Before I'm 31

It's been 300 days since my last blog post. Where to start.

I have to start by admitting the guilt associated with this blog. The guilt that I haven't written any new goals. The guilt that I don't spend my free time accomplishing all the goals I've set out to do. The guilt associated with sitting down 10+ times to write this entry, but never following through with it. And, most importantly, the guilt of ignoring those who have asked me to come back to this blog. I appreciate your words more than you know, and know all of your messages did not fall on deaf ears-- instead they inspired me to come back. So thank you for your patience.

Now, to the list:

19. Help with Natural Disaster Relief Efforts (2/18/2011) accomplished on 11/17/12
49. See the Northern Lights (3/20/2011) accomplished on 10/29/12
76. Get retweeted by someone with more than 10,000 followers accomplished in mid-June thanks to Bernie Williams-- my favorite baseball player of all time

Rome wasn't built in a day, my friends, so cut me a bit of slack. I'm getting there...

The most important part about this blog, to me, is making me think about what motivates someone to set a goal. Do we set goals because we need something to strive for? Something to look forward to? To set our eyes on something to avoid the mundane reality that may otherwise consumer 90% of our days. Or is it so that we can accomplish our goals and bask in that moment of fulfillment? Or is it so we can brag to others about our accomplishments? While I realize most of my goals are selfish, and that's not something I run from and try to hide (nor do I think it's a flaw-- actually, I'm quite proud of it!), the goals that make me smile are the ones about helping others. 

Just think-- what if we all set goals to help other people. Even one goal a month-- to help someone carry their groceries, lend someone you don't know a dollar, or even just smile at someone who looks like they need it. Such simple tasks truly have a significant impact on the lives of others. You may call me an optimist, a dreamer, but think about it-- have you ever had someone help you with a random act of kindness? If you have, then you know how it can brighten an hour, a day, a week, or, in my case, a lifetime.

Everyone grows up with the dreams of changing our world. What will my legacy be? Who will invent the next Internet, cell phone, computer-- maybe cure cancer, AIDS, or even depression-- why not me?

We end up settling for less than that. It's not a bad thing-- I truly believe that-- but it's reality. A good job, the stability of a daily routine, family that needs your help and support, someone you care about: these are all reasons to put your dreams on the back-burner, but just don't forget about them. If you owe me anything, if you owe society anything, hell, if you owe yourself anything-- then don't give up on those dreams. You don't need to accomplish them in your early 20s. Honestly, you'll probably be in a much better place to tackle those dreams after a few years of post-grad living and learning. But please, just don't forget about them. Whether it's curing cancer, starting a scholarship, becoming a teacher, or even raising your perfect family. Write that goal down, put it somewhere safe and revisit it... when you're ready.

I'm not sure when we'll all be ready. It will probably be different times in our lives for all of us. But all I know, and this I know for certain, is that if we all hold onto our dreams and set our minds to accomplishing our goals, the world will be a better place because of it.

Now, to my goal. This one's easy-- just to follow my own advice. Write down a goal that I think I can accomplish and put it somewhere safe. I know that goal will be in the back of my mind for a while to come, which will make accomplishing it that much sweeter.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope to see you soon.

Keeping to my word, I'm updating exactly a week after my first post of the new year.

I just want to take a second to say how truly grateful I am that life has worked out the way it has. I have spent the last 24 hours, and will spend the next 48 hours in Utah-- on a paid company trip. The company I work for has done extremely well over the past few years and they've brought all of us together to celebrate. Lucky for me, I just joined at the right time. I don't think I wouldhave this job, or truly be who I am, without this blog-- so thanks for reading. Those who actually care about me and my writing are who truly inspire me. So thank you.

As fora  goal this week-- it's only appropriate that my goal be to learn to ski or snowboard (better).

Unfortunately it doesn't look like this goal will get accomplished in the next 48 hours-- but seeing everyone enjoying themselves on the mountain has made me realize I should really give it another chance.

I went snowmobiling this morning and was a HUGE fan-- so maybe that's reason enough to plan another cold weather trip. Then I'll have an excuse to learn how to enjoy the cold...

Thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you again next week.

I promise I'm going to try to get better with this updating this page. And if you know me then you know I rarely make promises, so this is a big step. But after talking about this page with a few of my coworkers on Friday, and starting another blogging project (don't worry, I'll update you on that in the next few weeks) I realized my love for this page has not been eradicated, it has simply been hibernating for the past few months.

But I'm back! I've accomplished quite a few of my goals- I now am the proud owner of a Sony a580 DSLR, "a camera I'm proud of",done a wine tasting, shaved everyday for a month... and have been pretty busy otherwise... but I'm going to accomplish more goals in the near future! I promise!

As for the personal side, I am moving apartments next week and starting a new job next week... so life should be hectic. But rather than neglecting this blog and deciding I should be doing "better, more productive things with my time" I've decided to embrace it. Not to treat this blog like a journal, because as those who are close to me know, I have a personal blog and if you search long and hard enough for it you can track that down (good luck, my interest is in cybersecurity... don't think you'll be able to find it). But to use this blog to keep myself focused on what I truly care about. While working is great, my love of life and my true passions are what I use my time outside of the office for. I need this blog to remind me of that.

I created this blog to ensure I didn't forget my dreams and my life goals. It's time to stop running from this blog and to start adopting it into my lifestyle.

Hopefully I can accomplish more of my goals in the near future, and as always, if you have any suggestions please don't hesitate to leave them as comments below. Even anonymous comments are welcome!

Thanks for reading and have an amazing few days until you read this page again.

P.S. Here are some of my favorite pictures taken with the new camera, in case you're interested (i.e. family... or photographers looking for a paid young staffer...)

My parents 1953 Packard Caribbean Convertible's white tires at a car show while home for Father's Day. Love this car.

Arlington National Cemetery. No particular reason for this grave, just one of many stoic, but beautiful shots from a few hours spent there. Hope to visit again soon.

Ok, so it's time to come clean and resurface.

There is no acceptable excuse for my absence, but in my defense, the last month may have been the most hectic of my life.

I crammed for finals, graduated college, said goodbye (for now) to all of my friends I've made for the past four years, packed up my life, drove from AZ to CT (with more than a few stops along the way), spent 12 days catching up with family and friends, then moved down to Arlington, VA (just outside of Washington, DC) and started work.

Needless to say, I've been busy.

I've accomplished many goals on my list (check the compiled list to see!) and also thought of many more goals that I want to accomplish.

But I've come to recognize that I wasn't accomplishing things as quickly as I'd hoped. And that was in large part due to the fact that I spent too much of my time thinking of goals and adding them to my list, rather than being out in the world knocking items off my bucket list!

The whole purpose of this list was to get out and accomplish more of my dreams, not to have more dreams. It has been a learning experience and I expect it to continue to be as I do not intend to stop adding to this blog.

I've decided not to stop all together, but instead just to add on a more sporadic basis.

To my loyal readers, thank you, and I promise NEVER to go missing for a month again.

I plan to update at once a week at a minimum, and hopefully more often than that.

I would suggest signing up for the email updates (on the left side of the blog) if you haven't already. They won't spam you, I promise, but it will send you an email of my post whenever I put one up. And since they will be in more random and unmethodical timing I would suggest getting the emails rather than checking every day as this may become a bit monotonous and disappointing.

I will add pictures and stories of the goals I've accomplished soon, and will continue to add goals in the near future.

Again, thanks for reading, sorry for the hiatus and I hope the time off gave you some time to start a bucketlist of your own.

-Philip

We got over 1,000 page views last month!

Always my goal, so awesome to see that I reached it again. Thanks everyone for reading. I hope you're enjoying reading this blog as much as I am writing it.

Now to the goal:

Complete the 365 Question Challenge in a day
(^^^^^Click that link to take you to the site for further explanation)

As I sit here watching the Mets destroy the Phillies (it's 1-0 Mets as of this moment... top of the 7th, 1 out) it just crossed my mind. How is this goal not on my list?

Attend the World Series