My 2022 Goals & Visions
In addition to the concrete goals I’m working towards this year, I’m also sharing the vision for why the goals exist in the first place. A vision describes the concrete experience of achieving a goal. Working towards a vision increases the motivation to achieve goals as long as there is alignment. Here is my overall vision for the year along with the visions for each individual goal I’m working towards.
My 2022 Vision
I called 2022 my “Year of the Worksheet.” I wish I had made worksheets my priority sooner. This was one of my most prolific and profitable years yet. I published more products and produced more creative work than any other year before and I worked less hours than I ever have before in order to be present to the family. The focus on worksheets also let me to make connections with new people. It helped me stand out for a unique skill instead of being just any other author.
Professional Goals:
623,235/1,000,000 words for kids (A part of my #1millionwordsforkids goal) (+8,115 words)
I see a kid putting into action something she read in a book. She is trying to overcome a challenge in a new way with a positive attitude. She surprises her parents and explains where she learned it: that book by Jared Dees. (Or: that worksheet…that video…that exercise with Jared Dees.)
1,011/1,000 Resources (Videos/Worksheets) for Members of The Religion Teacher (+11 resources)—Complete!
I see a teacher showing The Religion Teacher videos and using worksheets that get kids thinking and praying in class. They experience something with those resources that keeps them thinking the rest of the day: an encounter with Christ. The teacher returns to lesson planning feeling less overwhelmed and more excited to teach the next class.
Personal Goals:
39/24 Books Read (+7 including Awareness, NPCs, Turning Pro, Zen and the Art of Writing, Great American Stories, and Just This)—Complete
I see myself talking to friends and family about some of my favorite books.
21/100 Non-fiction Books Started & Skimmed (+0)
I see myself talking about non-fiction books on social media and during interviews because these books helped me improve my life and create my own work.
73/73 Books of the Bible read from beginning to end (+1 books read)—Complete!
I see myself reading the daily readings with a new perspective remembering the experience of reading the entire Bible.
130/100 30-minute workouts (+12 workouts)—Complete!
I see myself working out often and having more energy and happiness around my kids and at the computer for work.
*/200 word vocabulary to learn American Sign Language (* words)
I see my son and I having conversations in sign language during our one-on-one time during the day.
*I stopped keeping track of the number of words in ASL I’m learning with my son. He’s doing so well that it’s really hard to keep track of all the new signs we are learning! Imagine trying to keep track of how many different words you speak every day! It’s a much more fluid process than the experience of learning vocabulary words in school.
How I Spent My Time in December 2022
I track every minute of time I spend working on projects using an app called Toggl (here is why). Here is a list of the top ten projects I spent the most time on last month:
- 8:05 – The Religion Teacher Email & Customer Service
- 4:25 – The Religion Teacher’s Biography Worksheets
- 2:31 – The Religion Teacher’s Saints Worksheet Collection
- 6:18 – Daily Review
- 5:58 – Morning Preview
- 4:47 – Weekly Review
- 4:34 – The Religion Teacher Videos
- 3:06 – The Religion Teacher Blog
- 2:21 – The Religion Teacher Newsletter
- 2:21 – Short Stories
Total Time: 56:45 Hours
December 2022 Highlights & Lessons Learned
Family First
December was another reminder this year to put family first.
I started the month in Chicago for our to get his tonsils and adenoids out. Everything went well, but the next ten days were pretty rough.
I had one full week of work before two weeks of Christmas.
When you work for yourself, you never really take the day off. There are always things that must be done.
Thankfully, however, working with teachers means December is especially quiet. I was able to dedicate my time and energy to family.
We had a lot of fun with the kids at home.
The highlight was a “Christmas Carol Competition” I organized on the day that the blizzard came through. I made up games to play throughout the day inspired by Christmas carols:
- O Little Town of Bethlehem LEGO Challenge
- The Little Drummer Boy Drums (Simon Says)
- Follow the Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer (Follow the Leader)
- I Spy O Christmas Tree (I Spy)
- Deck the Halls Craft Time
- White Christmas Make-a-Snowflake Challenge
- Silent Night (The Quiet Game)
Finally, for Good King Wenceslaus, all of the kids picked a charity for our family to support with a donation. I love the song about Saint Wenceslaus leading his servant through the snow to give food to the poor. We listened to the song, talked about the lyrics, and watched videos about the work of some of our favorite charities.
