Resolution update: March 2014

1. Don’t die. Still kicking.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Seven pounds down, thanks mostly to the most vicious stomach bug of all time.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

I missed two weeks thanks to the stomach bug, but I’m back on the horse again.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

Author Out Loud, my first podcast, is still yet to launch (and therefore still not my first). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

If you’re keeping score, this means that I’m actually failing at last year’s goal of launching my first podcast and this year’s goal of launching my second  podcast.

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

Revisions on the next novel have stalled progress on the new one. I will set a new goal when revisions on next book are complete.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

I sent the first half of this manuscript onto my agent to see if I should continue work on it. I await word.

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

Still working on revisions for The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

I made a decision to reduce the scope of my memoir and focus primarily on the two years that encompassed my arrest and trial for a crime I did not commit. These two years also include an armed robbery, the onset of my post traumatic stress disorder, my period of homelessness and the time I spent living with a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

There’s plenty of material for for a memoir in those two years, I think.

I also think a reduced scope will make for a better memoir and open the door to future memoirs from  other periods of my life.

Work has begun on this project.

On the advice of a Moth producer, I have also transcribed five of my Moth stories and sent them to my agent with the thought that we may consider publishing them as well. I await word on that as well.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

10. Write a screenplay.

In an interesting turn of events, a filmmaker has contacted me about writing a script for her. We have a conversation scheduled for later this week. This experimental project may turn out to be something much more interesting.

11. Write at least three short stories.

No progress.

12. Write a collection of poetry using existing and newly written poems.

April is National Poetry Month, and I have begun to assemble, revise and even write one new poem for my book. I don’t know if anyone else will like my poetry, but I kind of love it. I know that’s a rather self-congratulatory thing to say, but it’s true. I enjoyed re-reading some of my older poems. I hope to have the book ready in a month or two.

13. Become certified to teach high school English by completing one required class.

One class and $50 away from completion. Hopefully a class that I can find and complete over the summer.

14. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

I've been hired as a the columnist for Seasons magazine, a Connecticut-based magazine with a readership of more than 60,000 people. I’ll be writing four humor columns each year at the onset of each new season.

I’m not sure if this counts in terms of completing this goal. Seasons isn’t a newspaper, but it’s a physical publication.

I’m still working on getting an Op-Ed in a newspaper, so I probably won’t count this new writing gig toward the goal unless I need to.

15. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I attended a Moth GrandSLAM in March, bringing my total events to five. I finished in second place, which is apparently the only place available to me in GrandSLAM competitions.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

As stated above, I finished in second place, which marks my fifth second place finish in a Moth GrandSLAM (including three by a tenth of a point).

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

18. De-clutter the basement.

I’ve begun the process of throwing things out again. It’s a smidgen of progress, but slow and steady wins the race.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

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

No progress.

21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.

Our Speak Up storytelling event on March 29 was a huge success. A sold-out, standing-room-only show with one of our finest collection of storytellers ever. That brings our yearly total to two, with events scheduled for May 17 and 31 and a July date in the works.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk last month at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA. It was an outstanding conference that I will probably write about soon.

 

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

No progress until the spring arrives.

24. Find a way to keep my wife home for one more year with our children.

Still looking doubtful.

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

Two days late.

Resolution update: February 2014

1. Don’t die. I still kick ass at not dying.

2. Lose ten pounds.

One pounds gained in February. Oops.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

Done.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

Author Out Loud, my first podcast, is still yet to launch (and therefore still not my first), mostly because of scheduling issues. Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

I’m sucking on this goal, if you haven’t noticed.

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

Revisions on the next novel are interrupting the writing process a bit, but I’m still making good progress. I still love this book.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

I sent the first half of this manuscript onto my agent to see if I should continue work on it. I await word.

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

Still working on revisions for The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

I made a decision to reduce the scope of my memoir and focus primarily on the two years that encompassed my arrest and trial for a crime I did not commit. These two years also include an armed robbery, the onset of my post traumatic stress disorder, my period of homelessness and the time I spent living with a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

There’s plenty of material for for a memoir in those two years, I think.

I also think a reduced scope will make for a better memoir and open the door to future memoirs from  other periods of my life.

Work has begun on this project.

