Ragnar Freyr is a print and web designer, educator and blogger working in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Goals and Habits
August 19
Goals. They say we should all have them clearly written on paper. In fact authors like Brian Tracy say that having clearly defined goals can help you achieve happiness and success faster and more effective. It’s essentially the law of attraction. You want something and if you you work at it, you will eventually get it.
Habits are a different thing. We all have our collection of good and bad habits. Habits are defined by what you do most of the time, all the time. Or like Wikipedia states:
Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly, tend to occur subconsciously, without directly thinking consciously about them.
When you start to think about your habits consciously and in a critical way you soon see that some of them might be truly bad for you. A habit change is a hard thing to do and many people fail at it. The general advice people give about habit changes is to treat it like olives. Eat 21 and you’ll love them. Try a habit change for 30 days and you will change your ways.
I sat down the other day to write a few simple goals and desired habit changes for myself. Some would argue that I have too many goals going on at once but I think it’s good to write everything down and then prioritize. However, the list below is in no particular order. Goal experts tend to agree that sharing your goals with others will make you more likely to achieve them since you get the feeling that someone is following your progress. This is my attempt.
Do less
This might seem a strange goal for a 29 year old but I think it really has a ring to it. I want to slow down, do less and do the things I choose to do with greater enthusiasm and attention. I want to drop the things that don’t contribute to my core values and give more time and focus to things that really matter to me.
This means saying no more often, reducing commitments and simplifying work and past-time. Do less but do smart and make it count.
Stop drinking Pepsi or any other soda
I’ve been a Pepsi/Coca Cola addict for a very, very long time. For the last three years my average daily consumption of the stuff has been about 2 liters. I know, it’s insane! My goal is to drop it completely. So far it’s been going great. Only occasional setbacks when the real craving kicks in. I’ve found the joy of drinking water again and my body is thankful for it. I actually FEEL the change. I’m more energetic, more focused and don’t have to worry about my teeth turning into dust! This will also save me a bunch of money since soda is not the cheapest beverage you can buy in Iceland.
Stop eating candy
This one should be easy for me. In 2007 I stopped eating candy for a whole year. It was great and I felt good about the accomplishmeant. When I moved back to Iceland I really fell of the horse. The Icelandic candy is just so goooood. But now I’m going to do it again. No more candy unless it’s a real special occasion or a celebration of some sort.
Read more books
I really like books. I really like stories and useful information. I find it fun to read but I never give myself the time to do it. Other means of entertainment always prevail. I want to find more time to read both fiction and informational material. So far it has not been going so well. I still find other ways of passing my time. I play video games, I watch television shows, I read blogs.
Reach X amount in monthly salary
I’m happy to say that a week after I wrote this goal down I was offered a full time job at a start-up company here in Iceland. I accepted after spending the last four years freelancing and relying on an unstable income and the recent economic decline certainly played a big role in my decision. The full-time job brought me closer to my goal. Freelancing on the side will definitely allow me to reach my goal every month. (Even with my “Do less” goal in mind) It’s time to raise the bar again.
Pay consumer debts in full
Directly connected to my goal above. The stable income provides me with the tools to pay the rest of my consumer debts more easily. Becoming debt free is now my mission.
Wake up early and develope a morning routine
I can’t say it’s been a problem for me but making a habit of waking up early every day has been one of my dreams for a long time. I find that when I wake up early I get more done and work with a more focused mind. I percieve the days to be longer and more fulfilling. In connection to this goal I want to develope a good morning routine. My ideal routine would consist of waking up early, drinking a glass of water, going out for a jog, taking a shower, sorting my tasks for the day, making breakfast and preparing lunch to bring to work, commute to work.
Cook a home-made dinner 5-6 days of the week
This has already become a habit. Me and my wife cook almost every night, leaving Friday or Saturday for take-out or special dishes. We save a lot of money, develope our culinary skills and spend time together talking about our activities during the day. I really recommend it.
Start the habit of meditation
I’ve been reading alot about the benefits of meditation and I really want to give it a go. So far I’ve not made time for it in my day but that has to change. This is a part of slowing down, be mindful and enjoying and contemplating the now.
Start the habit of regular exercise
Same here. We all know the health benefits of regular exercise. When I was younger I used to practice competetive cross-country skiing. It’s one of the hardest sports around. I was in great shape. I quit in my teens and subsequently my body started to grow weaker. That, accompanied by a very sedentary lifestyle (I work in front of the computer all day) has really brought me out of shape. I’m suffering from growing back pains and I can’t walk my own stairs without getting tired. My goal is to start jogging regularly to get into shape before I reach my last goal. (See bottom)
Simplify
I’m a minimalist by heart. I love simple things. My goal is to simplify my life even more than it is right now. By being a minimalist in every way you essentially free your mind of clutter. I’m going to simplify my home (decluttering), simplify work, finances, digital file management and many other things.
Aquire a mountain bike
I’ve become obsessed with mountain biking without even having a bike. I hang on forums, watch videos and view images. I really want a good mountain bike. But rather than going out right away and buying it I am going to save up for it and buy a really good one. Mountain biking combines many of my goals and hobbies in one. But first and foremost it’s exercise and it’s nature.
And that’s it. My current goals and desired habits.
29 Comments so far
Karl on August 20, 2009 at 11:22 am
sincere and inspiring post, look forward to following your progress! Share many of your goals personally and they are all good ones.
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Bjarni on September 9, 2009 at 11:19 am
A good read and very inspiring. Very good and healthy goals I’d say
this rhymes in a lot of ways with what I have been doing.
Two thumbs up!
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