海角大神

2013 has been a pretty good year for me. I lost about 25 pounds. I wrote a pretty good first draft of a novel that鈥檚 currently 鈥渞esting鈥� (meaning I intend to drag it out again in a few months to start editing it and figure out whether it鈥檚 worth trying to publish it). I launched a great writing relationship with U.S. News and World Report. I feel like my relationship with Sarah is really strong right now (and I鈥檝e always felt good about my relationship with my children). Our family鈥檚 net worth went up significantly, as we largely lived on Sarah鈥檚 income and banked my own income.

It feels听really听good听to be able to look back at the year and know that I accomplished some things, as did Sarah and I as a collective group. In quite a few ways, our lives are in a better place today than it was at the end of 2012.

Now, I turn that same question on you.听What did you accomplish this year?听Did you achieve anything that you鈥檙e proud of? (I certainly hope so.) Did you not really achieve anything of note? (I hope that鈥檚 not true.)

I鈥檝e had years where I鈥檝e not accomplished much. (2004 comes to mind, actually 鈥� if I had a 鈥渓ost year鈥� in my adult life, it was 2004.) Other years, I accomplished an amazing amount (2007 comes to mind here for me).

Those years filled with accomplishment feel听good, even years and years later. Good years are ones that fill you with pride.

Bad years, on the other hand, are ones that fill you with regret when you look back on them, even years and years later.

Obviously, good years are better than bad years 鈥� and the effects carry forward for a very long time.

As I mentioned at the end of last month,听听I hope to write a second novel, revise that first one, and (possibly) write another personal finance book. I hope to lose another 25 pounds. I have a few additional personal goals, too.

Every day, when I wake up, I motivate myself to move toward those big goals by asking myself a simple question.

Do I want this to be a good year or a bad one?听Do I want another 2004 or something more like 2007?

If I want a good year, I know that I need to put aside the little fun things I might want to do today and give some time to those goals that I have.

Today, I need to put down that computer game and spend some time drafting a chapter.

Today, I need to stop flipping through the pages in a page-turner and put my arms around my wife.

Today, I need to skip out on an hour of goofing off and instead go take a long walk and lift a few weights.

At the end of that day, I鈥檒l know I鈥檓 building a good year, one that I can look back on with positive thoughts. At the end of that year, I鈥檒l be able to look back on a good year, and it鈥檚 one that will be yet another building block for the rest of my life.

You make the decision of what kind of year it鈥檚 going to be every single day. It鈥檚 up to you.

What kind of year is it going to be?

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