On the advice of a Moth producer, I have also transcribed five of my Moth stories and sent them to my agent with the thought that we may consider publishing them as well. I await word on that as well.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

10. Write a screenplay.

The first step is to purchase Final Draft, the software required to write a professional screenplay. I have yet to take that step.

11. Write at least three short stories.

No progress.

12. Write a collection of poetry using existing and newly written poems.

No progress.

13. Become certified to teach high school English by completing one required class.

One class and $50 away from completion. Hopefully a class that I can find and complete over the summer.

14. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

No progress.

15. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I attended a Moth StorySLAM in February, bringing my total events to four. Sadly, my name was not drawn from the hat.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I’ll be competing in my sixth GrandSLAM in New York City in two weeks. After four second place finishes (including three by a tenth of a point), I’m not holding my breath.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

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

No progress.

21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.

Our next show is scheduled for March 29.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I will be delivering a TED Talk in March in Somerville, MA.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

No progress until the spring arrives.

24. Find a way to keep my wife home for one more year with our children.

Still looking doubtful.

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

Three days late.

Resolution update: January 2014

1. Don’t die. I kick ass at not dying.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Three pounds lost in January.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

Better than done. I completed six days a week in January.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

Author Out Loud, my initial podcast, has yet to launch because of technical and scheduling issues, but my February vacation is now the targeted date for our first recording. Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

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

I’m writing as fast (and as well) as I can. I love this book.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

I’m also writing this one, which may or may not be a mistake.

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

I received feedback from a children’s book editor on my latest attempt at a children’s book, The Little Bad Wolf. I’m working on revision now.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

I made a decision to reduce the scope of my memoir and focus primarily on the two years that encompassed my arrest and trial for a crime I did not commit. Those two years also include an armed robbery, the onset of my post traumatic stress disorder, my bout with homelessness and the time I spent living with a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I think a reduced scope will make for a better memoir and open the door to future memoirs on the other times of my life.

Work has begun on this project.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet. Probably a good summer project.

10. Write a screenplay.

I have looked into purchasing Final Draft, the software required to write a professional screenplay. Thanks to a friend, I also know what my first scene will be. So that’s progress. Right?

11. Write at least three short stories.

I can’t believe that I included this on the list. I was ambitious. Perhaps overly ambitious. No progress.

12. Write a collection of poetry using existing and newly written poems.

No progress.

13. Become certified to teach high school English by completing one required class.

One class and $50 away from completion. Hopefully a class that I can find and complete over the summer.

14. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

No progress.

15. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I attended three Moth events in January. Two events were GrandSLAM championships (where I told stories), and the other was an event at Trident Books in Boston where I told a story at the opening of a program designed to promote their book.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I competed in two Moth GrandSLAMs in January. I finished in second place by a tenth of a point in the New York slam and was randomly chosen to go first in the Boston slam, dooming any hope I had for victory.

I have future GrandSLAMs in both Boston and New York based upon previous StorySLAM victories, but after five GrandSLAMs and three second place finishes, I’m beginning to feel a little jinxed.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

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

No progress.

21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.

Elysha and I produced our first Speak Up event in January. It was an enormous success. We sold out the theater again, and I think it was our best show to date.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I am scheduled to deliver a TED Talk in March in Somerville, MA.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

No progress until the spring arrives.

24. Find a way to keep my wife home for one more year with our children.

Unfortunately, this is looking doubtful.

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

Done.

New Year’s resolutions can change your life forever. Don’t let pundits tell you otherwise.

As the New Year approached, I saw and read many articles on why New Year’s resolutions never work and are best avoided. This, of course, is nonsense.

New Year’s resolutions (and goal setting in general) work for those who are actually motivated to achieve the desired results and work hard and diligently to meet their goals..

Since 2010, I have been posting my resolutions on my blog and charting my progress month by month. While my New Year’s resolution success rate stands at 49% (I actually think this good considering the loftiness of the goals I set for myself), I think one of the more significant impacts of my New Year’s resolutions has been the lifestyle changes that have resulted from the pursuit of these goals.

Here are a few examples:

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In 2010 I resolved to floss every day. I have not missed a day of flossing since. It’s simply become something I do.

Incidentally, if you would like to start flossing, I suggest that you place the floss in the shower. Once you start flossing regularly, it takes about 30 seconds to floss well. Placing it in the shower creates incentive:

Who would pass up an extra 30 seconds in the shower in order to be productive and extend your life (people who floss live longer)?

