I like goals. They help me plan my life. They give me direction and purpose. Without goals, I’d feel like a ship without a keel; directionless and out of control.
I also like rhymes and playing with words. When writing a post, I try to come up with a clever title. Sometimes I rhyme, but when I can’t come up with anything, I use a site like Rhyme Zone. I used Rhyme Zone for this post and it came up mostly empty when I typed in goal:
coal
no
bowl
nope
thole
???
And then it spit out funk hole. I had never heard of the term funk hole, but it sounded like something naughty, so I was immediately drawn to it. If you go to Urban Dictionary (NSFW), you’ll see a very naughty definition. However, almost everything on Urban Dictionary is naughty, so no surprise there. The commonly accepted definition of funk hole, courtesy of Wiktionary, is this:
A concealed place where one can hide in safety, especially during a war; a dugout.
The world is safer than it’s ever been. For example, isn’t it wonderful that you didn’t know what a funk hole was before you read this post?
I’ll have more to say about funk holes in a moment, but first I need to discuss 2019…
2019 Goals (10 wins, 5 failures)
1. Be lazier: Take life at a slower, more thoughtful pace.
FAIL! In a somewhat spontaneous decision, Mindy and I bought another home. We ran around like crazy people getting our old home ready to rent. Moving always sucks.
2. Make money from our trailer park.
WIN! The trailer park made $23,404 for us and that doesn’t even include our yet-to-be-determined payout for Q4.
3. Grow a business: We bought part of a coworking space!
WIN! Membership over at MMM HQ almost doubled in 2019. But even better than that, the community and funnery* get better with every month. I’m so happy that I’m a part of this.
*yes, I make up words sometimes.
4. Continue indexing: Put all extra money into VTSAX or similar funds.
WIN! We put about $50,000 into 401(k)s and HSAs. Every cent went into index funds.
5. Cut back on sugar: Waaaay back.
WIN! Except for the holidays, Mindy and I cut way the hell back on carbs. We even did the keto thing for a while.
6. Body composition: On 1/1/2019, I weighed 162 with 17% body fat. 150 fits me a lot better.
WIN! While I packed on a couple of pounds over the holidays, I got down to 149 over the summer, my lowest weight in 2 decades.
7. Heart rate: Get resting heart rate down to 55.
FAIL! I got it all the way down to 58 in the first half of the year, but as soon as the fast walking practice died, my heart rate started to climb.
8. 5K record: Run the Berkshire Hathaway 5k in under 27 minutes.
FAIL! My time was 28:21. The first time I did this race about 5 or 6 (or 7?) years ago, I was above 35. While I didn’t meet my goal, I’m happy with the shape I’m in.
9. Squats! Squat my body weight 5 times.
FAIL!: I got up to 125, still 25-35 short of my body weight. Squats are hard.
10. Resume weight training: I injured my shoulder, but I hope to restart weights soon.
WIN!: I’ve been hitting the weights hard and heavy and sweaty. It feels good to be doing some of the best workouts of my life at 46.
11. Be more stoic: Don’t let stupid people bother me.
WIN!: Cut me off in traffic? That’s OK, your life probably isn’t as good as mine. I hope you find peace and happiness.
12. Declutter my mind: Stop looking at the phone and enjoy the day.
WIN!: I was at a social gathering recently and at one point I looked around the room and at least 1/3 of the attendees were staring at screens. I’m beginning to think that after auto subwoofers and nuclear weapons, smartphones are the worst invention ever.
13. Webcomic: Launch my new site!
FAIL!: The one thing stopping me is WordPress customization. I thought I had a developer all set to do the work, but then that went south. I’m sooooo looking forward to putting this out…
14. Declutter our home: We’re not minimalists, but we still have too much crap.
WIN!: Moving was rough, but we’ve donated a lot of nonsense.
