2015 Goals

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions but I do think that it's important to write down goals and I like to do that at the beginning of each year. I never was great at sticking to my no TV, eat healthy, drink less, New Year's Resolutions in the past because I would never last that long. It's to much to just think you can flip a switch on January 1 and act like you have a clean slate. I've pretty much given up on generalized resolutions like that but instead have specific goals that I can work towards throughout the year. This year I turn 30. I'm not dreading it because I feel like I'm at a really good point in my life and I'm happy right now. I do want more for myself and I'm not going to stop here. I always want to be improving and learning. I want to actively work towards being a Lifestyle Accountant and creating a lifestyle that I don't want to retire from. Here are my goals for 2015:

• Start a blog. Bam! Already with this one as I type. Now really, what I should say is that I want to grow this blog. I will establish a regular posting schedule. Because I'm not using this blog to generate passive income, it not a whole lot of pressure. I just write what I want and hope that others want to connect with me wether they are other bloggers, potential business partners, or potenital clients. I want to join the community and share in discussions. I don't expect to achieve success over night but I want to stick with it even if no one is reading because at the very least it gives me an opportunity to journal and get my thoughts out of my head and on the screen. I'm not a very good writer but I would like to improve but the only way that's going to happen is if I start now.
• Maximize retirement account contributions for 2nd year in a row. For the first year, in 2014 I maxed out my IRA, Health Savings Account, and 401(k). I want to continue doing so going forward. What would be even better is if by starting my own business I can open a SEP IRA and be able to contribute more. I will simply have to play it by ear and see if I can make it happen based on my income.
• Reduce expenses. In 2014 I spent about $40K (not including taxes, cash paid for car, rental expenses and business expenses). I want to try and keep my expenses at around $25K which will be 38% less than last year. I intend to dine out less, spend less on alcohol, and other miscellaneous crap.
• Invest more in myself and more in my goals. If I start a business, then I consider the business expenses to really be investments in me. Any conferences I attend, courses I take, books I read, and other expenses that may pop up along the way should really be viewed as investing in in myself since I am working towards a lifestyle I don't want to retire from. I think it's important to assess your individual situation and whether or not it makes sense to contribute all your excess money into your retirement accounts or if you should invest in YOU. I've been so focused on maximizing retirement accounts that I haven't really focused on investing in me. Don't get me wrong, I think it's really important to have a portfoio of investments but just as important to invest in your own human capital.. Afterall, you are your most important asset. When you seek knowledge, develop skills, build your network, that has a compounding effect similar to investing, but you will reap the benefits through higher earnings, more friends, and achieve a better lifestyle. You have to strike the right balance, and only you will know what that is. I've gone through periods of my life where I was so focuced saving money because that's what it called for at the time. I was either saving for a car, house, a trip, or whatever, but when I had that goal, nothing else mattered. I finally realized that I don't need or want the nicest car, biggest house, or fanciest trip. I'm ok where I'm at and I don't really care to accumulate any more things. I want experiences and I want to build a lifesyle that I don't want to retire from. Once I accepted that I don't always view spending money as an expense, but an investment. 
• Complete Spanish lessons through Duolingo mobile app. Toward the end of 2014, I started taking Spanish lessons through the Duolingo language learning mobile app. I spend about 10-20 minutes each session and want this to become a daily habit. The next time I'm in a Latin American country I want to speak THEIR language and not default to English. I would love to be fluent in Spanish and be able to hold conversations in the lanuguage.
• Help at least 10 people with their budgets. Whether it's through this blog or through doing paid financial planning work I want to be able to help individuals/families with their spending plan. I really do think that getting a second opinion about budgets is the best way to. I've published my budget for this year (although it will most likely change with the career change) and I use Xero to track my progress. I always liked reading blog posts on Mr. Money Mustache about reader case studies and seeing what he had to say about that reader's budget, I hope I can do the same and at the same time it will improve my financial planning skills.