I gave this advice at a book talk once (in response to a question about how routines make me more productive), and about six months later, a woman wrote to me to say that while she appreciated everything about my talk, the advice on flossing had changed her life. She’s flossed every day since my talk, and her gums have never been so healthy and pain free.

It’s not hard. You, too, can be a dental nerd like me. ____________________________________

I also established the goal of losing 10 pounds in 2010, and I have since lost 45 pounds and entirely changed the way that I live.

• I exercise almost every day.
• I know the calorie count of almost every food item that I eat.
• I’ve permanently reduced meal portions.
• I look better, feel better, and have more energy than ever before.

That single goal in 2010 has changed the way I eat, exercise and live ever since.

____________________________________

In 2011, I resolved to do at least 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups a day. While the conditions of this goal have changed over the years (more individual repetitions with days of rest in between), sit-ups and push-ups have become a part of my daily routine.

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In an effort to reduce my cholesterol, I resolved to eat three servings of oatmeal a week in 2011. Since then I continue to eat at least that much oatmeal each week as part of my work day lunch. It’s a perfect midday meal: Easy to make, filling, low in calories and delicious. And as a result, my cholesterol has remained within the guidelines that my doctor set for me.

____________________________________

In 2011, I resolved to participate in a Moth event as a storyteller, either at a live show or on their radio broadcast. Since my performance in my first Moth StorySLAM in July of 2011, storytelling has become an enormous part of my life. I’ve performed in 25 Moth events since then, including for a Mainstage audience of 1,500 people in Boston last year. I’ve been featured on The Moth Radio Hour, a nationally syndicated radio show, as well as their weekly podcast.

All of this began with a single performance on a single Moth stage.

I’ve also performed at a number of other storytelling shows in New York, Boston and Hartford and spoken at two TED conferences.

In 2013, my wife and I co-founded Speak Up, our own storytelling organization. We produced three shows in 2013 and hope to produce twice that many in 2014. This month I also begin my first series of storytelling workshops with prospective storytellers.

That simple 2011 goal of telling one story at one Moth event has blossomed into one of the most important parts of my creative life.

____________________________________

In 2o13 I resolved to meditate for at least five minutes every day. This has become part of my morning routine that I will likely continue for the rest of my life.

____________________________________

I also resolved in 2013 to try at least one new dish per month, even if it contains ingredients that I wouldn’t normally consider palatable. I achieved this goal and find myself with a new found willingness to try foods, even if I expect to hate them. This has been an enormous change for me, and it is one that I can see carrying on throughout my life.

____________________________________

Don’t let anyone fool you. New Year’s resolutions can change your life, for the upcoming year and sometimes forever, if you actually apply yourself.

My advice:

• Establish measurable goals.
• Create a plan to accomplishment them.
• Check on progress regularly.
• Remind yourself repeatedly about what your life would look like if you achieved your goals. Envision this life.
• Also remind yourself that most people fail to accomplish their New Year’s resolutions, and that you are better than most people.

New Year’s resolutions: 2014

The following are my New Years resolutions for 2014. As always, I reserve the right to alter the list for up to one week after posting. Suggestions are still welcome.

1. Don’t die.

Recommended by a reader a couple years ago, this continues to be an excellent resolution.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I lost ten pounds last year, and since I began losing weight four years ago, I’m lost a total of 45 pounds. I’m within 15 pounds of my high school weight, when I was a legitimate athlete. I’m hoping to get back to that point someday soon.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups five days a week.

Unchanged from last year, it remains an excellent goal.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

Author Out Loud, our first podcast, will launch in January. My goal is to launch a second podcast, dealing with storytelling,  education or parenting, later in the year.

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

Though my sixth novel will likely sell before it’s actually finished, I will eventually need to finish writing it. April 15 will give me my April vacation to complete it if not before.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

I plan on writing another novel in 2014 as well. This book may or may not be started already.

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

I failed to achieve this goal last year, not because of rejection as much as my inability to pull a manuscript together. I will rectify this in 2014.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

I have a large chunk of this book written, but it needs to be re-written. I will spend 2014 writing 3-5 excellent chapters plus a proposal.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

I intend on hosting an evening of Shakespeare. Friends will join us around the table to read a Shakespearean play aloud, with each person assuming a different role. I already have a group of people who have agreed to attend.

