Goals

The year of being 43 was meant to be the Year of Disciplined Execution, drawing from the Sean Covey book, namely : focus on the wildly important, act on the lead measures, keep a compelling scorecard and create a cadence of accountability. Looking back it is fair to say delivery on this was middling at best, with both high and low lights, summarised below: Highlights Daily Bible App story helped me maintain a semblance of devotional life Highest ever plant performance ranking at work in several categories, increased recognition at the plant of my M&C skills with several key solutions delivered Good earnings supplemented by decent performance in the stock markets Greater clarity around the next type of role for me: stay in Upstream M&C Corrosion Management, not necessarily projects etc Offered roles at bp and Shell after rigorous interviews, great boost to the morale that I can still mix it with the good guys Bonding with L, despite the distance and intermittent visits from me Lowlights Weight stayed high, didn’t manage to bring it down to the low 90s as anticipated Health was middling, a number of developing issues to keep a eye on as I transition into my late forties Beginning to feel like I am in a rut at my current job Didn’t blog/ write as much as I would have wanted 44: Legacy For the next run around the sun, the word which has bubbled to the fore of my mind is Legacy. It is one which has guided the core of my activities and decisions over the past few years albeit without being explicitly expressed. In a sense, it is a continuation of the Year of Disciplined Execution, as Legacy and its underpinnings should drive the definition of what is wildly important which is then executed in a disciplined manner. Legacy is also inextricably linked to the three interaction clusters of my life plan, personal, professional and public. Of particular importance for me in this context then is being healthy in every dimension of my life whilst adding value in each of those three clusters. ...

One of the unintended outcomes of my year of living intentionally was revisiting my life plan and rejigging it to incorporate a Codex Vitae and annual (Life) plans. The framework remains the same: three interaction spaces (personal, professional, and public) and seven life domains (spiritual, physical, relational, financial, vocational, mental, causes and charities) across which the health of my life is measured. The idea is to, on an annual basis, review the health of my life using the seven domains to identify ones that need focus in addition to the three interaction spaces. The output of this exercise then is 10-12 goals which form the main objectives for the year. ...

I am seating in a meeting, listening to the folk around the table drone on about some subject now lost to memory when it hits me – in the way I imagine an out of body experience might – just how much of what is often dressed as expert opinion is little more than strongly expressed opinion. Far from thumbing my nose down at others, it is a farce I very much consider myself as a contributor to. That sense of winging it, making things up as I go along, is one which has come to define the first half of the year for me; from the vagaries of the aforementioned work situation to the minutiae of doing life, spread as it has been between the grey, dull granite of the ‘Deen and the leafy, colour-suffused greenery of the Wey country. ...

It felt like I coasted through 2017 in many spheres of life with the main (only?) thing of significance that occurred being getting married to S in October. I’d like 2018 to be a vastly different one, filled with energy and intention and delivery. The seven focus areas in my life plan apply, with a few (Spiritual, Physical & Health, Financial and Personal Development) being focus areas. A successful 2018 for me is one in which I: ...

The following are what I consider my main focus areas and objectives for 2017, derived from the Life Plan. A number of these are long running things I have failed to resolve over the years. Here’s hoping 2017 is a much better year. The Life Goals Restated for visibility: 1. Be the best husband, father, brother, son and friend that I can be 2. Excel in the Corrosion, Materials and Asset Integrity Engineering Discipline 3. Live in, and contribute to life in, a great church and a great city ...

Spent the bulk of the weekend re-watching Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother, complete with its unsatisfactory ending in which Ted shoots off to Robin’s after all she put him through. Tsk!!! Tsk!!! Before that though, Ted’s summation of his 9 year journey to finding Tracy did resonate with my inner suppressed romantic: It was at times a long, difficult road. But I’m glad it was long and difficult, because if I hadn’t gone through hell to get there, the lesson might not have been as clear. You see, kids, right from the moment I met your mom, I knew… I have to love this woman as much as I can for as long as I can, and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second. I carried that lesson with me through every stupid fight we ever had, every 5:00 a.m. Christmas morning, every sleepy Sunday afternoon, through every speed bump. Every pang of jealousy or boredom or uncertainty that came our way, I carried that lesson with me. And I carried it with me when she got sick. Even then, in what can only be called the worst of times, all I could do was look at her and thank God, thank every god there is, or ever was, or will be, and the whole universe, and anyone else I can possibly thank that I saw that beautiful girl on that train platform, and that I had the guts to stand up, walk over to her, tap her on the shoulder, open my mouth, and speak. ...

This year, instead of a bucket list of things I am hoping to achieve, I chose to identify 12 things, key changes which in my opinion if implemented in my life would deliver the biggest value. The intent is to focus on one for each month, the idea (referenced in this Matt Cutts TEDx talk) being that focusing on one change for a thirty day period gives one a fighting chance of making lasting change. ...

