New Years Resolutions/Goals:

Man, everyone is talking about these right now.  If you are a regular gym goer, then you know that a bunch of people have decided to lose weight...you also know that you only need to wait a few more weeks so that you can have your favorite machine back, because all the posers will quit coming.


Lets talk about goals.

I think that if I were to go and ask any group  of people if they had goals, the nearly unanimous answer would be yes.

Now lets talk about those goals.

People will fall into three categories and we'll  talk about each one.

Group 1:  You have a mental list of the things you want to accomplish.  Good job!  You have a valid fantasy, and while you thing thoughts about your goals..there are whole groups of people who have thoughts of being skinny, rich and with fulfilling relationships ...they are all in controlled environments and often under heavy medications.  Sorry to offend, but you dont actually have goals, you have Dreams and Fantasies.  Its a start.

Group 2:  You have written your goals down...a list of 10 or so things you'd like to see happen this year..and thats it.  Awesome.  Writing your goals down is important.  It starts your brain on its path to get them done.  However, if its just a list, there is only ONE way to get them accomplished.  This secret I give you to, and it will happen without fail. 
  Take your list of Goals.  Put them in an envelope and seal it and date it.  Then address it to:

Santa Claus

North Pole

Group 3:  The real goal setters.  Goals are just PART of the process.  They are the target result....but without a plan you wont get anywhere.  You need to give your mind specific instructions, give yourself specific tasks.  If you want to make something happen, then you must plan it.  I wish that people would stop using words like 'Goals' and substitute in the word 'Plans'.  

In order to reach your goals you have to PLAN, TAKE ACTION, and TRACK progress.  

Planning.  Remember that Reticular activator I mentioned last time?  It plays a HUGE role here.  As you make your plans, you are giving your mind subconscious queues to fill...to watch for opportunities and experiences that can make that step in your plan happen.  If you fail to make a plan then you have not even given yourself a chance to succeed because you have not instructed yourself on any level of how to get to where you were going.  If I told 99% of you to drive from where you are to Paris, TN without using any kind of map or GPS, you would fail...because you have NO idea how to get there.

Taking Action: The difference between the top 20% in whatever area you have goals in, and the bottom 80% is that the top 20% are taking action, even though they may hate it too.  

  As important as taking action is, its also important to track your progress.  Its the barometer that lets you know if you are on the right track, the compass that keeps you pointed.  It also provides you with small victories to celebrate along the way to fight discouragement.  

Tracking:  The most common metaphor for this is an aircraft.  They don't actually fly in straight lines...they're ALWAYS off course.  Winds, weather, lots of things happen...the pilots and the aircraft itself checks its current location and where its supposed to be and it corrects.  If you don't track where you are then you're going to be way off course...and probably surprised that you didn't end up where you thought you were going.

Lets take a look at an example. 

  Years ago, a friend of mine asked me to drive from Utah, to Paris, TN to pick up a boat he had purchased off of eBay.  He was going to pay me for my time, gas, hotels, food, etc.  I had nothing better to do so I accepted.  (Goal: Paris, TN)

Now, I didnt just think about this goal...I had to make  a plan.  I looked at the mileage, I got a map, I checked hotels and places to stay along the route.  Because i was getting a fixed rate, I checked for the most inexpensive places to stay along the way.  (Plan...made)

Then I drove. I knew the mileage between stops so I watched my odometer.  Once I got past Denver, I was in completely new territory, so checked in on my map, watched the highway numbers and looked for the junctions I needed to change course.  (Tracked progress)

I think a major short fall for some people happens here.  You MUST be flexible on your path.  In Kentucky, my truck broke down.  Stupid automatic 4x4 would just shift into gear..at 80+mph  It was not only annoying, but very scary...and the stupid thing wouldnt come OUT of 4 High...which was killing my drivetrain, making me drive more slowly, and laying waste to my mileage.  So I stopped, got my tools out, and removed the front driveline of my truck...I unplugged the computer in the pass. side kick panel, and I removed the motor that shifted the transfer case.  Then I fitted an adjustible wrench to the shift shaft of the transfer case, put the truck in 2 wheel drive...and continued on my path.  I lost about a days worth of travel, but I was back on the road..the problem was overcome for now and I would look into fixing it more completely later. 

Life is not a fixed path.  Sometimes things happen and rather than give up and die in KY, I just dealt with it.  I could have had any number of obstacles.  Road closures, construction, weather...anything could have happened and I would have had to adjust accordingly.  

Our goals are the same way.  We have to first have a goal, then we have to plan and act, but we then need to be flexible...one point I wont go too deeply into, is that the goal I set was reachable.  I gave myself 10 days to drive to KY and back.  There is NO way I could have done it in 5 days...and I probably could have done it faster..but the point is, my goal was realistic and reachable.

Keep up the good work!  We'll see you in a week or two.

-Monte

Jan 1st, 2013.  We close another year and I have the following advice:

The year was full of events.  Some you would call good, some you would call bad.  I submit to you that if you can learn this one lesson, you can free yourself from the life you thought you were stuck with.  That lesson is this:

Events are just events.  They have no values, no morals and no meaning.  They have only the meaning that YOU assign to them.  Don't feel bad, its what you were programmed to do.  All your life you have been programmed to know the right answer, raise your hand, do as you were told and interpret everything that came your way.  This has made you a reactionary person.

