With each new year come new opportunities. Likewise, new challenges arise. Some of these we cannot anticipate, of course; but others, we set for ourselves, to expand our capacities and extend our visions.
I have many ideas for personal development and accomplishment in the year ahead. At the risk of future embarrassment at my presumption, here are some of them.
- As a newly appointed member of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services Board, I want to fully comprehend the range of services it offers the community and to carve out a meaningful role for myself in contributing to it. I see an opportunity to use my position to enhance public information about the agency’s services and educate citizens and public officials about the value of social investments such as these.
- I want to expand my mind by studying things that are new to me, especially Greek philosophy and the philosophy of the Roman Stoics.
- I want to develop a portfolio of photos for sharing on the web and with potential purchasers and exhibitors.
- I want to create a sequence of macro photos that are interpretive of deeper themes and go beyond being merely documentary.
- I want to use my photos to create a line of note cards I can offer for sale.
- I want to enhance my photographic post-processing skills.
- I want to develop my skills at creating artistic images as a part of my portfolio.
- I want to publish a coffee table book on the rural fences in the horse country where I live.
- I want to continue writing monthly reviews of woodworking books.
- I want to teach two new hands-on woodworking classes.
- I want to make natural edge coffee tables for gifts and for sale.
- I want to continue making boxes for gifts and for sale.
- I want to complete some other woodworking projects, including a book rack and a desk.
- I want to provide ongoing leadership to my local photographic club, the Shenandoah Photographic Society.
- I want to learn the basics of playing the uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes), whose sound I’ve come to love. I want to first learn to master the manipulation of the bags and the key strokes on the chanter and by the end of the year to be able to play a simple tune or two.
- I want to visit family members.
- I want to do something some training in photography, Covid permitting.
I know this is a lot to endeavor. And perhaps it’s more that I can achieve in 12 months. But if goals are not challenging, what is the use of having them?
Wow, those are some unique goals, Norman. I’m rooting for you to get them done. I’m a fan of stoicism too!
I read a lot by Ryan Holiday and am currently reading his latest, The Lives of the Stoics, which is pretty interesting. My favorites, though, are Marcus Aurelius and Seneca.
I am halfway through Meditations myself, and it really interests me how schools of thought from thousands of years ago still ring so true today.
That’s not the way how goal achieving works. There’s not clear dedline, so goal will take all year to achieve.