Shorter list this year since our family of two has become three.
Qualify for A or B division at Pinburgh. (was in C in 2017)
End the year in the top 700 (currently 800th)
End the year owning more than one machine.
Play an Alien machine.
Break 1b on R&B with EBs turned on.
Get better at the drop catch
Dead pass more
Shatz more
play more
win more
The way I started to learn this was when a ball is coming across the playfield and headed toward the heel of the flipper. My ādrop catchā was really just trying to send the ball up the inlane. Then as I got more comfortable doing that, Iād start doing it further out on the flipper.
Also learning on double flipper games is pretty easy too, particularly Captain Fantastic. As it comes down the right orbit, hold the upper right flipper up. Now drop catch with the top left flipper. Itās an easy and safe place to do it because you have a second flipper to let the ball roll down onto. (Also, drop catches IMO are easier to first learn on older games with weaker flippers).
Hit 300 WPPRs for my top 20 events for an average of 15/event. Currently at around 180~ so this should be doable but hard. This would bump my rank from 420->155~ as well.
Qualify in A at INDISC and Pinburgh.
Learn how to stage flip consistently.
Iām gonna change it up this year . . .
Try to finish SECOND in a Major during 2018 
Goals for 2018:
Continue helping locals play better and qualify for 2018 MI SCS.
Get to EOL on Metallica (Failed in 2017)
Lower IFPA Player ranking to around 300-400 from 150-160 range. 
Run a few local events with help of local players.
And try to tank on High Hand?
Careful, you might become 3rd Place Josh instead!
Iāve never gotten 3rd before . . . 4th twice and 2nd 4 times, and I can tell you the 2ndās feel far worse than the 4thās 
Clearly youāre headed for three 3rds 
My goal is to be the first to congratulate @pinwizj on his first Major. It might not be in pinball, but a major is a major.
Did a whole lot of my 2017 ones.
Dunno if Iād be able to make my first PAPA this year (mainly cause we donāt know when itāll be), so Iāll shoot for my first PAPA in 2019.
Iām carrying a few of my goals from last year into 2018. 
Pinball Goals for the New Year:
Host a tournament (and figure out the $1 fee)
Win a one-day tournament
Qualify for PInburgh A
Win Pittsburgh Pinball League
Travel twice for pinball
Crack the top 75
Anyone out there do SMART goals?
Iām trying to come up with a few for pinball. An easy example is to raise your ranking by 100 spots in 3 months. (Assuming that is Achievable for you and your ranking.)
Iād like to have a couple others that arenāt WPPR related, but it it is pretty tricky to find other measurable goals. Maybe a specific score on a game? Play X hours a week?
Do you have suggestions on SMART goals youāve used in the past?
On track for all of these so far. Smart Goals made.
If theyāre not fixed, finish up work on my Elektra and Delta Queen projects.
Elektra parts are in and being worked on, while Delta Queen will be finished - most likely by Dan Hall when I hand it off to PAPA. That game is just the bane of my existence.
Break the top 100 (not Power because my IFPA resume is already long gone for growing up a Pittsburgh pinballer) OR do my best at a certain thing that may happen (vaguespeak!).
Certain Circuit thing didnāt happen, but I got 99th at the start of PA WPPR season!
Start a blog, vlog, stream, something independent for entertainment/educational purposes. Put my shiny Black Friday C922 purchase to use!
With some more funds flying around, I can actually buy the tech I would like to do this with.
Purchase a machine from the late 80s or later.
Called the Ghostbusters up, thanks DJ!
Qualify for the IFPA State Championships in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and one other state.
Given the fact that every good Ohio event Iāve been busy for, thatās a wash or a tough ask to catch up. PA is solid, other state is yet to be determined.
Make some trips to new semi-nearby locations to play for fun/competition. Morgantown WV, Pincrossing near Harrisburg, etc.
Pinfest is on my list and my new position will have me traveling to Carlisle more often!
Bonus Objectives!
Become the 5th best IFPA ranked player in Pittsburgh - Currently Iām 9th, and this would put me right outside of the DJ - Cryss - Aleksander - Jon power quartet.
Put up 2 more nuclear GC scores on location games - with the GotG Orb double feature GC done, I would love to have some more crazy scoring strategies to chase down for initials - something to keep things fun and frantic.
Meant to do these a long time ago but:
Get to Last Man Standing on TWD. Iāve put up 80ish kills and 1.3 billion on it- no LMS though.
Score over 1 billion on Metallica. I think my high is around 800 or low 900. Been to EOL twice though.
Finish first in my league. Highest finish is 2rd.
Buy another game- preferably an EM or two.
Be in the 300 rankings by year end. 458 right now.
Learn to tap pass/shatz more consistently.
Since weāre halfway through the year, Iāll give an update
This has been going pretty well. Iām at 273 right now. My stats page says 429th for āLast Yearās Rankāā¦although itās not clear to me if that was my rank at the end of the year or at some other point? I wish I had written this down my rank at the time of my previous post.
This probably wasnāt aggressive enough. Iāve been to INDISC, TPF, Cactus Jacks, and NYCPC. Missed out on 24 Hour Battle. Iāve got Pinburgh, Buffalo, and Mad Rollin on the calendar, and would like to do NWPC and/or City Champs (if I can get in).
Iāve had a lot of great opportunities to pull this off but havenāt done it. Iāve had two 18 pointers. Getting through just one more round late in a tournament, or one or two spots higher is where all the points are.
Iām at 13 right now. This will be cutting it close, and I should try to pick up the pace.
I had AC/DC at home when I made this goal, but then it left the house for 5 months. Itās back now. The new code should make it a little easier, since MBs take less shots to qualify now. I may change my strategy to switching songs before lighting MB, as itās not uncommon for me to accidentally start it when I have the jukebox lit.
Iāve only tried this a few times. I topped out at 11 center ramp shots on GOT multiple times, but recently got 14 in a row. The pressure of that 15th shot definitely got to me. 
Email me and I can send you your rank history. We archive everyoneās rank on the first of each month going back since the beginning of time.