Given that the only meaning an event has, is the meaning YOU give it...isn't it time for you to assign values that help you grow, and not hold you back?

Remember...a brick is a brick...it can build an orphanage or be thrown through a window.  The brick has no meaning...you got a flat tire....thats it...there is no 'and....' to complete the sentence.

Here's the rub.  Something happened to you when you were younger...and THAT event made you THINK or BELIEVE something about that event and events like it....now and forever...that event will be reacted to by YOU because of something that happened WAY back in time.  Silly, that you're continuing to relive your past each time a new event happens to you...isn't it?  Does it start to make sense why you feel like your life never changes and you're stuck in a RUT?  Well...guess what...its YOUR fault.  STOP!  Every moment is an event, and YOU have the POWER to assign whatever meaning to it that you want.....to grow, to prosper, to reach your dreams.

I'll end this blog with one other bit.  This year you want something...lets say your goal is to have more intimacy in your relationship.... GUESS WHAT!?!  You cant persue it.  The things you want most in life cannot be persued like a target.....your goals are not targets, they are the arrows.  To HAVE more intimacy in your life, you need to BE more intimate and intimacy will find you.  To have more happiness in life you need to BE more happy where you are, with what you have, and HAPPINESS will find you....YOU are the target.  So this year, don't ask yourself what you need to DO to reach your goals...ask instead what you need to BE so your goals can find you.

Until next time,
 -Monte

OH, yeah.

And also, I left my place of employment. It was...a weird situation and we're glad its done. I'm going independent again, and we already have a very steady client who's paying rather well. Of course I'm always on the look out for new contracts so if you know of anyone that needs a Sr. .NET enginner, let me know! I dont have our business site up yet, but when I do, i'll get a link on here so you (I talk like someone actually reads this blather) can check it out.

A humourous look at life....

So my wife and I went shopping today. We went to a popular retail store and cruised around a little bit. I made a funny observation. We men, are just hunters. We go, we see, we get what we want and we leave. I think, for the most part that women are Gatherers. My wife for instance, has to touch each thing on the 75% off rack, to ensure that she's seen it all. Don't get me wrong, I think its great and we often come out of there with some good deals, deals I would have missed if it weren't for her steadfastness in bargain hunting.
While there we observed a lady whos cart was FULL to BULGING, with more clothes hanging by the hangars around the rim and along the handle. RIDICULOUS. My thoughts were something like...."If this is is how she shops, her closets must be full. I truly hope she's shopping for needy family because thats just OUT of control".
Thats my bit for today. Not much, not insightful, and not great..but....I was just thinking about that.

