Jon Bear's Goals for 2016

Now that Carlyn is achieving the goals on her 2016 list I figured it was time I finally shared my list for the new year.... just 4 months and two weeks delinquent. >.<

Good thing timeliness wasn't one of my goals this year.

The main focus of my goals for 2016 is centered on 5 things that I want to work on this year.

1. My physical health

2. My mental/emotional health

3. My spiritual health

4. A more cohesive and organized financial plan for the future

5. Taking/creating more opportunities for a relationship

As far as my physical health is concerned, I've really needed to get into better shape for the last several years and have had a bit of an up and down battle in that regard.  One of the things I really wanted to focus on was eating healthier and cooking for myself more often.  I have always prepared dinner more when I've had a roommate or someone else to cook for in the past. Having lived on my own now for that past 7 years I got into some bad habits or exacerbated some already bad habits.  Exercise is important too, but I know that my eating habits need to be adjusted.  Aside from cooking for myself more often I want to focus on not eating late, and if possible not at all past 7 pm.

Relating to my second goal of mental and emotional health I wanted to get involved more socially if possible.  One of my side goals for this year was to finally join Facebook as I have never had a social media account and the biggest reason I even began blogging was because of Carlyn's influence.  For a few years in the past I have mentioned wanting to join a Curling league but I have yet to do so.  I never even really knew where to start looking but a chance encounter with a customer at the store I work at earlier this year provided an opportunity that I might be able to take advantage of come September.  I also wanted to really make happen certain things I have mentioned wanting to accomplish for a few years now.  The biggest of those being my desire to finally visit my best friend and his family in Texas.  They moved to Texas 4 years ago and every year after the first year they moved I have promised I would try to see them.  This year I want to finally keep that promise.  I was also in desperate need of a new computer for a few years now and I wanted to purchase a new computer.  I have been fortunate to already have accomplished that goal. I feel like a lot of my emotional health involves doing a better job at accomplishing some of my long time goals from past years so hopefully I will be able to achieve them this year.

My spiritual health has probably been something I have struggled with since college.  I have never attended church regularly even though I consider myself a Christian.  I also have had rather large swings relative to the amount of time I have spent in spirituality and faith.  There have been times when I have studied the bible and read the bible regularly and times when I have worshiped and prayed with regularity.  There have been other long stretches where I have spent very little time in worship and focusing on my faith.  I want to find more consistency and more balance in my spiritual life.  If I can find a church I like that may involve more time going to church too.  I think that there is a lot to be gained in one's spiritual walk when it is shared with others.

In desiring a more cohesive and organized financial plan I may have already had an opportunity fall into my lap.  It truly is something I desired greatly when I was thinking of my New Year's goals this past January.  I do NOT consider myself financially comfortable.  I am able to make a living and pay my bills, which is obviously important but a clear and comprehensive plan for the future is something I have struggled with.   Carlyn and I had a reader reach out to us about our financial goals and I have been in contact with her and formulated a plan to make a monthly blog post here about a variety of financial topics.  I am hoping that my monthly posts which begin later this month will help give me some clarity and focus financially going forward as well as the feedback I get from our readers.

I also want to take the opportunity to find a girl who I can start a relationship with this year.  I am not looking towards anything specific long term, just someone who I can get to know, enjoy spending time with and take things a day at a time with.  It's been a few years since I have really made any effort in the dating game.  There is a part of me that admittedly likes being single and being beholden to myself.  I enjoy those freedoms, so I know that I have to go a bit outside my comfort zone to give up some of that freedom for a different kind of happiness and companionship.  So that too is one of my goals for 2016.

So while I have been a bit of a bad Bear in keeping my goals for 2016 to myself and not sharing them here, I hope and believe that there is enough time remaining in the year for me to make good on many if not all my goals for 2016.