2014: Making Things Happen

I cannot believe that we’re already halfway through January! Usually this month feels tough with winter chills and short days, but between work, fitness groups, trip planning, snowboarding and reconnecting with people, the year has started strong with no signs of slowing down! It’s been busy, just the way I like it.

I recently discussed themes for the year. Before the excitement of life gets in the way, I’m finally dedicating some time to write down the goals I want to accomplish. Once they’re out there in the universe, I really should follow-up…

Travel

1. View the sunrise or sunset from Haleakala Crater in Maui. Hopefully this is the first major trip of the year. I’m thinking 1 part relaxing, several parts swimming, hiking, and adventuring.
2. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. My good friend Marie and I have been trying to work this trip in our plans forever. I want those cliché photos from the salt flats. And apparently there are amazing hiking trails in Bolivia. This is the year it happens!
3. Snowboarding in Montana. In just a few weeks, Robbie and I will be heading down to Whitefish for a wonderful weekend of skiing and snowbarding. I’m not a huge fan of winter, but this trip is going to be so awesome. [Update: It was an awesome ski trip, Feb. 7 – 10!]
4. Visit a friend outside of Alberta or Ontario. Many of my travels are between Calgary and Toronto, which makes sense. But there are some friends I’ve been longing to visit. It’s time to start working in these travel plans.
5. Take another trip! So that’s 4 trips outlined above. Why not make it 5. Travel is the theme of the year. So to cap it off…
6. Achieve Elite flight status. Woah, this one is ambitious because at this moment, I’m not sure how to go about it. But based on my trips above, this has to be possible. Somehow. Luckily, through my recent obsession with learning how to ‘travel hack’, I’ve come across some great pointers. Maybe I can have a first-class flight experience by the end of the year!

Health and Fitness

1. Fix my broken self. I’ve been plagued with injuries since St. Swithin’s Day ;). It’s time to get this under control and get my body back into fighting form. The main areas of focus: my right leg and the SI joint that wants to remain out of whack; and the tendonitis in my right arm. Ugh.
2. Complete Beachbody’s P90X3. Well, this is going to happen. I’m already 14 days into the program and I absolutely love it. With only 30 minutes each day, I really have no excuses. And I’m already seeing changes in my body and fitness levels.
3. Complete a second 90 day fitness program. It doesn’t just stop with P90X3 Round 1. Oh no. There will be others. There will be more. I’m thinking of P90X3 again; a second attempt at P90X2 to really further my athleticism; or Body Beast, which was supposed to be January’s fitness goal before I learned about P90X3. Apparently I could make significant gains in muscle with the Body Beast program. I’ll put my scrawny physique to the test.
4. Run a Fitness Challenge Group. Here’s another task already underway with a strong group of 30 people committing to fitness goals for Q1.
5. Explore Beachbody Coaching. Whether it’s becoming a discount coach, trying Shakeology, or just learning about the program, this is on my radar. [Update: Signed up to be a coach Feb. 13, 2014!]
6. Take  a CPR or Wilderness Training course. This came up recently during a conversation with Robbie. We have no idea what to do when the unthinkable happens.
7. Run at least one MEC race. I love that MEC races are about $15 to enter.  Once I fix my lower half, there’s no reason why I can’t complete one of these!
8. The 50th Anniversary of the Calgary Scotiabank Marathon. What a milestone. Obviously I’ll be entering, either for a 10k or the half-marathon.
9. Run a total of 100 km. It may not seem like much, but this will be a Runkeeper goal. And once it’s set in Runkeeper, then I’m accountable. To Runkeeper. Or myself. *shrug*
10. Backpack at least once for a minimum of 2 nights. Last year, I tried backpacking for the first time at Cracker Lake in Montana and enjoyed it, but that was for one night only. As I work my way toward the West Coast Trail, I figure I should backpack more. A lot more. For at least two consecutive nights.
11. Bike to Work from May – October. Living so close to work, I really should be walking or biking to work at all times. Here’s my attempt to at least bike once in a while, sheesh!
12. Take a Mountaineering Course. I’ve been wanting to do this for years with my friend Dan. Will this be the year?
13. Conquer Mount Temple. This will be the last year I ramble on about this. The last year I shake my fist at this goliath. Mount Temple MUST be conquered this year.

Finances and Career

1. Become SAS Advanced Certified. Geeze I feel like I’m all talk. I’ve also had this on my list for a while. Step 1. Study a bit. Step 2. Code some more. Step 3. Take the test and pass with flying colours. This should be a giant NBD (No Big Deal).
2. Read “Canadian Small Business Kit for Dummies”. If I’m going to contract on the side, I should know a little thing or two about working for myself. Currently I fall into the “dummies” category when it comes to such things. Action items to follow.
3. Tutor at least 1 student in Introductory Stats. Last fall, I tutored a student. Tutoring used to be a regular part of my life, but over time, it’s something I haven’t been doing. I was reminded how much I enjoyed helping with introductory stats. [Update Feb. 12, 2014: I’ve tutored once already. That counts!]

Managing My Digital Life

1. inspirationrick.ca. I enjoy blogging. I enjoy  making lists and writing about stuff. I enjoy seeking out inspiration in this amazing world. Needless to say, this website will be a focus for the year as I continue to transition from Blogger to WordPress and update the blog. Could WordPress offer any more plug-ins?? The customizability is a full-time job on its own. Abiding by copyright rules and laws will be paramount.
2. Revamp my photo management and photo workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop. I made the jump from Picasa to iPhoto. This was a fail. I’ve now decided to use Lightroom and Photoshop. The transition will be a huge project for the year since I’m organizing over a decade’s worth of photos.
3. Login, Passwords and Security. As tedious as this task will be, I am planning for an overhaul of my logins and passwords, and increasing the security associated with all aspects of my digital life.

Author: rickohikes

Avid hiker, mountain lover and fitness enthusiast with insatiable wanderlust. Usually battling with an injury and my mental health, but I always persevere! View all posts by rickohikes