10. Write a screenplay.

This is a challenge that I would like to undertake after befriending a screenwriter and becoming a fan of Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting.

11. Write at least three short stories.

I wrote three short stories in 2013 and would like to write at least three more in 2014 with an eye toward eventually publishing a collection.

12. Write a collection of poetry using existing and newly written poems.

I have many poems from my college and post college days that I like a lot. I’d like to revise them and write some new poetry in order to complete a collection by the end of the year.

13. Become certified to teach high school English by completing one required class.

I took one of the two required classes in 2013. I’d like to finish the certification by completing one more course.

14. Publish at least one Op-Ed in a physical newspaper.

I published several Op-Ed pieces in online outlets last year, and while I plan to continue this, I would like to get at least one piece in a physical newspaper while they still exist.

15. Attend at least 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

In 2013 I attended 16 Moth events. Ten seems like a reasonable number for 2014.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I’ve won 10 Moth StorySLAMs since I started competing in 2011, include 7 out of 13 last year. I’ve competed in three GrandSLAM championships but have yet to win one.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

I failed to complete this goal in 2013.

18. De-clutter the basement.

I made significant progress in the basement in 2013. I would like to complete the work in 2014.

19. De-clutter the shed

I made significant progress in the basement in 2013. I would like to complete the work in 2014.

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

I failed to complete this goal in 2013.

21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.

My wife and I launched our storytelling venture in 2013 and produced a total of three shows. We’d like to double this number in 2014.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I spoke at two TED conferences in 2013. I’d like to add to my total in 2014.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

My lowest score for nine holes is a 45, and my lowest score for 18 holes is 95. I’d like to improve on either score in 2014.

24. Find a way to keep my wife home for one more year with our children.

My wife has been staying home with our children for the last four years, working part time when Clara entered preschool and Charlie was not yet born. I would love to give her and my son one more year at home before she returns to work fulltime. In order to make this possible, I will have to find a way to earn enough money (through writing and/or other sources) and cut expenses for one more year.

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

Resolution update: 2013 in review

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 December, and thus through the end of 2013.

I managed to completed 14 out of the 23 goals that I set for myself back in January for a 61 % completion rate. This is actually fair good in comparison to previous years.

In the three years that I have been charting my goals for the year, my completion rates have been 30% (2012), 62% (2011) and 44% (2010).

___________________________________

1. Don’t die.

Done. 

2. Lose ten pounds.

I had hoped to lose another ten pounds after reaching this goal back in June, but no luck. 

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.

I missed less than 5% of the required days in 2013.

4. Launch at least one podcast.

Though it has not been officially launched, we are ready to go and will have our first episode online in January.

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

Losing my flute made this a tough goal to reach.

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

Done.

7. Complete my sixth novel.

The first 60,000 words of my sixth novel are in the hands of my agent and being pitched for sale now.

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

Failed for the second year in a row.

On a positive note, I wrote a new children’s book this week, and I’m excited about it.  

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

A golf memoir was written in 2013. I’ve also written the first five chapters of my originally planned memoir.  

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

One new post in December completed the 2013 goal.

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

I remain one class and $50 away from achieving certification. Since I have no intention of leaving my elementary school within the next two years, I put this goal on hold in 2013.   

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

I published three pieces in the Huffington Post and two pieces in Beyond the Margins. I had several pieces rejected from The Hartford Courant and The New York Times. Based upon the readership reached via these online platforms, I’m calling this a success.

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

I told stories in a total of 15 Moth events in 2013, including my first Mainstage show and a GrandSLAM. I competed in 13 StorySLAMs and won 8 of them.  

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.

Failed for the second year in a row.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed less than 10% of the required days in 2013.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Done.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Failed for the second year in a row.

19. De-clutter the shed

Failed.

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

Though my soda intake has been reduced significantly over the past two months, I have no way of verifying the 50% success rate, nor do I think I achieved the level of success required.

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

I tried two new cheeses in December, completing the goal.  

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

Failed for the second year in a row.

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

I forgot to post progress for the month of October. Still, I’m counting it.

Choosing goals for 2014

I am in the process of reviewing the completion of my New Year’s resolutions and establishing new goals for 2014.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I’m always happy to listen and incorporate feedback whenever possible.

