Resolution update: February 2012

In an effort to hold myself accountable to my yearly goals, I post the monthly progress made at the end of each month. 

Here are the results for February.  Still not impressive.

1. Don’t die.

Still good.

2. Lose ten pounds.

As of this morning, I am back to even after my January swoon. Ten pounds to go.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a day.  Also complete at least two two-minute planks five days per week.

Done. Actually skipped a couple of my days off by mistake.  

4. Practice the flute for at least an hour a week.

I picked up my flute once in the month of February but only because it was inadvertently knocked off the shelf. I never actually produced a flute-like sound. 

5. Complete my fifth novel before the Ides of March.

Progress continues, though the deadline is looking less certain.

6. Complete my sixth novel.

Though I am not currently working on my sixth novel, I have about 12,000 words already written.

7. Sell one children’s book to a publisher.

I meet with my writing group on Monday. Barring any major concerns on their part, I will be resubmitting the first of these children’s books to my agent. 

8. Complete the book proposal for my non-fiction, photographic  collaborative project.

This project will be tackled during the summer.

9. Complete three chapters of my memoir.

This project continues to take a backseat until the novel is finished, but I came up with a title that my wife likes a lot.

10. Complete at least twelve blog posts on my brother and sister blog.

Still no posts in February. I’m not entirely sure that my sister’s computer is fully functional (she has dodged my last two inquiries), but in all likelihood it is working fine now. My sister tends to write in spurts, so the goal of twelve posts is certainly doable, but a regular posting schedule is much better for any blog. I will continue to hassle her this month.

Our brother-sister blog actually led (at least in part) to my unexpected reunion with my previously presumed-dead brother, so writing it has contributed far more to my life than I ever expected.  

11. Become certified to teach high school English by completing two required classes.

Elysha continues to search for a college that is offering the two courses that I need to complete in order to become certified.

Just finding classes that meet the requirements has been a challenge. 

12. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a newspaper.

I submitted one piece to my editor in February and have a list of about a dozen other potential ideas that I will hope to write as part of the promotion for my new book.

13. Attend at least five Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I will be attending my first Moth event next week in Brooklyn. The theme is Theft. Regrettably, I have many stories from which to choose.

14. Complete the necessary revisions of our rock opera (The Clowns) so that it can be staged as a full production in the fall.

My partner continues to work on securing a commitment from a local playhouse (he sent a terse text today, in fact), and once we have a deadline and my novel is complete, work on this project will re-commence. 

15. Rid Elysha and myself of all education debt before the end of the year.

Incremental progress has been made on this front in February. 

16. Give yoga an honest try.

I have signed up for yoga classes being taught after school by a colleague who also happens to be a yoga instructor. I await the first class.  

17. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I have mediated for five minutes a day for the last eight days, or more accurately, I have tried to meditate. I have yet to be able to truly clear my mind. I have mediated with and without the aid of music, and neither method has produced meaningful results. I have been told that this will take time. 

18. Agree to try at least one new dish per month, even if it contains ingredients that I wouldn’t normally consider palatable.

In February, I tried (and liked) rice with lentils.

19. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2012.

No date for the next race has been set, but I would like to target early May if possible. If this is the case, I must set the date soon. 

20. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog on the first day of every month.

I am two days late posting. I blame the launch of my new book in the UK and Australia. It has made for a very busy 48 hours.