We did not set any New Year Resolutions…

Resolutions are really like desires or there like to have happen things, like to be kind of things or if I could afford anything kind of things. We find it is best not to dream and not put things into actions.

However, as we have done for the last five years, my wife Pauline, and I take a day out of our schedules in early December to do a mini strategic planning retreat. Each year we determinedly review our progress achievements and reflect on those items we did not achieve. We take some time to discuss areas of our life, work and relationships that comprise the central focus of who we are, what we believe and what needs work. The areas we focus our planning around are those we say are critical success categories. These indicators are those vital areas of our lives that we deem as most important and I share them in no particular priority. Our final effort is to produce a Goals and Planning Calendar. The calendar provides a visual representation of what we plan to accomplish, important celebration dates, our travel commitments, relaxation and fun times. It is nothing fancy, just something we put into calendar layout and print. It is powerful to keep in front of you.

Here are our critical success categories:

Business goals

Pauline’s real estate business, Stoney Knoll Realty - 25 plus years of work, labor and love of helping good people make good buying and selling choices.

Bill, Strategic Talent Management – a 16 year consulting partnership with a focus on managing and developing human potential to maximize business results.

Our respective businesses provide the dreams and goals that serve to be our “income” focus. Our focus is excess cash flow, my definition of fun!

Relationship goals

Where in our relationship do we need to improve to maximize our love and joy as a married couple? We so often realize that this portion of our lives can be quashed by all kinds of other important stuff. While we are not prefect at this, we do set a day of the week as a date night or just find time to relax and watch a movie - together. Primary goal - Finding time to just be together, do things together and see some of the beauties in of God’s great earth.

Family goals

We are a blended family with children and grandchildren that are scattered from east to west coast. Our primary challenge is to see them as much as possible and to communicate with them regularly. One important goal this year will be my family gathering around my daughter’s Sarah’s marriage this spring in Sacramento to a good and thoughtful man – Mark. Also, to play some catch with my grandson, Simon. Other important family things will be Pauline’s second son is moving from Long Beach, CA to Manhattan, NY in February. Pauline’s daughter, Tiffany will still be in college in Tampa, FL. We will visit my son Bill, Laura and grandson Thomas in March in Richmond, VA. Pauline’s oldest son, Jon and family, wife Colene and granddaughters, Olivia and Molly live very close by. Our desired goal is to get them up to the lake this summer at our camp in Weld, ME. Primary focus – connect with all, so that they all know they are special and very dear to us.

Our Home goals

As with all homes, there is much to do around here. Our primary challenge is going to be redoing the landscaping in front. We have about 3 acre with older apple trees and plenty of God’s creatures to see. I actually find mowing the grass a great escape.

Our Camp goals

The camp is a place of rest, peace, and beauty that just quiets our hearts. The work is getting the boats in and cleaning up after the winter’s mess and some repainting. My enjoyment comes from setting by the fire, with a glass of wine and hearing Pauline voice reading aloud. Pauline finds it as a place to put all of life’s woes behind and just be at peace. Primary objective is to clean-up, fix-up, and mellow-out.

Spiritual and Serving goals

 We make our faith and commitment to serve others a vital part of who we are and what we do. Pauline and I volunteer our time to work with couples in our community that have troubled marriages; in a program, we call “Considering Divorce.” Our belief is by saving a marriage we can save a family from the heart pains of divorce. Our goal is to selflessly pour our love to those struggling, by sharing our faith, our own life stories, our friendship, and using the facilitating skills we have been blessed with. This continues to be another area of personal development.

Personal and Health goals

 We believe that our bodily vessels need constant development, exercise, and good care to maximize a life full of potential. Our common focus is to eat right, live right and be right in all that we do. I have healed from my foot wounds and hand surgery, so no excuses now.

No, we do not set resolutions, however, it will take a lot of resolve to work and achieve the goals we have for 2010. I will keep you posted.