Three main achievements will make 2015 a ‘perfect’ year, to all intents and purposes, viz: Spiritual growth as evidenced by a regular routine of bible study and prayer A new Technical M&C role at an oil and gas operator Getting married The wider goals and targets I’m looking to achieve for the year though, aligned with my personal SWOT analysis and the refocused Life Plan are: Spiritual Achieve 80% Daily Bible Reading and Prayer - explore the Lectio Divina process Average 6 (of 8) church days per month Attend FOL Morning Prayers twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) – 80% target Physical and Health Get fitter – YE target is 15% body fat, weight under 80kg Get blood pressure below 140/90 consistently (explore potassium replacement/ supplements as a quantified self project) Average 6 hours of sleep/day >80% of the time Use the gym 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) – target 80% Track sodium and attempt to bring within recommended limits Social and People: Track B contact time (Target > 1 hour per day); track completions in Habit List Host a hangout for my 2015 birthday (Aberdeen) Drag my London Blogger peeps today for a meal over summer 2015 (CaramelD, Simeon, NoLimit, ToniAnni, Aloted, MizKeji) Maintain weekly phone calls home to Dad Career & Work Become staff M&C Engineer at an O&G Operator; Attend monthly industry working group meetings – target 80% of months with a meeting (one of ICorr, IMarEST or AFBE) – track in Habit List Deliver Work Projects TI Anomaly Risk Review TI Vibration Fatigue Strategy and Implementation ECE Project Procedure Updates - Integrity Risk Screening (PoF Guidance, DAF Risk Assessment) MU Integrity Management - Inspections and Topside Pressure System Integrity Financial: Save 30% of net earnings, Reduce total spend; 2015 YE target of £35k Grow net worth by 50% (total - investments + savings + pension growth,+ assets, etc) Rebalance net worth and elements; buy a house, build ISA back up to 10k, invest excess in index funds Mental and Personal Development: Deliver on a 25 book reading plan (Aim to cover Christian Classics, Literary Classics, Popular Fiction, Current Christian & Non-fiction with 5 each per category) Blog here at archive.rustgeek.me at least once a week (Plan is to post something >500 words every Tuesday) Learn to write VBA for Excel and Macros Learn to play a musical instrument - need to decide between the acoustic guitar and the saxophone, target is to present something at eXpressions 2015) Attend Structural Integrity course at Imperial College Causes & Charity: Catch up on my first fruit offering from pay rise in Q1 2013 (as a one time gift if possible at the end of February) Write to Moises and RosieMarie twice each during the year General, Projects and Bucket List Items Complete a modified Whole30 or Ketogenic Diet for an entire month Walk or run 5 miles daily for a month Read 5 Booker Prize Winners (Bucket List) Attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Watch the Ball drop in New York’s Time Square

The prospect of poor health, a milestone birthday of sorts and all round malaise kicked off what was a great plan (in my opinion at least) to deliver change over the course of a year, which as I am wont to do, I tagged with the lofty title ‘ The Year of Living Dangerously’. It started off well – at least with regards to chasing up 52 small changes but the initial enthusiasm seeped out, prompting an attempt to gee myself up for a restart. ...

Develop a daily practice of meditation, prayer and journaling Complete 40 consecutive days of prayer Make morning prayer meetings @ FOL three times a week (M, W, F) Weigh 80kg Gym thrice a week (M,W, S) Improve eating habits - cut down on eba, soup and rice Use myfitnesspal.com as food journal Save 30% of Net earnings Min of £1k per month Target 12k extra saved this year Improve Professionally, get Chartered engineer status Receive feedback on IMarEST CEng application ASME Level 2 Plant Inspector/ NACE Snr Corrosion Technologist certification Register for a PhD in corrosion, materials and or welding (Newcastle/ Manchester/Cranfield) Get a driver’s license: Pass theory test, Get a driving teacher on retainer Get 20 hours practice in Get full driver’s license Resolve long term settlement options Base plan - Remain in Aberdeen + progress professional development opportunities(see #4 above) Only seek to leave Aberdeen if US/ Canada/Australia opportunities open up Resolve my dating conundrums; target being in a stable committed relationship by YE 2013: Clear all people I’m currently stuck in the friend zone with, gain clarity (Mo, Fola, Ese etc Gain knowledge about Dating and Relationships the Godly way; Prayerfully pursue the woman God has prepared. Find a spiritual mentor Take 2 main trips Nigeria US (Depending on where I am with Project M by Q3 2013) Oklahoma ? Houston Spain or Portugal Complete a writing project - the3six5N Buy a house (2 bed) Requirements: 2 bed room flat, city centre apartment, parking space, etc tba