• Travel at least 30 days outside of the US. I intent to take at least a 30 day trip outside the USofA this year. I plan on doing so after I quit my job and before I potential start a new job somewhere (maybe start my own financial planning firm). I would like to see what it's actually like to go slow travel as an adult and also run a business. The last time I was outside of the country for a long period of time was when I spend 2 months traveling Spain with my grandparents when I was 16. It's been way too long since then and I want the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture. 
• Travel at least once every month. I have this itch to do 30 days outside the country but I don't want it to stop there. Because I want my lifestyle to include regular travel, I have to make it a priority and do it frequently. I love experiencing new places, seeing different cultures, and just going with the flow sometimes. What better way to do that than travel. I think that it's important to break up my regular routine every once in awhile and take a step back and even get an opportunity to miss my routine. Most times after a trip, I'm excited to come home and get back into my routine. 
• Go to the gym or work out at least 3 days a week. Of course I have to have a health related goal included in here. Again, I'm not dieting, I'm not training for a competition, but I want to make it a regular part of my lifestyle. Ideally, it would be everyday that I would workout but I don't want to say every day and then discouraged if I don't. This will be hard because I haven't maintained a regular workout schedule since graduating from college. Even if it's only 7 minutes per session using the FREE Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute workout app I just need to get active and do so on a regular basis. 
• Quit my current job as a corporate accountant and become a CPA financial planner. This is probably the biggest goal I have set for myself because it means changing careers. Sure, I will be involved in numbers but it's complety different than what I've been doing for nearly a decade since I had my first accounting internship. It's so clear that this is the path I need to take. I have a pretty good vision that I want to create a lifestyle around my work and being a corporate accounting won't let me achieve that goal. It's not that I'm running from accounting, more like I'm running towards financial planning.  On January 2, I took and passed the Series 65 exam and in mid January I'll be attending the 2015 AICPA Personal Financial Planning Conference in Las Vegas, NV. I want to get started financial planning right away but will finish out my personal commitment to work my current job until around May 2015.
• Connect with other bloggers/accountants/financial planners/readers. Again, rehashing what I already said previously, I need to step outside my comfort zone and connect with people and learn, share, and contribute ideas.
• Become a Xero Bronze Level member (need at least 5 paying clients). I love using Xero accounting software to track my own finances since I'm the Chief Financial Officer of my own life. I would love be able to integrate this software in a financial planning context since I could help clients monitor their cash flow, track net worth, and even store important financial documents all in the cloud. I became a Xero certified advisor and partner in summer 2014, but I've only been using it for myself so far. It is such a powerful tool for tracking finances and in combination with a financial advisor it can REALLY add a lot of value to a client's life. 
• Remodel kitchen - I'm planning on staying in my house for the foreseeable future and one of the major home improvements will be to remodel my kitchen. I already have new appliances so the cost will be mostly associated with buying cabinets, flooring, figures, and lighting. The best part is that the labor will be FREE. My Dad, is a jack of all trades and has his contractor's license. 
• Get a mentor. I don't really have a mentor that I can talk to on a regular basis. I'm not one who really likes to ask people or help. I like to think I can do things on my own and I don't like taking up peoples presious time. 
• Become a mentor. I don't want to be so selfish that I receive but I don't give. I have alaways wanted to be looked up to. I never had a younger brother but I did become a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program. It was really satisfying to see a young kid grow and I miss that. I would like to become a mentor for someone possibly just starting out in their career as an accountant or somewhere along those lines.

This seems like a lofty list of goals, however, when I look at each one it doesn't seem so unachievable. By publishing my goals through my blog, I want to be held accountable by putting them out there in a public arena. They are all things I really want to accomplish this year and if I just keep them in my head, I will forget about them. I turn 30 years old in just a couple months and I feel like it's time to really step it up in terms of achieving the lifestyle that I want. With a major career change in the works, it's going to be a year with challenges but I'm looking forward to being challenged again.