Achievements, Mistakes and Goals

Disclaimer: This is a new year motivational thead, it is not intended to be a Grey Alien advertising thread or about me or my company in any way. I'm just starting a motivational ball rolling, so if you feel like flaming please go and set fire to a Christmas pudding or something instead. If you don't like the subject matter, please read another thead, it's just like changing a channel on your TV.

Anyway, I was recently tidying some virtual folders on my PC and I found a doc I made at the end of 2005 listing my achievements of the year, my mistakes and my goals for 2006. It was fun to see that my achievements are greater this year, lots of my goals were achieved and others sort of half were, and some of mistakes were repeated (oh no!) etc

So I thought that it might be good to do the same for 2006 and encourage others to do the same because this time of year is a good time to reflect and make new plans.

I wouldn't advise making the list huge, just a few things that seem major to you right now. Also listing the mistakes is not to beat yourself up about them, but rather to say "OK, I'm aware of that, and I'm going to learn from it and do something else (hopefully better) next time".

Also please make sure that the list contains IT related topics so the thread is not deleted. Hopefully it won't be as the thread is about *us*, forum members, so it's pretty relevent.

So without further ado, here is my list:

2006 Summary:

Achievements
------------

1) Released Easter Bonus, Wizard of Oz and Holiday Bonus.
2) Learnt BlitzMax and made a game framework that is very useful to me and has sold well.
3) Got my games security wrapped and on my own website with proper download/buy buttons etc.
4) Had a great summer spending lots of time outside and with my family and not working too hard.
5) Made leaps and bounds in my self-realisation/self-improvement studies.
6) Spend less unproductive time on forums :-)
7) One of my Aikido students who I've been training for 5 years got a black belt.
8) Project managed two bathrooms being gutted and completely refitted in my house.
9) Maintained my good health and attitude.

Mistakes
--------

1) Could have spent more time relaxing and with my family.
2) Did Easter Bonus in Blitz Plus and with good but non-flashy "modern" graphics.
3) Oz took too long and I put myself under huge pressure to get Holiday Bonus ready on time. I'm not doing that again!
4) Didn't spend enough time making music, reading or playing games.
5) Whilst I enjoyed being a full-time Indie game programmer this year, it hasn't made me much money at all - but this is just the beginning.

Goals for 2007
--------------

1) Continued improvement in my self-realisation studies.
2) Turn my self-realisation co-venture into a huge success.
3) Spend more time relaxing, doing my hobbies (reading/music/games) and with my family.
4) Make some top 10 portal games that make lots of money so that I can continue in the same career.
5) Make some games that I *really* want to make (platformers/shooters etc), even if it's just for fun.
6) Become Rich (I'm already happy so I don't need to worry about that one).

Good luck to all of in 2007, I hope that you move closer to, or achieve, your dreams!

I guess I'll try that too.. :P

Achievements
------------

1) Improved my guitar playing skills. Finally overcoming some issues that were holding me back from getting my alternate picking fluid at high speeds
2) Improved my ear training skills quite a bit.
3) Started to learn Blitzmax (my first 'real' programming language, ever). Began in June and spent some time whipping up a basic tile engine. Then started on my MUD server.
4) Learned the basics of SQL and MySQL - enough to get it integrated with my MUD.
5) Currently learning Lisp, as I've decided it's the most appropriate language for my MUD.
6) Got to see Roger Waters live. Got to hear all of "Dark Side of the Moon" played live. Amazing. The closest I'll ever get to seeing the original Pink Floyd lineup live, I'm sure.
7) Patched things up with my girlfriend. There was no particular problem with the relationship except that we were drifting apart.
8) Managed to stick to a workout routine. Lost weight and improved my fitness level at least 10-fold.
9)

Mistakes
--------

1) Neglected relations with my family. We were never that close and have grown even further apart this last year.
2) Still have a tendency to completely give up music to devote time to programming, and vice versa. I'll have to probe deeper into the reasoning behind this seemingly subconcious shift of interests.
3) Not sure if this is a mistake as of yet, but, moving my MUD (which was coming along nicely) to Lisp. I'm estimating I'll be set back at least 2 months initially. Hopefully the features Lisp offers will allow me to offset that setback and then some in the long run.
4) Spend way too much money on energy drinks. I'm addicted.
5) I'm still too reclusive. I need to get out more and meet more people. Being a hermit is quite draining.
6) Still spend too much time dreaming. I'm also extremely indecisive when it comes to finalizing plans for my MUD (there's always a better solution ...just must spend more time brainstorming. Argh)