Resolution update: November 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. I appear to have failed to report my October results, so clearly I’m not doing well.

The following are the results through November.

1. Don’t die.

Solidly on track to meet this goal.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Still down ten pounds for the year.

I am attempting to lose another ten pounds during the second half of 2013 but it’s not looking good.

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.

We record our first show on Monday.

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

I still can’t find my flute. It was an expensive flute. I am upset.

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

7. Complete my sixth novel.

The first 60,000 words of my sixth novel are in the hands of my agent while I finish revisions of my fifth novel. It will sell before I have technically finished it, making this a nearly completed goal in my mind.

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 December. I said last month and the month before that and the month before that and the month before that.

This means that I will not be able to meet this goal by the end of the year, which is disappointing.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The memoir of my season of golf is in the hands of my agent, and she loves it. Happy days!

The first five chapters of my originally planned memoir are also written and in the hands of my agent, too.

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

No posts published in November. We remain one post away from reaching our goal.

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

I remain one class and $50 away from achieving certification. Since I have no intention of leaving my elementary school within the next two years, I do not plan on taking this course in 2013. The summer of 2014 looks likely.

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

I have published three pieces in the Huffington Post and two pieces in Beyond the Margins. I’ve had several pieces rejected from The Hartford Courant and The New York Times.

Not sure if I’m going to credit myself for completion of this goal yet.

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

I competed in one Moth StorySLAM in November and a Mainstage show in October, bringing my total Moth events in 2013 to fourteen. I placed first in my November StorySLAM, running my consecutive winning streak to six.

I’m been exceptionally lucky.

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. We will probably not hear anything by the end of the year.

On a side note, my writing partner has already found a performance opportunity for our next show, which isn’t actually written yet.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed five days in November because of mornings 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. I don’t believe it, so I’ll be removing it myself soon.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Work continues. There is a lot of stuff down there.

19. De-clutter the shed

Work ceased on this project in August. I have not touched it since, and it’s too damn cold to finish the job.

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

In an effort to reduce my soda intake, I allow myself two 8-ounce bottles of Diet Coke per day at work. This is a considerable reduction but in no way brings me close to my 50% target.

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

I tried several new foods in November during my class’s Thanksgiving feast, including foods from Poland, the Middle East, Chile and more. I actually like it all.

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.

I missed October altogether. I don’t know how that happened. I’m on time for this month.

Resolution update: September 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 September.

1. Don’t die.

Still good.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Still down ten pounds for the year, though I went up three pounds after a trip to Camp Jewell with my students. I like the oatmeal a lot. It took a couple days, but I managed to get back down to my pre-trip weight.

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.

I missed three days in September due to our trip to Camp Jewell and illness.

4. Launch at least one podcast.

We have a producer. We have a format. The equipment is in place. This is actually going to happen. Soon.

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

I can’t find my flute. I don’t know what to do.

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

7. Complete my sixth novel.

The first 40,000 words of my sixth novel are in the hands of my agent while I work feverishly on the revisions of my fifth novel. 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 October, which I also said last month and the month before that and the month before that.

On a positive note, I have three new children’s book ideas that I love.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

My golf memoir is in the hands of my agent.

The first two chapters of my originally planned memoir are written. I still plan on completing this proposal 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 September. We remain one post away from reaching our goal.

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 published three pieces in the Huffington Post and one in Beyond the Margins. Last week I submitted an Op-Ed to the Hartford Courant. I am awaiting a response.

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

I competed in one Moth StorySLAM in September, bringing my total Moth events in 2013 to fifteen. I placed first, running my consecutive winning streak to five.

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. On a side note, there may be interest in our next show, which isn’t actually written yet.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed eight days in September because of days when my son awoke before I had a chance to meditate and days spent at camp.

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%.

After recording my first glass of soda for September, I failed to record another. And now we’re four days into October, so this month is lost, too.

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

I tried a vegetable soup that included broccoli and regretted it.

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.

Four days late.

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.

Resolution update: July 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 July. 1. Don’t die.

Unless we are all living in a massive computer simulation (and I’m not sure that we aren’t), I’m still alive.

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.

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.

Equipment stands ready. No further progress.