15. More dinosaurs: ???
2020 Goals
1. Remodel Our Weird, Ugly, 1970s Home
So, we bought another place. And, it needs work:
Here is what I plan to get done:
Winter/Spring 2020
- Remodel guest bedroom/office
- Remodel guest bathroom
- Replace old windows
- Build a deck off the back of the home
Fall/Winter 2020
- Remodel kitchen
- Finish basement including adding a bathroom
- Install new flooring on all levels except upstairs
You can follow along with our progress over on YouTube.
2. Get A Mortgage
I love debt! I’m richer because of it. Well, I love it when the interest rate is under 4%. To get a better deal on our latest home, we bought it for cash. In 2020. we hope to get a mortgage and redeploy the money.
3. Investments/Money
If anything is true about Mr. Market, it is that he is impossible to predict. In 2019, Mr. Market was feeling very, very good. In 2018, not so much. 2020? Don’t ask me!
Mindy will max out her 401(k) at work and this blog usually makes enough money to max out my solo 401(k). It will all go into boring, but extremely effective index funds.
We have no other investment plans at this time.
4. Blog/YouTube
I started the blog for my own amusement. I readily admit that I really like that it now produces some money. However, I’ve always written for an audience of one, me. Therefore, I don’t have any goals for the blog except to keep producing more video content.
5. Physical Challenges
It would be wonderful to be able to do:
- 100 pushups
- 20 pullups
Right now, I can do 50 pushups and 7 pullups. At my previous prime, I could do 70 pushups and 10 pullups.
2020 Funk Hole?
Remember all of that business about funk holes? In case you forgot already, it’s a place to hide in times of danger.
2020 may be an interesting year. International relations are at an interesting time. We also have an interesting election coming up. All of this will have interesting effects on the stock market. In case you don’t catch my drift:
interesting == bad
The quick instinct is to head for the funk hole; sell everything and move to cash. Wait out the storm in a safe place.
However, the patient investor who perseveres is usually the one who wins. Market timing is hard, very hard. Often, dead people are the best investors.
You?
I hope 2020 is the best year of your life! What do you hope to accomplish? Where do you hope to see yourself end of year?
Join the 10s who have signed up already!
Subscribing will improve your life in incredible ways*.
*Only if your life is pretty bad to begin with.
I’m looking forward to more of your Youtube/remodeling content Carl. For some reason humorous home remodels scratch a weird itch.
Congrats on the trailer park too … it’s amazing that it’s pumping out over 23k/year. Impressive investment!
I’m probably less goal oriented than you are, but I hope to grow our passive income faster than inflation in 2020. That might be challenging with all the ‘interesting’ stuff going on, but I can certainly try!
Mr. Tako recently posted…The Holiday Aftermath: A Mixed Financial Bag
Thanks for the kind comments Mr. Tako.
I’ll be in Seattle in May BTW. Perhaps our paths will cross…
Pssst – I’m in Seattle too if you have extra time in May. Looks like an awesome year with a lot of amazing wins!! Congratulations and good luck in 2020!
A Purple Life recently posted…How I Lived On $17,896 In 2019
Oh yeah, let’s meet up!
I hope your 2020 is seriously purple!
I’m really looking forward to your web comic dude, I think it’s gonna be a riot!
Dave @ Accidental FIRE recently posted…T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 7
Oh wow, I REALLY appreciate your encouragement. I admit fear has been holding me back. Time to get real.
So let? s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my accountability partner?
I must be at the wrong place. I thought this site was Webcomic already!
If we all moved to our funk holes every time something bad was on the horizon, we would always be living in there.
Cheers on a prosperous 2020, everyone!
Ryan Schlomer recently posted…Building Wealth – It’s About Changing Your Behavior and Managing Your Money Properly
Haha, while I admit the site is a joke, it largely lacks my sh*tty artwork!
You have an amazing list of goals! And most of them completed from last year- mine are still….rolling over to the next year: replace windows, finish fixing up the kitchen. I think the only major goal I made last year was to replace the floor for the bathroom- but that’s because our toddler flooded it and forced us to do it. I even had a side project goal of helping (w/ them paying it forward) 1 small business a month learn how to build their own website and manage their social media. So far only been able to do 6 businesses, but 4 of the 6 have reported significant increases in their customers, since.
