol. III.
http://www.cafepress.com/summerofproust
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I would not know how to live without goals whether I make them throughout the year or at the beginning of a new year.
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My goals for 2008 was to start a web based business and by October, my web store was opened and blog was is in the process of getting established.
My other goal was to stay in shape and my body weight down. I had lost almost 50 pounds in 2006 and 2007 and wanted to keep it off and I did. Avoiding foods that I am intolerant to (soy, gluten, sugar, dairy, corn, processed foods, etc) is key for me. Exercising 5-6 times a week not only keep my body weight down, but my energy up.
I will make business and financial goals for ’09.
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GRS, you’re great.
After reading this article in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/fashion/01change.html
I was feeling a little uncomfortable in my own goal setting task for today. Reading your site every day has helped me to stay motivated and on task, even when I’ve fallen off the wagon a little or my financial goals seem totally pie in the sky.
In 2008, I’ve completed a big step in changing careers and have taken a sizable bite out of my consumer debt.
Happy New Year!
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From where I sit, it looks like you had a very successful year. Progress in all areas and reassessing what’s most important. Most of us aren’t reaching for perfect, just better.
For myself, I exceeded my goals on fitness by completing my 100-lb. weight loss goal and reducing my BMI from 35 to 22. That took precedence over everything else, and I’m glad I allowed it. Now I have the energy (and that scrumptious feeling of success) to drive other things on my goals list. Which I guess I’m not sharing until Friday. *g*
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I have to admit that 2008 was great year for me. I saved £3100 (my first savings ever), managed to stay in stable relationship, enrolled higher education course, got pernament contact in job I like. I feel proud of myself
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I am not the “setting New Year resolutions” type and never was. In my job I learned the importance of setting goals however and this helped me to look at my life differently.
Last year looking for information on how to get rid of my TV cable I stumbled on personal finance blogs and I was hooked
I was reading like a mad man for about a month all blogs that came under my eyes. Although I was not in debt at all (quite the opposite), I learned so much and was able to look at my financial situation in a different perspective and reorganize and plan for future. For that I thank you for your contribution to my knowledge.
I made goals for the emergency fund and asset allocation and roth ira contribution (something I’ve not done in the past).
I managed to get the EF and Roth IRA 100% but did not get to read enough about asset allocation so I have not done too much about it. I did however rebalanced my 401k and picked more index funds.
Also, a subconscious goal was to get in better shape and I can say that here I did well. Although my weight did not drop by much, it is more muscle now than it was last year and I do feel better indeed.
I do this by playing sports. Physical exercise to me is way too boring so I play sports instead or swimming.
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Instead of *reading* Proust, you can always learn to *summarize* Proust:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8rhIw_9ucA
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Began investing in mutual funds, eliminated my debt, and increased my networth. Thank you for the blog and the great community here.
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I graduated from undergrad in Dec 07 and started my fulltime in Jan 08.
My goals were: 1) erase my student loans of 19K. 2) read at least 8 books.
i had few others, but i lost the document i saved. i’m proud to say that i have accomplished the two mentioned above. i’ll come back tomorrow to share my 09 goals.
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Having lost and kept off 60 pounds for 8 years, for me, I have found that exercise is more important than worrying about diet. You also have to find what works for you. I walk at a fast pace for at least 35 minutes a day, every day. This is in addition to whatever walking is required at my job. Finding time to take that walk every day is the key for me. If I skip a day, it is doubly hard to get out the door the next day.
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JD, you and I weigh about the same my friend. It is one of my 2009 goals to slim up a bit for my wedding. Once you’re motivated it’s no problem. I lost 75 lbs in high school.
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I made a list of items we wanted to get done to the house and we did almost all of them.
I wanted to focus on myself (I have 2 young children) and did that with exercise (wanted to run a 5k) and having time out with my friends (the self guilt was removed, making it more fun all around).
Lose weight (like essentially everyone else) I did get to my size 8 (20 lbs), but the weight has started to creep back up this holiday season, so a new goal was set there.
Pay off our car early, which we did in July.
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I failed miserably…I was going to save up $10,000 for a down payment on a house. Ummm….I stopped tracking a couple months into the year but probably came in around 4-5k. Oops.
