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2018 GOALS AND PLANS

1/1/2018

I hope the holidays have been good to you all! The new year is one of my favorite times of the year because it serves as a time to stop and reflect on the past, assess the present, and prepare for the future. Today I want share with you how I did on last year's goals and discuss my plans for 2018.

Let's take a look at how I did on the goals I set for myself in 2017:

The Two Stroke Dirt Engine Building Handbook in 2017

1. Publish The Two Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook. - Done! The two-stroke handbook started shipping on December 5th. In case you missed it you can check it out here. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of the book and has supported our efforts! If you've had a chance to read the book please shoot me an email and tell me what you think of it.

2. Publish quality content to the DIY Moto Fix blog bimonthly for all you awesome readers. - I averaged one post per month so I did not hit my bimonthly goal.

Ice racing in Wisconsin during the winter

3. Go solo in a 3-hour endurance ice race and complete it successfully. - Done! I raced the "Frosty Cheeks" 3-hour endurance race last January. If I recall correctly I finished 4th or 5th out of 6 entrants, suffered through many cramps during the race, and had a completely flat ass at the end of it. That said, I would do it all over again!

4. Race at least two hare scrambles this summer. - Done! I raced 9 out 10 District 16 hare scramble events this summer. I raced in the B class and was a mid-pack finisher throughout the season. It was a ton of fun, challenging, and an incredibly enjoyable way to spend the weekends. Overall, I was pleased with my performance but see a lot of room for improvement. The main issue I have is that my stamina is lacking. Due to having knee surgery late in 2017, racing in 2018 is likely off the table so I've got a lot of work to do to get back in shape for the 2019 racing season.

5. Complete the CAD modeling of last year’s two-stroke engine concept. - This one didn't happen. I've got a preliminary design for a new crank mechanism, but have not allocated the necessary time and energy to make this a reality.

Getting rid of Buckthorn to put in more trails.

6. Finish annihilating the invasive species called Buckthorn that has populated my land like horny rabbits and get our apple orchard going. - I decided to go racing instead, then had knee surgery. Didn't happen. Maybe I'll buy some goats and let them chew it all down (my animal-loving girlfriend is very fond of this solution).

7. Finish roughing in and laying out my track/trail on my property. - I didn't put much energy into this one either apart from maintaining what I already have.

8. Read 12 books. - I got through four in full. I did start several others and have left them in various places. Plus, I read my two-stroke book more times than I care to recall during the editing process... so does that count for the remaining 8 books?

Overall, 2017 was a good year despite not hitting all my goals. What I've started to notice is that my interests are becoming more widespread and I'm having a harder time focusing on one or two major goals for the year. I also sunk a lot of energy into my 9-5 job where I received a promotion and became the head of the engineering department. This has been a good change, but has sucked a lot out of me and I'm still trying to strike a balance so that I can get things done in my free time.

Looking Ahead To 2018

Paul Olesen works on a two-stroke engine

In 2018 I plan on setting the bar high and tackling a diverse set of goals. I'm going to continue working on striking a balance between my day job and the rest of my life. I plan on continuing to write and publish helpful content to DIY Moto Fix so that our sport remains accessible and affordable. I've also got a lot of projects of personal interest to me that I want to tackle. Here's what I'd like to get done in 2018:

1. Write and post to DIY Moto Fix monthly to keep quality content coming for you guys.

2. Fully rehab from knee surgery and in turn, come back to racing stronger than before.

3. Build the standing desk I've been designing the last few months to make working on the computer a lot more enjoyable and comfortable.

4. Learn how to become reasonably good at machining so I can be more self sufficient in the garage and execute my own designs.

5. Complete the CAD for my two-stroke engine design.

6. Prep the bike for the 2019 racing season.

7. Read 6 books.

Have you had a chance to think about the new year? What goals are you planning on setting for yourself? Leave a comment below and share them! Thanks and have a great year!

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