2014 Goals
I really dislike New Years Eve as a holiday. Everyone gets so excited and it ends up being never quite as good as you think it was going to be and you can’t find a cab home. Not awesome. There have only been two New Years Eves that I have really enjoyed; one in Budapest that involved fireworks and champagne in the street, and another last year in a Texas country cabin with good friends. This year we have no plans, and if I have my way I hope to ring in the New Year playing video games and sipping champagne with my husband… but I’ll stop griping and get to the goal making part of this post.
Holiday preferences aside, I’m feeling good about goals this year. Just like last year, I have some super secret ones that I want to keep to myself (although some are included in my 30 before 30 equestrian bucket list) but I’m going to try to expand and set more public goals than I did last year. Who knows… I may actually achieve some of them.
Equestrian Goals for Me
- Post the trot for five minutes without stirrups
- Be able to braid tails well enough for A shows
- Make improvements in not getting frustrated with my horse and/or riding
- Compete in the local 2’6″ hunter derby and execute (well) at least one handy or high option
- Qualify for the 2’6″ medal at the year end show
The really big “oh jeez that seems impossible” goal this year is go qualify for one of our local medal finals. It’s a 2’6″ over fences equitation class at every show, and the only way to compete in the year end final is to accumulate enough points to be the top 10 riders overall or win one of the medal classes at any CTHJA show. It’s very likely not going to happen, but I will give it my best effort! Last year there were about 35 riders in the points list for this, so even making it in the top half would be exciting.
Goals for Simon
- Open up his stride and stop doing the ads
- Reliably get leads over the fence
- Reduce his anxiety with flatwork
- Make it through a flat class with no explosions
- Stay sound
To be fair, I’ll be pretty pleased if Simon achieves the “stay sound” goal for 2014! Everything else is extra.
Personal Goals
- End 2014 with 0 credit card debt
- Lose 20 lbs
- Find more balance with riding and “real” life
- Be more enthusiastic about my real job
- Train Pascale as well as I trained Eliot
- Take more pictures
I’m starting early on my “find balance” goal with writing some personal goals for this year. It’s not all about horses 100% of the time… sadly. 😉
I have read several of your 2014 goal lists on your blog, but here’s my question… does anyone else keep “secret” goals? For some reason there are a few things I just don’t feel comfortable actually sharing but are in the back of my mind as “man I really hope I can achieve that!”
32 thoughts on “2014 Goals”
I have a whole bunch of “secret” goals for this year! I figure, I’ll celebrate if we reach them, if not it doesn’t seem like such a big deal somehow… 🙂
I have a few secret goals. They’re my reach goals, ones I might well not get to. I figure if I hit them I can do a midyear “achievement unlocked” post!
Good idea!
I keep secret goals from time to time. More because I’m less likely to achieve them because they are a bit unrealistic and less about them being embarrassing, but only because I haven’t had one of those yet. Like wanting to write a book for the last 3 years specifically. If I don’t tell anyone, then they can’t ask or nag me about it. And I only speak now because I’m closer now then ever to actually starting.
That’s one I forgot to put!!! Maybe it’s a “secret” goal now 🙂
I don’t keep secret goals. I prefer to fail publicly, and with as much panache as possible. I must say, I’m rather good at it.
I bet you achieve goals with just as much panache as you do not achieving them 😉
Yes, I keep some goals to myself. It’s not about failing or not so much as just some are more personal than I really want to share and some just seem to require secrecy.
I think accomplishing the “staying sound” goal is the most important (and sometimes most challenging) goal of all, I would be happy too if I accomplished it!
It’s either the easiest goal in the world or the hardest 🙂
I always have a list of goals I keep to myself. They’re usually big things that are important to me but aren’t something set in concrete as far as a timeline or even final outcome – the general idea is always there but the whys and hows change as time passes. I tend to share all my smaller goals that will eventually build a base for the bigger ones. I KNOW I am going to accomplish my ‘big’ goals eventually, but I figure the general world wont be overly excited to hear about them for months (or years) on end 🙂
No…I don’t keep secret goals but I do have some more private goals I don’t share on my blog.
