2011 is done, and it was the toughest year in recent memory. It ended on a high note, though. It wasn't all bad, either. I did survive it. Looking back, a lot was going on.
1. A little more than a year ago, I decided I was going to go back to school for something. I pretty much ran down every option and in the end, settled on going back for a law degree. This is really a bucket-list thing. I have wanted to do this for a long time. Always figured I would. It just took me a long time to get around to it. So, I got everything together, got accepted and finished my first semester. By the time I'm making 2013 resolutions, I'll be halfway through Law School.
2. The business was in rough shape at the start of 2011, and it was touch and go for the first part of the year. Our luck got a tiny bit better. Not that much, but some. We're still alive for 2012. In 2013 and 2014, we retire an absolute mountain of debt. It'll free up almost $28,000 a year that is currently being used for debt service. So, maybe a little bit of sales growth, but what we really need to do is just mostly survive. I have some decisions to make regarding the business. We'll just have to see how it goes. However, if we can continue to slightly improve our sales, survive the year and pay all our bills, that'll be a major victory right there.
3. On personal finances, that's really not that different than my business goals. Survival is job 1. I also retire a bit of personal debt in 2013 and 2014. When that's paid off, that'll free up almost $14,000 a year. It's sort of staggerring to think that even if nothing else changed, that the end of that debt service would mean another $40,000 a year or so. Coincidentally, forty large is roughly the cost of putting a kid through school.
4. Logan has shown more interest in learning musical instruments. I've started teaching him both guitar and bass. Will probably have him dabble a tad in piano, too. I can take him a pretty long ways in guitar. I can take him a little ways in bass and keys. Right now, I'm showing him how to play Beatles hits. (Twist and Shout on Bass and I Want To Hold Your Hand on guitar.)
5. Outside of music, I still consider being Logan's father to be job 1. He's doing great in sports. He's doing great in school. Really making me proud. I just want to be there to help him along with whatever he decides to do.
Next year will largely be a continuation of last year, but I need to redouble my efforts to eat better and work out more. I'm at what I consider the absolute upper limit of an acceptable weight range. I also think I'm REALLY stretching the definition of "acceptable".
So, sometimes the name of the game is survival and that's sort of where I'm at, now. Things aren't that bad. Just can't handle too many whammies in the coming year. Hoping for a smoother ride than what I've seen previously.
Resolutions? Here they go:
1. Work out more. Some physical activity at least 4 days a week. Between the rower, the gym and even... oh... lacing up the shoes and running outside, there are more than enough activities to keep me busy. I also have to get used to the idea that 20 or 30 minutes is vastly superior to no activity. For the past decade, I've had trouble accepting that a workout of less than 60 minutes counts.
2. Eat better. Less takeout. Less frozen, preprepared foods. And although this flies in the face of my perfect pizza goal, I want to eat a lot less carbs. I've been scared of my carb intake since the movie, "fat head".
3. Survive, survive, survive with the business. Come out ever so slightly stronger. At the end of 2012, we should have our balances paid down to the point that we can consider early payoff of some of those notes. There's a few things I could do to cut down on expenses, too. I'm paying $200 a month for cell service for 4G nationwide plus the ability to tether a computer nationwide. Now that I'm not in the Navy anymore, that's a waste. I could be getting by on a $45 a month plan.
4. Improve the business' marketing efforts. At this point, I have to admit that we should be recovering much more strongly than we are. It all starts with marketing. I'm one of the guys who believes that nothing happens in business unless something gets sold.
5. Personal finances, keep truckin'. I have a car payment that's probably too big for my income. I also have a term-loan that gets paid off late in 2013. Those go away, and I have a lot more resources to work with. And when the car is paid off, I'm getting a prius. I'm going to put a "coexist" bumper sticker on the back, too.
6. Keep supporting Logan in what he's pursuing, so long as it is positive. Mostly, that's sports, but I'm hoping that music is going to be something he at least dabbles with. If he stays obsessed with bass, I want to help him become the best bass player he can be. It also means that if he doesn't want to play baseball anymore, I'll accept and support that decision. I fear that's where this is headed. The shame of it is that he's one of the best baseball players in the entire city. He just doesn't realize it. However, he could use the time to work on basketball or swimming if he did drop baseball. I think it's a shame, but this is one of those things where what I think is only so important. Games should be fun and I fear that baseball is becoming something that isn't fun for him.
Also, the medium-term picture is looking a lot more interesting than the short-term picture. By the time 2014 comes to a close, I hope to have all these accomplished:
1. Another small business started. I still have a few ideas, but am not entirely sure what the other business will be. It'll be something, though. I won't ever have all my eggs in one basket again.
2. JD Finished. Bar Exam passed. Law practice started. I'm not going through law school as an academic exercise. This is sort of like another small-business in a way.
3. Current business on stable, strong footing. Zero debt.
4. All term-debt (other than mortgage), business and personal, retired.
5. Re-join Highland Meadows. Logan will be a teen, then. I want him to be able to golf well and enjoy the pool during the Summer. He may have to spend a lot of time unattended.
No comments:
Post a Comment