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After seeing you mention your $10000 goal when I started reading GRS last summer, I decided to save $10000 myself by the end of the calendar year. (My total savings at the end of 2007 was $800.) My last deposit of the year, two days ago, pushed my 2008 net total to $10273. So thank you, J.D., for helping me get myself on a better track too.
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JD,
I just started following your blog and love it. Thanks for the good work you do.
I would like to find out if you have a list of blogs that you follow or ones that you reccomend. I’m looking for a good blog in the area of personal development.
Thanks!
Shannon
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Goals accomplished for 2008:
1. One month emergency fund – 80% complete
2. Start blog – Done and ongoing. (Considered complete for 2008)
http://www.javafoto.com/wp
3. Pay down cc by 30% – only 12% paid down.
4. Increase 401(k) contribution – decided to reduce this to 1% and divert $$ to cc payments.
5. Refinance rental property – unable to due to low equity with housing prices declining.
Overall, I was glad to see things move in a positive direction, however slow it has been. Circumstances changed so I plan to set some realistic goals for 2009 and modified versions of the above.
-Charlotte
http://www.javafoto.com/wp
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Great Site J.D.
I met all of my goals for 2008. I’m quite happy with them. Main thing has been settling into a job that’s related to my career and offers lots to learn, while at the same time working on my bachelors degree.
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Slow is good. In Finance and Health.
10 pounds in a year may not sound like much, but really, the direction is much more important than the speed. If you keep it up, and get rid of 10 unwanted pounds every year, you’ll be your ideal weight in a few years. That’s perfectly fine.
For most people, it’s not as if the 40 unwanted pounds -appeared- in a single year either, so I don’t see why they should nessecarily disappear in one.
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2008 was a very good year to me, I cut down about 26k in Credit card Debt. I changed the way I live life, overall I am very happy
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I’ve enjoyed mixed success, and am happy with the results. I define goals as things to be accomplished over a 3-5 year period, but do annual action items for each year.
I came short on a few (read only 4 books instead of 6) but far exceeded my expectations on others (saved an obscene amount of money, thanks in part to GRS finally convincing me to set up auto-deposits to ING.)
Now that I know it can be painless to save via ING, I am going to divert some of the savings to auto-contributions to my favorite charity (a 2008 goal I was afraid I might not be able to afford) and have more of my pay deposited to ING.
Regarding weight loss, my husband has had amazing success in 2008 on weight loss. He attributes his achievement to two things: 1) he went to a nutritionist who helped him change his eating habits. (His lifelong habit has been to eat very large meals, her response was to teach him to eat very large, flavorful salads with very small meals.) 2) He set up a home gym with a television, DVD player, and cordless headphones. Now he gets an hour a day of guilt-free tv watching and a very enjoyable workout which speeds by.
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Be proud. Be very proud.
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I paid off all my credit card debt, which I’m really happy to say I managed even after being among the many that had a job loss this year. This blog has been a nice motivator to keep finances on track.
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2008 was a year of reacting to circumstances rather than being able to keep to a plan, so basically a chaotic and unsatisfying year. I didn’t spend much time to make resolutions, let alone fulfilling them, and the saying, if you don’t have a goal you are sure to miss definitely applied. The couple resolutions I did have were partially successful. I did want to pay off our Heloc but we still have 1.5K left.
But at the end of the day, my husband and I have our jobs, our two beautiful children, our house, and a better attitude (only gotten in the last month or so) to make 2009 a better one. I started a new resolution in the middle of the year, to enroll in formal exercise classes to improve my health and reduce stress and that has been very helpful. All I can say, looking forward to a better 2009.
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@ Writer’s Coin: I have a hard time seeing $4-5k saved as a failure. True, it’s not $10k, but it’s like JD’s 10lbs; not the overwhelming success aimed for, but instead a more modest success.
When you shoot for the stars, sometimes you get the moon. Nothing wrong with that.
I did not set any goals for 2008. However I managed to lose 5 more pounds (on top of 20 in ’07) and maintain; save enough cash to refinance our house; open a couple of CD’s; get married; make financially smart travel choices; and experience being comfortable with my financial situation.
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All my 2008 financial goals took a giant sheet, since I didn’t expect to spend 25% of the year unemployed. It’s frustrating to find yourself failing when you did everything right…but I don’t control the economy.
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