100 things about me

1. I love my wife more than anything. It amazes me how much I do love her.
2. Being a dad is WAY cool. Stressfull, but very cool.
3. My thumbs look like toes. Seriously. The American Indians (I'm told) believe it to be sign of integrity.
4. I like being a software geek, but I want more. It'd be nice to be a Program Manager, or maybe even in Technical Sales.
5. I DO like to play computer games. I think it gives my brain something to chew on besides work.
6. I worry that I might not be the best husband or father, but that might be good, since it makes me continually try very hard.
7. I TOTALLY believe in miracles.
8. I don't like the Santa Claus lie. What about poor kids who try very VERY hard, and end up with not much...do they then think "Well, I was good and got jack, I might as well be bad."
9. I love family holidays. Its fun to have no real agenda, and just be with family.
10. I regret not having spent more time keeping up with my late cousin Ty.
11. I want a new house for my family, but the economy scares me...a lot.
12. I think Obama is an idiot.
13. I joined Facebook because my wife was always on there, and I wanted to be included.
14. To me, there are fewer pleasures greater in life than just holding my wife's hand.
15. Kissing is STILL really fun. I don't care what you old married folks say.
16. Fall is my favorite season.
17. Spring...might be my favorite season....
18. I'm tired of going to funerals.
19. I'm excited about change.
20. My favorite color is purple.
21. I really like the SCA. I'm sad that my involvement in it will be reduced so much (by my choice).
22. I love cars...mostly old ones.
23. I need a project to work on. I don't know why, but its part of who I am.
24. Christian & Leslie are two of the coolest people I know. I trust them with my life.
25. I have a great family of in-laws.
26. I lean on my left elbow a lot, when i'm thinking or programming...and I get a gnarly callous there...
27. I love our little log lily...even when she's making me insane.
28. I don't really like my body shape...especially that genetics part, that you cant change without surgery.
29. I like being tall.
30. I loved it when I had long hair.
31. I believe that freedom should never be given away for peace.
32. I write poetry.
33. I think the best part of Ogden, is leaving.
34. I think 'garage-sale-ing' is fun.
35. I'm totally a morning person.
36. I'm trying to break my addiction to Mountain Dew (programmers drink of choice).
37. My wife says that if I were a 'Winnie the poo' character, I'd be Tigger.
38. I like my job, and my company, and my current client.
39. If I made a radical career change, I would probably be in finance (scary huh).
40. I like Arizona. I could TOTALLY live there.
41. I love medieval history.
42. I own a sword (see 41).
43. I wish that I had more time...a full day just for me, and a full day just for my wife, and one full day for each of my children (thats only 1 at present).
44. I was VERY nervous when I got married.
45. I like my calling at Church, but sometimes you just want to be left alone.
46. I dont like lazy, or non-productive people.
47. I miss my mom.
48. I love it when it rains and thunders.
49. Prior to today, i've never felt an earth quake. I'm not even sure that our building shaking today WAS an earthquake, but I think it counts.
50. I love musicals, and broadway.
51. I need to spend more time singing. I miss it.
52. I think the best villains are the ones you can identify with.
53. My favorite villain is 'Magneto' from x-men.
54. My favorite comic hero is Batman.
55. I work too much.
56. I miss working in film and television.
57. Sometimes...there are just some people I'd like to punch.
58. Even though its bad...sometimes the f-bomb is the only appropriate word for a situation.
59. I want a new bed.
60. I ruined my jaw in a motorcycle crash...and now my jaw hurts a lot.
61. I dont sleep well if my wife isnt in bed too.
62. I still worry about my son...and I listen for him at night.
63. I think baby formula is too expensive.
64. Someone stole my chainsaw a few years back, and I'm still REALLY pissed about it.
65. I want to sell my Tahoe.
66. There is nothing that I wouldnt do, to make my wife happy. She has but to ask...
67. I hate meetings. Most of the time they're a complete waste.
68. I think I could sell anything....but I dont know how to get into doors to sell it.
69. I dont want to be rich, just well enough off to spend more time with my family, and less time working.
70. I think our country is in big, big trouble.
71. I used to hate noise when I slept...now I can ignore almost anything...except my son.
72. I finally met someone who likes the temperature in the bedroom lower than me....my wife.
73. I would rather be cold than hot.
74. I love spelunking.
75. I want a boat someday...a nice one.
76. I also want a 4-wheeler.
77. I also want a nice camping trailer.
78. I want to take my wife to NYC to broadway someday.
79. I want to work out more. I need more time.
80. I think World of Warcraft is a blast. I also like Eve-Online.
81. I hate drunk drivers. Drink till your livers fail for all I care, just dont drive.
82. I think its funny how in UT you cant smoke next to the exits of buildings, but they all have ashtrays by the doors.
83. Road Rage is stupid.
84. UT drivers are not necessarily the worst, but they are the most discourteous.
85. I love 4-wheeling...especially if it involves water and/or mud.
86. I love to camp.
87. Words cant describe what it looks like to hike to a peak above low clouds, and watch the sun rise.
88. I am always amazed at how much God loves us; and at how poorly we thank him for it.
89. I hope we have a little girl.
90. I really do think it would be cool to have twins.
91. I like motorcycles, but...see #84.
92. I wish I could see my dad and my little brother more.
93. I grew up farming...yes, horseback riding, cattle herding/branding, hay-hauling and all the rest.
94. I'm glad I had the childhood I did.
95. I own 2.5 acres in Midway, UT
96. I love the late Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series.
97. High Speed internet is a requirement for anywhere we live.
98. This, has been insightful and fun.
99. My favorite part of the day is when I open the door to my house.
100. It doesnt really matter where I live, as long as my family is there.

I loved this quote

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.

Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802)
3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)

My latest Rant....Obama...

Obama says these two words a lot.. "Hope" and "Change". I think he's right...but in his case, its "I HOPE I can figure out what to do" and then it'll be "I think I'll CHANGE my mind."

He bugs me. On one hand he says that the CEO's of these failing financial institutions should not receive any windfall from the buy-out. yet..he's hired them from Fanny Mae, and Freddy Mac, and both of them have received in the tens of millions in the deal. SO seriously Obama...at least pick a side...in my opinion, you're not worth the shoe's you stand in. Go back to Senator..and here's a thought for while you're there....try doing something! "Community Builder" yeah, I can put that on my resume too, I built a whole city out of Legos once....its still around. You've got..ah..let me think....OH right,....NOTHING AT ALL. You have a campaign full of flip-flops (please open a waffle house, you'll be great!) and contradictions. You have no plan, and you have no substance. You do, to your credit have a great media machine...kudos. For the rest..you arent ready. Like cotton candy you come off sweet...but there's no substance. Gain some bearing. Maybe try and get some credentials for yourself instead of trying to sideways affiliate yourself with JFK and other great reformers. Pick a stand and take that, instead of being a big jug of luke warm water. People tend to at least go with someone that they think they can predict. You just flop flop flop. Grr. And enough with the mud slinging. Seriously have you heard yourself? My favorite was your question of if the GOP VP nominee for the Republicans could be in office and still raise a family. So...since you started your campaign 2 years ago, where are your children? Get a grip, if anyone looks past our news and media, which are no longer reliable because they are so biased, then you will show up as what you are. Change yourself...then try and change the world. Obama, I dont need a Savior, I have one of those. I need a firm president who can actually make, and stick to a decision.... You disgust me.