Resolution update: March 2012

A mixed bag this month. Outstanding progress on some fronts and pathetic results on others. Not sure how to feel about it.

1. Don’t die.

Unless I am currently starring in a sequel to The Sixth Sense, I am still holding strong.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I lost two-tenths of a pound in March. Not quite what I was hoping, but at least the needle is moving in the right direction.

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. I’ve started doubling up on my sets as well, doing one set in the morning and one set in the evening on occasion.

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

I did not play the flute in March, but that is because last month’s accidental  drop to the floor broke the damn thing, and now it must be repaired.

But at least I have an excuse this time for not playing all month.

5. Complete my fifth novel before the Ides of March the birth of my next child.

The deadline has officially been missed. I did, however, send a partial manuscript to my agent and await her response. I have reset the goal for completion to June 1, the date of my wife’s scheduled c-section.

6. Complete my sixth novel.

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

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

My writing group convinced me that my manuscript still needs work, and I grudgingly agreed. Work continues on three separate manuscripts. It’s like a race to see who gets finished first.

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 have added a subtitle to the main title that I came up with last month. Also, I was asked by several people at my publisher (publicists, marketing folk, salespeople, etc.) if I have ever considered writing a memoir, so perhaps this idea isn’t as ludicrous an idea as I first thought.

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

My sister promised me posts on three separate occasions in March but did not follow through on any of them. I will continue to pester and plead. Last month I added guilt to my repertoire, and while it failed to achieve results, repeated use of it may prove effective.

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. I may be looking to complete these classes online.

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

I have two pieces currently in the pipeline with hopes of both finding their way into print.

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

On March 7th I attended my first StorySlam of 2012 in Brooklyn and was fortunate enough to win. Just having the chance to take the stage was extremely lucky considering there were 32 names in the hat and only 10 are drawn. Winning means I will have the chance to compete in the next GrandSlam championship, which will be held sometime this summer.

In two weeks, I will be attending another StorySlam in Manhattan with hopes of taking the stage and telling a story on the topic of ARMOR.

I’m excited about the story I have to tell. I wish my mother was still alive to hear it.

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

Great news! A local playhouse has committed to workshopping and producing The Clowns. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

The bad news, at least in terms of my goal, is that we will have to wait until the spring of 2013 for this to happen. Considering the amount of work that must be done on the script first, we are more than willing to wait. As a result, we will no longer be looking for a production date for the fall.

Goal completed? I’m not sure. Getting a playhouse to commit to a production is not an easy feat, but the production will not take place within my targeted time frame.

What do you think?

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

Incremental progress has been made on this front in March.

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 still await the first class.

17. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I have mediated for five minutes a day for 25 of the 31 days of March. I have yet to be able to truly clear my mind, but I will continue to try. I understand that this is a learning process and will continue to make an honest and sincere attempt.

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

In March, I tried French onion soup for the first time and liked (not loved) it.

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

My failure to complete my manuscript by March 15 means that I will have to schedule the race for the fall.

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

Done!