Goals

Recently I noticed that I have a problem with my hobbies. I have several hobbies with a lot of I'll do this next, but no medium-to-long term goals in any of them to provide direction. Let's take a look at a few of my hobbies and the goals for each:

• Firearms: Maybe get a Virginia Concealed Carry Permit, and buy either an M1 Carbine, SVT40, or a Hakim.
• Whitewater: Learn to roll my kayak; buy a tandem inflatable kayak for us to use together.
• Climbing: Be able to climb 5.9 routes.

Looking at this list I see three fairly expensive hobbies and goals that I'm not going anywhere with. All three of these have possible longer-term goals, though. I just haven't done anything with them:

• Firearms: Become competitive in a target league, either rifle or pistol.
• Whitewater: Improve to the point where I can safely handle a class IV river (like the New, or the Potomac below Great Falls.)
• Climbing: Learn Sport and/or Trad climbing, and eventually, climb a multi-pitch route.
  

I also thought up another goal when I was thinking along this line, but it's not exactly legal, and is still a short-term goal: Get a copy of the Harry Potter book 7, pre-release. Of course, I couldn't tell anyone I had done it, because I don't even want to think about the legal problems I'd get into, and it would have to be done before the release date in July, anyway.

So, Harry Potter is axed as a goal. I still think it'd be fun.

Let's check my other hobbies: Shooting, hmm, All the target leagues around here shoot at ranges where I'd have to either join the club that they're at, and they meet at awkward times for me. Nah. Whitewater, well, I'm going to keep working on it, but it takes a lot of time on the water, and time is my shortest commodity right now, so that'll go on hold. Climbing, I have a lot of the gear I need, I know people who will teach me for, like, free, and there's actually a good chunk of decent climbing nearby. cool. I think I've found a goal!

so, by the end of this year, I want to lead climb. By the end of next year, I want to do a true multi-pitch route. Well, we'll see how it goes.