set goals instead of resolutions

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, but have been lazy on the post front. It's now almost February, but my post for the 2008 new year is don't set resolutions. In stead set goals. Not widely outrageous goals, but goals that are achievable and broken down into increments. They should be challenging, but also attainable.

On September 26, 2007 on a flight from DFW to Charlotte I made a list of my two year goals. I was reviewing it this week. I've done well in some areas and not so well in others.

Q4 2007
Professional

• Establish my niche in consulting where ever it may be, hotel ideally
  
• Bill 20 hours per week
  
• Start posting meaningful content on hospitality technology made simple every two weeks

Personal

• Read my bible every morning for at least 15 minutes - have not done
  
• Get out of the rat race and keeping up with what we think is the requirements of success
• Run every 3 days at least - sometimes yes, right now no
  
• Read one book per month on something and keep doing it
  
• Finish house - not even close
  
• Post to k.sturm blog at least every 3 days - not quite there

Q1 2008
Professional

• Bill 20 hours per week
• Post meaningful content on hospitality technology made simple every two weeks
• Speak in some capacity at an industry conference
• Have business plan for new company idea complete with market analysis, 1 year, 3 year, 5 year revenue forecast, and mocked up design

Personal

• Have a plan to live “below” our means allowing us the financial freedom to take trips and live free
• Begin taking a one week trip per quarter with Chrystal and Brody somewhere fun where we don’t work at all

Q2 2008
Professional

• Bill 16 hours per week and increase hourly rate
  
• Hire first employee/subcontractor for kevin sturm Consulting billing 20 hrs/week
• Speak in some capacity at major industry conference
• Have a second draft of business plan in place and start moving forward
  
• Find a developer that will “drink the cool-aid” or get venture capital funding…drink the cool-aid is way better

Personal

• Go on Potter’s Clay construction team (not sure if this will be possible with baby due)
• Be training for Marathon or Triathlon

Q3 2008
Professional

• Give Keynote Session presentation at industry conference
  
• Be at least one quarter into v1.0 of new business
  

Personal

• Visit Opportunity International bank in Mexico or Africa
• Run a Marathon or do a Triathlon

Q4 2008
Professional

• Hire second employee/subcontractor for kevin sturm Consulting billing 20 hrs/week
• Speak at hospitality technology industry conference
• Sign up early adopter customers for v1.0 release

Q1 2009
Professional

• Speak at hospitality technology industry conference
  
• Release v1.0 of new business venture
  
• Attend industry conference on new business venture
  

Q2 2009
Professional

• Speak at hospitality technology industry conference
• Release v2.0 of software
• Speak at industry conference on new company venture
  

Personal

• Attend TED Conference in San Francisco Long Beach with two friends