Resolution update: August 2013

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post the progress of my yearly goals at the end of each month on this blog. The following are the results through August. 1. Don’t die.

Still good.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Still down ten pounds for the year. I’m attempting to lose another ten pounds during the second half of 2013 but have not made any progress on this secondary goal yet.

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.

4. Launch at least one podcast.

In addition to the equipment being ready, I think we may have found a producer as well. I hope to finalize details in September.

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

I can’t find the flute. Not in my car. Not in my classroom. This will hinder the completion of this goal considerably

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

7. Complete my sixth novel.

The first 20,000 words will be sent to my agent on Tuesday. With any luck, we should be able to sell this book and possibly the next book soon. I am still on target to actually finish the manuscript by the end of the year.

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

I will send at least one of the manuscripts to my agent by the end of September, which I also said last month and the month before.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

This one is tricky.

I finished a memoir this month. It is in the hands of my agent.

It is not the memoir that I planned on writing when I set this goal. Instead, it is a memoir of a summer spent on the golf course. It’s an accidental memoir. I did not plan on writing it, and then I wrote it. In addition to completing the book, I have also done the work required to draft a book proposal. In terms of this goal, one memoir is complete.

Work on the proposal for my originally intended memoir continues. I plan on completing this by the end of the year as well.

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

No posts published in August. We remain one post away from reaching our goal. It is my turn to write a post, so I hope to meet and exceed this goal in September.

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

I remain one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. Since I have no intention of leaving my elementary school within the next two years, this goal has taken a bit of a backseat to others. I may not complete the final course in 2013 depending on when it is offered.

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

I have now published three pieces in the Huffington Post and one in Beyond the Margins. Nothing in an actual newspaper yet.

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

I attended three Moth events in August, bringing my total to fourteen. I completed in two of the StorySLAMs, placing first in both and running my consecutive winning streak to four.

My name was not drawn from the hat at the most recent event.

14. Locate a playhouse to serve as the next venue for The Clowns.

The script, the score and the soundtrack remain in the hands of a New York City playhouse.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed 6 days in August because of days when my son awoke before I had a chance to meditate.

17. De-clutter the garage.

I have been told that the remaining furniture will be removed soon.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Work continues, albeit at a glacial pace.

19. De-clutter the shed

Work ceased on this project in August. I’d love to think that it will begin again in September, but with the month ahead, that is hard to imagine.

20. Reduce the amount of soda I am drinking by 50%.

I will begin recording my soda intake today. My first glass of Diet Coke is sitting to my left.

21. Try at least one new dish per month, even if it contains ingredients that I wouldn’t normally consider palatable.

I tried a new cheese in August that Elysha did not think I would enjoy. I did.

22. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2013.

No progress.

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

Done.