Goals for 2010 (1st Draft)

Although I am currently working on accomplishing the 2009 Goals I have set out for myself, I have decided to get a head start and start brainstorming some of the 2010 Goals I would like to achieve. Why do this? Two reasons actually:

1. I’m bored since I have accomplished most of my 2009 Goals and I am only 7 months into the year. The two leftover 2009 Goals are all about saving money, which truthfully is kind of on autopilot anyways since I have already set up a nice budget to follow for the rest of the year, barring any unforeseen circumstances (knock on wood).
2. It’s always nice to have more goals than less since it gives you more focus and ambition.

So here it is, the Goals I have drummed up for 2010:

• Save $60,000 in 2010. This includes stocks, mutual funds, 401k, cash, real estate, checking, savings.
• Continue to save money from June 2009 – December 2010 and use it to put another 20% down on a real estate property before June 2011. (basically means don’t waste all the money that was saved previously)
• Take advantage and definitively start one of the programs that my company provides reimbursement for: Higher education program, CIA, CISA, etc… OR do a TDY in a place I have never gone before such as Korea, Japan, Germany, Hawaii, etc… TDY assignment received (January 2010 – June 2010)
• Join my company’s Guest Instructor Program.
• Transfer to my location of choice in the company.
• Take and pass the Real Estate Agent test.

Have a feeling of deja vu? Yup, the first two are similar to my 2009 Goals. Clear money goals are always good to have so I lead my 2010 Goals with them.

The next three goals relate to work. I want to start taking advantage of the opportunities that my company offers. They provide reimbursement for various licenses such as CIA, CISA, etc… and also will pay tuition costs of $1,500 per course for a higher education program that relates to work (can be either Master’s or PhD). Might as well get more knowledge and training on the company’s dollar. This will promote my marketability and directly increase my earning potential. IF you are already living within your means then the next step is increasing your means!

Another option other than increasing knowledge would be increasing experience, I could go TDY (basically travel overseas on assignment for 1-3 years) to another location owned by my company. They have places in Japan, Korea, Germany, etc… I think it would be an amazing experience to completely submerge in a whole new culture. Besides, they pay for housing and utilities! It is definitely another viable option for me.

And it is important to note that even if I decide to do one or the other (education or travel) in 2010, I can always do the other option in the next few years. So it’s not a zero-sum game.

Joining the Guest Instructor Program will also give me brownie points and give me more experience in speaking to a crowd (something that I am still somewhat afraid to do even today).

The last goal of passing the Real Estate Agent exam is to aid me in the future when I plan on buying another real estate property. Instead of letting another agent make that 3-6 percent fee, I’ll earn it to help offset my closing costs. Besides, if I am interested in learning more about becoming a landlord, taking and passing the test will just be another tool in my belt.

I need to add a disclaimer that these are currently the goals I have brainstormed for the coming 2010. They might morph into something else as things come up (hence the “draft” on the title), but preliminarily they are a pretty good sketch of what’s to come. Now that my intentions have taken shape, I can sharpen my focus and get a jump-start on this baby!

Related posts:

• Goals for 2010 (Final)
• Another One Down
• Goals for 2009
• Goals for 2009 (Results)
• TDY