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

I went to the music store with the intention of getting the broken flute repaired, only to discover that it was not in the back of my car as I thought. It must be in my classroom. I will pick it up this week.

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

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Work continues on the sixth novel. The first 10,000 words are in the hands of my agent. Writing continues.

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 August, which I said last month.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work on the proposal for my memoir continues. I have also begun writing a golf memoir that has grown into something considerable. My agent has read the first 40,000 words and thinks it has potential.

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

One post published in July, bringing our total to 11.

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

I am one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. I planned on taking this course in the summer, but it is unavailable. Hopefully we find something in the fall.

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

I’ve 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 two Moth events in July, bringing my total to eleven. I placed first in both StorySLAMs.

I also told a story for The Story Collider, a New York based storytelling organization that focuses on science. It was a noncompetitive event.

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

The script, the score and the soundtrack are in the hands of a New York City playhouse. Work has commenced on a new musical.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed 7 days in July because of days when I was not home and days when my son awoke before 6:00 AM.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Work continues. We have found a home for all the remaining furniture. It will be removed soon.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Work continues, albeit slowly. I hope to spend the next rainy day in the basement, finishing it off.

19. De-clutter the shed

Work continues slowly.

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

I failed to record my soda intake in July. This is not going well.

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 chicken dish this month. The name escapes me. My wife prepared it. It was quite delicious.

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.

Resolution update: June 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 June. 1. Don’t die.

I was stung by a bee yesterday, which is potentially deadly for me, but I’m still standing and the bee is dead. I’m still winning.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I lost 7 pounds in May, bringing my total to 10 pounds lost this year.

I killed it in June. KILLED IT. Honestly, I didn’t do much. I exercised every day, as always, and kept a little better track of my calorie intake, which typically means smaller portions at dinner. I’ve lost a total of 45 pounds in the past three years. If you’re looking to lose weight, let me recommend you start by eating a little bit less at dinnertime. There are typically a lot of calories to be saved at that meal.

I’ve set a goal of losing another 10 pounds in the second half of the year.

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.

What I wrote last month continues to be the case, except now I am in the midst of summer vacation and there is more time now to do the work.

I am out of excuses.

From last month:

The hardware is ready. We designated a location in the house and set up the mixer and the microphones. I am working on understanding the software now. Basically, I understand how to record a podcast and can use the recording software fairly well. I am unsure what to do after I have the recording. How do I get my podcast onto the Internet? Into iTunes? Anywhere else it needs to go? Also, I may need a website to host and promote the podcasts, though this blog may serve this function. Still, a page will need to be created. A logo created. Other details I’m not even aware of yet, I’m sure.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car. Again, since it is summer vacation, I should be able to take care of this in July.

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

Done!

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Work continues on the sixth novel, as well as an unexpected golf memoir and perhaps another project as well.

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 July.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work on the proposal for my memoir continues. I will be scheduling a day in Massachusetts to do some research in July.

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

A total of ten posts have been published as of June 30. It is my turn to write the next post, so we have a decent shot at achieving the goal by the end of July.

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

I am one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. I planned on taking this course in the summer, but it is unavailable. Hopefully we find something in the fall.

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

I’ve 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 two Moth events in June, bringing my total to nine. I told stories in Boston and New York and placed second in both StorySLAMs.

I despise second place.

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

The script, the score and the soundtrack were sent to another playhouse in June. Fingers crossed. I will begin writing a new musical this month.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed 5 days in June because my son continues to wake up well before 7:00 AM.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Work continues. We have found a home for all the remaining furniture. It will be removed soon.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Work continues and should accelerate as summer vacation has arrived.

19. De-clutter the shed

Work continues and should accelerate as summer vacation has arrived.

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

I failed to record my soda intake in June. I will begin tomorrow.

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

I did not try any new food in June. This was the first month that I failed to try a new food.

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.

Resolution update: May 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 May. 1. Don’t die.

I remain perfect on my most important goal.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I gained a pound. Three pounds down. Seven pounds to go. This is a clear refection of my lack of focus on this goal. Seriously. Ten pounds should be simple.

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.

