16 Goals for 2016

I, too, am on Team No Resolutions but I do like the idea of setting goals that are measurable and that I can feel good about achieving so with the new year approaching, I started to make a list. Initially, the first goal I wrote down was to be more responsible with the household finances (e.g. pay bills on time to avoid late charges) and the second one was to get our 2015 tax info to the CPA by February 15 (which would be far earlier than I’ve managed to do so in the past). Then with all of the ‘top 15 of 2015’ posts in blogs and on Instagram, the idea of 16 in ’16 began to percolate in my mind. 16 goals in 2016 sounded a bit poetic to me and appealed to the part of brain that likes patterns and rhythms and gimmickry so I started to brainstorm to come up with another 14 goals to add to the list I had started.

The next goal I came up with was “get a massage every month” which would be a total of 12 for the year. Another for the year would be to lose weight but I had the number 16 stuck in my head and I’d like to lose more than 16 pounds (although 16 pounds is nothing to sneeze at) so I made the next two goals to lose 16 pounds for a total of 32. A goal related to cooking would be good to add to the list so I made it to try 16 new recipes and at that point I had knew I was onto a theme. I looked back at the goal about getting massages and decided to change it from every month to 16 for the year. I could manage that.

It was at this point I went back to the first two goals and revised the date for getting tax info to our CPA from the 15th of February (which was an arbitrary date to begin with) to the 16th. Ideas really began to flow and I added the goals on being more active, on being creative, and the ones related to blogging. The goals for socializing, cultural/artistic endeavors, and travel would of course involve The Husband’s participation so the other night I shared this “16 for ’16” concept with him to make sure he was on board with it. I gave him the same backstory you just read and his response was better than I had expected. He actually liked the ones that would involve him and he had a few of his own ideas for additional monthly goals of 16 but I already had my list of 16 so his didn’t make the cut.

After some more thought, rewrites, and fine tuning, I now have my final “16 Goals for 2016” ready for debut. Without any further ado, they are as follows:

1. Spend an average of 16 minutes a day attending to household finances and provide CPA with 2015 financial info by Feb 16
2. Be active for at least 16 minutes everyday
3. Yoga, tap dance, swim, and/or otherwise “workout” at least 16 times every month
4. Increase my 2015 total step count by at least 160%
5. Have 16 days during the year with a step count of over 16,000
6. Take 16 bike rides (distance and duration TBD)
7. Lose 16 pounds so I can fit into my size 10 clothes and then lose another 16 pounds so I can get back into my size 8s
8. Get 16 massages
9. Try 16 new recipes
10. Attend, visit, or watch 16 cultural events, exhibits, or theatrical performances
11. 16 creative projects, four of each of the following; crochet, sewing, jewelry, and décor
12. Socialize with 16 different family or friend ‘units’ (unit = single adult or married couple and their children, if any)
13. Spend at least 16 nights away from home (as in travel to the distant lands near and far)
14. Publish 160 posts
15. Increase blog and Instagram followings each by 16 fold
16. Issue a monthly blog post called 16 for the 16th of ” “ which would be a look back on a month’s worth of new likes, discoveries, and progress on these goals

It’s an ambition list but I will allow for 2 for 1 overlaps. For instance, if we go to see a play with friends, I can count the evening as one of the 16 for both of those goals instead of having to choose only one like you have to do in Yahtzee. It is The Husband’s opinion that the family event we will be attending in the Spring on the East Coast will only count as one unit under the socializing goal even though there will be multiple family units. Fine, whatever. We need to get out more, anyway.

So what do you think of my list of 16 Goals for 2016? Have you given any thought to your own goals for 2016?