As for your Goal #3: making up your own words is called being a “lexicographer”.
Happy New year!
Well, you had a pretty big 2019, so rolling over is easily forgiven! However, with a baby now, you may have to rollover again! 🙂
I didn’t know that I was a lexicographer! I thought I was just silly and lazy!
Now you can just say that fancy title, and no one will know.
I suppose my goals may have changed too
Awesome job, Carl! I love goal-setting and accountability. Looking forward to more Youtube videos on the renovation and the comics!
JRobi recently posted…2019 Book Review….
hell man, i would just live in that outdated house so long as the roof isn’t leaking! man, do i love something that is “good enough.”
i’m hoping the ’20 will be a year of time well spent. we have plenty of time and enough dough but it feels like we didn’t max out on the free time enjoyment last year. we shall see.
freddy smidlap recently posted…A Night Out in Vermont
“Good enough” is a powerful concept that I have to remind myself about all of the time.
Life is good.
Impressive on the pullups. I can’t do a single one. I can squat about 210 now (new PR since getting more weights for Xmas) but I think my days of pullups might be over. Although I really don’t look it, way too much body weight for a pull up. Back when I lived at home temporarily, my dad used to do them in front of my girlfriend just to make me look bad lol
Sounds like a great year for Mr. 1500! I’m not into goals, just principles. Like, I don’t have a goal weight I can squat, I am just following a program built on principles that will increase it over time. Maybe that’s my next post. Hopefully those principles will help me get the darned bathroom done finally.
BC | FrugalWheels recently posted…Surprising lessons on money and financial independence from Tony Robbins
I never would have guessed that funk hole was something functional and not something gross!
12. I make the argument that before smartphones, I had my face buried in a book or just wouldn’t have shown up to the social gathering at all if I couldn’t have a small escape or three. 😀
I don’t have new goals for 2020 for family and money, they remain the same: take care of everyone, show up for our people, save and invest as much as we can while we also make the most of each day.
I AM really getting jazzed about taking charitable giving for 2020 up a notch. I should be ready to share my thoughts on how to do this year’s drive on Monday. (Would love it if you felt it was worth sharing, next week.)
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…Just a little (link) love: literary AITA edition
“…show up for our people.”
Hey, you’re on the West Coast! Maybe I’ll finally meet you at FinCon this year?
Charity! I’d love to share! And perhaps, go beyond that? How else can I help you?
I am! But right now FinCon is looking like it might be knocked off the board because of some major life events where I’ve been asked to be moral support. THE IRONY!
Charity: I’ll send you an email on Monday and see?
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life recently posted…Good Things Friday (47)
Even if you can’t attend FinCon, if you’re in the area, stop by for a while and chat if you can swing it. I hope everything is going OK.
I’ll watch out for your email!
Just FYI in case it was eaten as spam, I emailed you last week ?
Well Done on the goals! Here are a few for 2020
1) Complete my Triathlon schedule. – 6 races
a) Run: 10 minute mile
b) Bike: 20 mph
c) Swim: Don’t drown
2) Follow my daily training plan and weight training plan. Track all activities
3) Target weight of 210 or less – Eat better
4) Max Fund Roth IRA x 2 and HSA
5) Cut down on screen time
6) Reduce debt by $15000
7) Read 1 book per month
1c is hilarious! Unless you actually drown. Do. Not. Drown.
Doing 100x pushups in a row is pretty impressive!
I didn’t make any 2020 goals but I do make goals every month.
This month’s goal: book a vacation! It’s hard work but I think I can do it.
Getting a new house is my 2021 goal but renovating it won’t be on the table. Been there and it makes me tired just thinking about it. Phew!
Leif Kristjansen (@ FiveYearFIREescape) recently posted…Managing rental properties is hard – This 1 trick makes it SUPER easy