New Year's Resolutions 2003

Welcome to 2003. I think I’d like to share what I hope can be goals for myself in this year… the clock’s ticking, I’m not getting younger, the time to act is now, etc. etc.I’ve been spending quite a bit of time thinking hard about my resolutions. I pulled together some tools.. old journals and old “goal” lists… Also, one of my high school teachers went through a lengthy medical procedure that left him out of commission for a few months. When he returned, he had gone through some deep changes that impacted his outlook on life. He preached to us one the day he returned and passed out a xeroxed page titled, “The Circle of Wellness.” I still have it in a protective sheet… It is a circle divided into six sections:

Mental, Physical (Basic Needs), Spiritual, Social, Family, Health

The idea was that in order to be “well” in general, you need to be well in each one of those categories… every one is important. I spent some time with each one of those categories to develop my list.

So here goes. I freely admit it’s a braindump and there are a lot of them… a hodgepodge of goals and strategies… My first resolution is to revisit and perhaps cull this list at least once a quarter:

David’s Resolutions for 2003

1. I will stay cash-flow positive, no matter what the situation. If I can’t eat, I can’t create. If I get laid off, I will not be too picky with the jobs I can get.
2. Stick to the budget and save money. Figure out where I can cut and live more simply and frugally. Negotiate down my interest rates, again. Take the time to find the best deals. Be ruthless with my expense sheet. Give myself a monthly cash “allowance” for discretionary goodies and track that cash alongside the credit cards. Make sure my credit report is still bullet proof.
3. Use money saved to build up funds for project work and to reduce student loans by 1/3.
4. Attack and tear apart my wardrobe… build it back up where necessary over time…
5. Plan out my meals in advance so I have good food handy when I’m hungry (instead of not eating or feeding myself with candy and junk). Make sure the plan is nutritious, cheap, and easy to prepare. Limit fast food to once a week for the first quarter, biweekly for the second quarter and then monthly thereafter.
6. Follow a consistent cardiovascular training routine. Train for another marathon. Practice Mountain Biking. Bike to work (eep! that’s a 2 hour ride, at least…) once a month. Walk around more… Bike to errands. Stand at work more. Do an adventure race with Alex and try not to be in last place, for a change.
7. Follow consistent strength training routine. Find cheaper gym (YMCA on McNeil?) with flexible hours. Get my brother to design a program for me and pay him to train me.
8. Get a COMPLETE physical this year.
9. Focus more on my serious writing (serious does not imply non-fiction or even unfunny… serious means edited and crafted). Do another round of short stories and do a lot of exercises.
10. Blog at least one “misadventure” per week
11. Read more. Ask people that know to give me reading lists to attack.
12. Regarding the project: PRACTICE release early, release often
13. Learn how to underpromise and overdeliver rather than vice versa
14. identify top 3 big things I CAN do at work at let everything else die a graceful death
15. Show my art
16. Codify my work. Get the portfolio!!!
17. Go through my junk and shed all the ballast
18. Reflect more
19. spend more time developing my relationships with the people I already have in my life
20. create art for friends
21. Publish my children’s books
22. Learn how to tell stories vocally
23. Sing more
24. telecommute at least once every other week
25. don’t feel bad about putting myself before work
26. engage more conversations
27. seek out and employ stress relief strategies
28. tell more friends and family what they mean to me
29. Do something bold and outrageous every day.

The bold thing for 1/1/2002: Posting my goals so my success or failure is on display.