Resolution update: April 2011
/1. Lose 23 pounds, bringing me down to my high school track and field weight.
I’m down eight pounds since the beginning of the year. Fifteen to go.
2. Do at least 50 100 push-ups and 50 sit-ups a day.
Didn’t miss a day last month and have officially increased the push-up requirement to 100 a day.
My wife watched me doing them last night and was impressed.
3. Practice the flute for at least an hour a week.
No practice. I’m a complete disappointment.
4. Find a wine that I can drink every night or so.
Nothing yet, but I tried five different wines in April thanks to a helpful waitress.
5. Complete my fifth novel.
Still deciding on which book will be my next, but serious progress has been made on one of the options. It’s looking like I’ll be working on a primary novel and a secondary novel at the same time, in addition to my book on productivity and a couple children’s books.
6. Complete and submit one children’s book to my agent.
Nearly finished. This month. I promise.
7. Complete the book proposal for the non-fiction collaborative project that I began last year
Still a summer project, But I have a lunch meeting with my collaborator scheduled for July, so that’s something.
8. Complete an outline for my memoir
Work continues, though my productivity book is becoming slightly and surprisingly autobiographical, which may steal large chunks of material from my memoir. Not sure how to handle this.
9. Convince my sister to write on http://107federalstreet.blogspot.com at least once a week and do the same myself.
Despite her new job, no progress yet.
10. Drink at least four glasses of water every day.
Done. And as expected, it is reducing my Diet Coke intake.
11. Complete at least one of the three classes required for me to teach English on the high school level.
Nothing done yet.
12. Try liver.
Nope.
13. Publish an Op-Ed in a national newspaper.
Nope.
14. Participate in The Moth as a storyteller, at a live show or on their radio broadcast.
No, but I have another pitch written. I will call this week.
15. See our rock opera (The Clowns) performed on stage as a full production or in a dramatic reading format.
Our dramatic reading at the local playhouse is scheduled for November 5 and 6.
16. Organize my basement.
Progress continues, although it was limited this month. The cat was ill and started peeing on the basement floor, thus shifting my efforts from organization to cleanup.
17. Land at least one paying client for my fledgling life coach or professional best man business.
None. But now I’ve added professional best man to the list. Please keep me in mind.
18. Rid Elysha and myself of all education debt before the end of the year.
Still waiting on the funding. My editor assures me that we have a best seller on our hands, so it shouldn’t be long.
19. Replace the twelve ancient windows on the first and second floor of the house with more energy efficient ones.
Still waiting on the funding.
20. Make one mortgage payment from poker profits.
I have earned a little less than 25% of a mortgage payment so far.
21. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.
Done. Three days late.