You can definitely reach those goals if you believe in yourself and Simon. Good luck for 2014
I think all of my goals are secret LOL! I read an article once that said we shouldn’t keep goals because then, due to a bunch of different reasons, we are less likely to achieve them. But, I am very goal orientated so I guess I keep all of my goals secret so that it’s like I have them without having them ;). Best of both worlds maybe?
Everyone has secret goals. I just read an article recently that those secret goals steal the sweetness of our successed
Oh, yeah – I think most people have secret goals. Even putting the public goals out there is hard for me! Happy New Year and I like that you put personal goals out there too 🙂
Those goals seem achievable, Lauren. Considering how goal oriented I am, I am kind of puzzled as to why I don’t write my goals down. I have them of course, but it isn’t relevant for me to write them down; I know what they are.
Secret goals? That’s a very interesting thought. I can’t imagine what you could want to accomplish that you feel is too pie in the sky to even put out there. If your goal was to get to the grand prix level by year’s end, then yeah, that goal might be worth keeping a secret. But other than that, if there is something that you truly want, or want to achieve, why not share it? Maybe the good will of the group will help make it happen.
When I am planning something, I rarely share details until it’s a for sure thing. Like when we’re planning our next vacation, I don’t tell me people anything about it until our flight is booked. I don’t like to say “I’m going to do this” and then have it fall through. If your secret goal is something like that, then sure, keep the details under wraps until you’re more sure about it.
Whatever your secret desire is, I hope that 2014 sends it your way. :0)
Yeah, I’m not really sure why I don’t! I think it may be more because I know they are quite a bit out of reach and I like to “officially” write down things that I feel like I can accomplish if I work hard. Realize this doesn’t make a ton of sense!
Wonderful goals and yes, I do have secret goals as well!
No secret goals for me- ok one actually- I’d like to make my own horse cookies in DIY mason jars for barn friends next holiday. Also buy an embroidery machine and monogram all my stuff. Whoops- that’s two! I keep my crafty goals to myself 🙂 because they rarely pan out.
Great idea with the horse cookies and monogramming is intense. My mom has a monogram sewing machine but it’s kind of a pain in the butt and has a steep learning curve, so she doesn’t use it a ton.
We do have a good bit of overlap! 🙂
I have definitely done the secret goals- but I’m not this year. This is a huge change for me and part of why I did the 101 in 1001 (although I only have about 40 spelled out so far) instead of just 2014 goals. Usually secret goals relate to one of my not so secret goals- like layers.
I’m sure we’ll run into each other this year at CTHJA so I’ll be watching to cheer you on!
Absolutely! I usually go to every show even if I don’t take Simon.
You can reach those goals for sure! 🙂 And yep secret goals over here too, they seem so far away and unreachable at the moment, lots of things need to happen first before I can start realistically thinking about them!!
Great list of goals! I’ve been thinking about my goals and since I’m taking a bit of a blogging break, haven’t put pen to paper, so to speak.
I don’t know if any of my goals are secret per se – funny enough I feel more comfortable writing my goals on my blog since most of my family/friends don’t know about it! lol
I do tend to keep a few goals to myself!! Mainly because I fear being overwhelmed by them at times. Maybe that’s silly, but it still happens.
I’d love to do a 2’6” derby!
I definitely have secret goals… I thought about mentioning I had some, then didn’t, lol! I didn’t really achieve my “secret goal” from last year, though :\ Mostly because of the EPM crap. Horses are so unreliable… But I think you have some good goals here! You can totally qualify for the 2’6″ medal! Also, when you ride horses, and your main job is not horsey related, who can really be that excited about it….
Oooo I wonder if we have 2’6 derbies around here!!!? I’d love to do that! 🙂
Good goals! I really hope you’re able to achieve all of them 🙂 And I definitely do keep some secret goals that I don’t share because I’m pretty sure I’ll fail miserably at, but overall I think sharing my goals keeps me more accountable which I hope will make them easier to accomplish!
I do have “secret” goals – only because this goal is a bit of an obsession and I could talk about it incessantly if I really felt like it. Hence, the secrecy. But you can check it out on my new blog …
No secret goals for me. I think you should let them out. Why keep it a secret? Nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about, and you can have the best cheering squad around here to help you achieve them!
I have a bunch of secret goals. Being upfront about them is good for accountability, but sometimes it can backfire and make you feel bad about yourself. Resolutions are about personal growth so I think it’s nice to keep some of them personal and secret.