On goals

My last full-time job required an annual review, but it was always half-assed on the part of my supervisor, and I wasn't really held accountable for any of the plans we set out for the course of the year. I like to set goals, but what's the point of doing so if nobody's going to work with me to meet them? Or hold me accountable for the work plan I devise? Or just note where I'm succeeding and where I'm falling short?

In my current gig, we're required to complete quarterly reviews. Four a year! And we have to set our goals for the quarter and then review them to see where we've succeeded and where we need to work harder. This is probably routine for a lot of the working world, but I've never had this experience before. I am loving this system.

Quarterly review time is approaching, which got me thinking about this post and some things that I want to accomplish this year.

New bike? Purchase slowed by my knee injury, but it's happening this month. Or as soon as the rain stops long enough that I can test ride my top choices. The bike tour and other rides I was hoping to tackle this year may happen in the fall, once my knee is healed. And I'm OK with postponing them until I'm pain free. I've got a couple of shorter races this summer and fall, and I'm excited about those. And I entered the lottery for the Nike Half Marathon - again. Maybe the fourth time's the charm?

Career goals? I'm researching and laying the ground work to start applying for jobs after we put my parents' house on the market. I know pretty much what I want to do. I may even take a few classes toward that goal this summer. But I'm definitely not ready to be dealing with the house and a job search. So the search will wait. This is disappointing, but definitely the best thing I can do for myself. And with some stable (and really fun) employment in place for awhile longer, I'm not too concerned about delaying my search.

And I'm adding to the list: travel. My trip to AZ was awesome, and reminded me of how much I like to explore new places. I'm slightly more than halfway through my quest to visit all 50 states, so maybe I'll add a few new ones to my map this fall. Or maybe next summer. If I set the goals, I can change them, right?