January 9, 2013

This is my list of personal development goals for the next 12 months. I want them to be as far from new year’s resolutions as possible. I want my goals to be as smart as possible.

Get comfortable with a javascript MV* framework

I’ve played with Meteor and Backbone, but want to get beyond playing and get to the point where I can create a reasonably complex thick-client app. The aim will be to develop skills that mean I can use different frameworks.

I’ll start this by rebuilding Poopee from scratch. This is a simple single-page map-based web app that allows Australians to find public toilets. The end of March will be my arbitrary deadline.

Lose 15 kilograms

This is as resolutiony as you get, but as I get older I’m more concerned about the effects of poor health decisions. Losing my extra weight is simply the end result of an wider focus on eating better. For me, eating better really means cutting the snacks. I generally eat well. When I compare myself to people I know, I eat really well. The extras add up though.

The aim will be to lose 10kgs by June and the rest by the end of the year.

Launch a revenue generating web application

This will be the project that takes up the whole year. It was inspired by Nathan Barry’s web app challenge. I’ll be aiming for the same $5,000/month, with a deadline of the end of 2013. This isn’t a challenge in the sense that I’m doing for the sake of it. My aim is the apply everything I learnt from Dibbist and create a successful, low-touch income generator. I won’t be keeping a public log of my progress.