Goals for 2007
--------------

1) Pay off my school loan and get back to college.
2) Continue on my MUD. By the end of the year it should at least be in alpha, if not further along the development path.
3) Lose 15 more pounds and get a six-pack stomach. I've always wanted one.
4) Run a half-marathon.
5) Explore AI and related fields. Get some experience coding neural nets/genetic algorithms. Start catching up on my biology/neuro-science.
6) Improve my math skills...a LOT. While I made it to calculus in HS, I don't recall any of it. I was always good at math but at the time, had nothing 'real' to apply it to, and so I never was really interested in it.
7) Either get my car running or sell it. Anyone looking for an 1987 Fiero GT in good condition? They're practically collector cars!
8) I better stop this list, as my final goal is to "stop projecting unrealistic goals for myself that in the end do nothing but kill my enthusiasm as I realize I can't meet them all within the given time-frame" :P

Achievements
------------

1. Er...... :/


Mistakes
--------

1. I'll come back to you on this.


Goals for 2007
--------------

1. Do something useful.

What he ^^ said.

Achievements
----------------

A) Held last DBPro convention earlier in the year, which was pretty good, although not as well attended as previous years.
B) Finished Humans On A Planet and BallZ
C) Brought 3 iMacs, and sold 2 laptops and a desktop to pay for most of them.

Mistakes
----------

A) Work programs still haven't been released because boss isn't interested in testing them, and to keen on updating previous DOS ones. Also not letting anyone else preview or test them, which is annoying. Would be rather surprised if the company I work for is still around this time next year.

Goals for 2007
-----------------

A) Would like to get work programs at least previewed, even of no-one wants to test 'em...
B) Write & complete a game
C) Get one last computer (a PC this time), a network storage system and OS X "Leopard"
D) Possibly start saving for my own place to rent...

Achievements
------------

a) Started reading and practicing "A Course In Miracles" - it's awesome and totally life-changing
b) Visited my family in England (see mistakes)
c) Got a nice pay raise and review at work
d) Revisited some old projects and breathed new life into them
e) Started working on several new projects that all so far have culminated in one `master project` which is an engine, it's coming along nicely and is my best work so far
f) Started playing more music again and am more artistic
g) Let my hair grow long again

Mistakes
--------

a) Visiting England resulted in not talking to my family for most of the year and needing time to work on healing and forgiveness (which ultimately is a good thing)
b) My job role shifted from what I'm good at to what I'm not so good at, to gradually more and more of a degree (but soon to be fixed)
c) Spent way too much time playing with making a screensaver and fiddling with blobby objects thinking it could become a game but just isn't quite right (but led to a better code-base to work with on future projects)

Goals for 2007
--------------
a) Make a really good quality, versatile game engine and make games with it and sell them
b) Sing more, start writing my own music, maybe learn guitar
c) Continue with "A Course In Miracles"
d) Forgive my family and myself for things that never happened
e) Do more art - set up a website
g) Maybe write a book
h) Keep exercising regularly
i) Continue using everything I do for a higher purpose, and have more fun

Achievements
------------

a) Reading this topic for 10 seconds and then skipping straight to the end to reduce time wastage


Mistakes
--------

a) Using Windows


Goals for 2007
--------------

a) More cheese consumption

O_O

Do your parents hate England THAT much?! :p

Achievements
-------------

1) I haven't been banned from this forum for 5 months.


Mistakes
--------

1) Being banned every 3 months.


Goals for 2007
--------------

1) To not buy any more blitz licenses and remain a member for longer than a year.


:)

Sorry in advance, but I can't seem to stop myself:

That ship sailed sooooo long ago.

Goals for 2007
--------------
Tell it like it is!

My Achievements are few, my mistakes are many... my goal is to learn from my mistakes so that I can achieve more, or at least fail more brilliantly!!!

My other goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thought I was!

Hhmmm this is fun. Here are mine

Achievements
------------

1) Released my first game (remake of Ant Attack)
2) Move to yet another country
3) Started new job
4) Entered my second game in Retro Remakes compo (Highway Encounter) and won best graphics prize
5) Got engaged :)
6) Learnt to Ski
7) Won achiever award in my new job
8) Start Open University Course

Mistakes
--------

1) Not spending enough time with my friends due to all my other commitments
2) Not enough cycling / hill walking

Goals for 2007
--------------

1) Getting married
2) Climbing at least 2 Munroe mountains
3) Passing 1st year of Open Uni
4) Starting family
5) Sell old house
6) Buy new house
7) Finish 3D Star Strike Game

Its interesting to review a year like that.

Cheers,


Unc

Uncle: nice ones, but better be moved to the end of the year or you'll never do the other things on your list ;-)

So then no one else wanna post about their achievements and mistakes and goals?

Plenty of mistakes this year (which I won't go into), and my main goal for 2007 is getting rid of last years baggage and moving on to better things.

Achievements? See mistakes.

OK I'll do a serious one.

Achievements
------------

1. I did a door supervisor's course and I'm now a licenced bouncer.

2. I got in a drug dealer's face, resulting in him threatening me with an axe and getting sent down for 4 months for threatening behaviour.

3. I got unbanned from this site after 8 months.

4. I met g/f and moved house.

5. I took up wedding photography and got paid almost £300 for 3 hours work.

6. I started drawing again.

7. I lost more than 30lbs.


Mistakes
--------

1. Accidentally moved next door to a crack den (see 2/4 above).

2. I got arrested and spent a night in jail (see 2 above).

3. Had a car accident.


Goals for 2007
--------------

1. Stop drinking.

2. Make more games.

3. Make more money.

Achievements

1) Telling my old company to stuff it and set up on my own
2) Never lost a single penny playing texas hold'em throughout the year
3) Finally got round to finishing my kitchen
4) Still with the other half
5) Becoming one year older
6) Waking up this morning after a 12 hour drinking session, and starting all over again!

Mistakes (EDIT: I missed that one)
1) Not really many mistakes this year, if you asked me two years+ ago I'd have a list as long my arm.

Goals for 2007

1) Finish one of the many games sitting on my hard-drive
2) Buy a transit van
3) Finish the garden
4) pay off the rest of my debt, so I'll owe noone nothing (Apart from my mortgage of course)
5) Be one year older
[EDIT] 6) stop drinking, OMG, I'm not very well at all! :(

Currently, 2006 has been one of my better years, thats probably got something to do with the fact that I was mega in debt, sat with nothing trying to pay it off for the last couple of years.

Hopefully, the good times will carry on through to 2007! ;)

Dabz

GfK: Thanks for your frank ones, good luck with 2007.
Dabz: Cool, but no mistakes? Self-awareness is good for growth...

Achievements
-------------

1) Passed my photography course.
2) Put together a portfolio of photographs taken over the years.
3) Bought some good photography equipment and began to use it properly based on articles and books read.
4) Started an Open University Degree.

Mistakes
--------

1) Drank too much.
2) Left my Uni assignments to the last minute.
3) Hardly did any exercise.
4) Hardly any programming done.

Goals
-----

1) Pass my Wedding Photography Course.
2) Do a good job on my first real wedding.
3) Work towards becoming a professional wedding photographer.
4) Drink less.
5) Exercise more.
6) Actually do some studying for my degree.
7) Complete programming another game.

Achievements:
...I'm still looking for
1. well - I realized, completed and sold my first game! Not big money but what a satisfaction!!!


Mistakes:
- too many!!!

Goals:
1. reduce 'mistakes'
2. understand achievements....
3. have more time for me, for real friend, for my life - something 'normal'

Gah, dont tell me you totalled yer Focus?! :/

At least when I had my accident, I managed to hit a brand new Porsche. :p

Nah, it escaped with only superficial damage and I got away with no injuries. Nothing major.

I hit a 2.2 litre Vectra. He'd only had it for a few weeks. :)

Heh, nice one.

My accident was very low speed too, so no injuries, luckily. However, my poor little Fiesta was a writeoff. Bloke in Porsche just had a few dents and scratches. He was able to drive off, afterwards - those things must be built like tanks. :/

Achievements:

Went on holiday in Scotland for a fortnight - camping with my wife and kids
Started an HNC BIT course
Swam equivalent of English channel in 15 sessions for a charity called 'ASPIRE'
Got my BMax / VB6 application running sweetly - still requires polish however

Mistakes:
Trying to do to much at once
Used VB.Net as an application controller successfully on one machine, only to learn that all target machines need some instance of .net engine... or something ?

Goals:
Learn how to do so much at the same time better.....
Spend more time with my children
Work on effective sleep deprivation - if possible.
Spend less time on forums.
Try and use VB6 as app controller again - or return to my unsuccessfull attempts at using BMax/B3D as app controllers.

Wow, do Bouncers carry Axes around with them?

Merry Christmas Enay, try and have a nice new year {;-)