The hardware is ready. We designated a location in the house and set up the mixer and the microphones. I am working on understanding the software now. Basically, I understand how to record a podcast and can use the recording software fairly well. I am unsure what to do after I have the recording. How do I get my podcast onto the Internet? Into iTunes? Anywhere else it needs to go? Also, I may need a website to host and promote the podcasts, though this blog may serve this function. Still, a page will need to be created. A logo created. Other details I’m not even aware of yet, I’m sure.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car.

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

Done!

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Work had begun on the sixth novel.

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

Work has begun on all three manuscripts. I’ve decided to revise them all and then choose the one that I think is best to send to my agent.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work on the memoir proposal has begun.

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

Seven blog posts published during the month of May. More than halfway to the goal. Two more written by my sister awaiting publication. Kelli finds herself in a position to write consistently for the first time in her life. I’m trying to convince her to write a memoir. The last twenty years of her life have been extraordinarily difficult and would make a great story.

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

I am now just one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. That class will be taken in the summer.

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

I’ve have now published three pieces in the Huffington Post and one in Beyond the Margins. I am waiting response on an Op-Ed proposal from a major newspaper as well.

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

I attended one Moth event in May, bringing my total to seven. For the first time ever, I attended a StorySLAM in Boston at the Oberon Theater. I told a story about the day I lost a bike race to my friend and his new 10-speed bike. I finished in first place. It was my fourth StorySLAM victory.

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 the necessary people. Talks continue on a new musical as well.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

Though I’m ready to try this whenever possible, the summer might be the most feasible time to attempt this goal.

My daughter, by the day, is taking yoga at her school. She demonstrated several poses to me the other day. This yoga stuff seems strange.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

I missed three days in May because my son is a pain-in-the-ass and wakes up before 7:00 AM.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Work continues. Nearing completion.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Work has begun. I installed the air conditioners this week, which eliminated three large objects from the basement. I also installed a rolling coat rack for the winter coats and have begun throwing away and donating baby paraphernalia that we will no longer need.

19. De-clutter the shed

Work has begun thanks to the work of a student. I will explain in a subsequent blog post.

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

I failed to record my soda intake in April. I will begin tomorrow.

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 food in May but honestly can’t remember what it was. Also, I liked it.

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.

Resolution update: April 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 April. 1. Don’t die.

Done. Unless we’re all living in a simulation, at which point we were never alive. But that is a post for another day.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I lost another pound. Four pounds down, six to go. To be honest, these 10 pounds should be gone already.

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.

Preliminary work continues. I’m still picking at my manuscript, which is holding me back a bit. But I’m nearly ready to begin.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car.

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

Done!

7. Complete my sixth novel.

I have decided upon my next book. If I could just stop fiddling around with book #5, work on book #6 would commence.

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

I’ll be reading my manuscripts to my students this month in order to get their feedback. I will revise a little, and then I’ll send one or more to my agent with hopes that she adores them as much as me.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work will not begin on this goal until the summer.

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

No blog posts written yet for the year. My sister has moved, though, and ensures me that work will commence post-haste.

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

I am now just one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. That class will be taken in the summer.

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

I’ve had two pieces publish in the Huffington Post and one in Beyond the Margins. Both of these publishing outlets exist online but might actually be better in terms of audience and publicity than an actual newspaper. Still, I’d like to get something into an actual newspaper this year before they all go extinct.

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

I attended one Moth event in April, bringing my total to six. Three days ago I told a story at a StorySLAM at The Bitter End about a time when I made a plane of passengers wait so that I could ensure that my luggage was onboard. I finished third behind two more deserving stories.

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 the necessary people. We have begun talks on a new musical as well. As much as I don’t want to be excited about a new project like this, I am excited.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

Though I’m ready to try this whenever possible, the summer might be the most feasible time to attempt this goal.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

Done. After a year or so of meditating, I have gotten quite good at clearing my mind. Shockingly good, in  fact. I’m not sure if it’s doing me any good or making a difference in my life, but it’s always rewarding to master something.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Work continues.

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress. Summer job.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress. Summer job.

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

I will begin recording my soda intake starting this morning (8 ounces thus far). This will allow me to set a guideline for future reduction.

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

I did not try a new food in April, but I tried two new foods in March, so I’m counting it.

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

I can’t believe I set this goal for myself. The races are fun, but they are a ton of work, too.

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

Done.

Resolution update: March 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 March. 1. Don’t die.

Don’t mean to jinx things, but I kicked ass with this goal in March.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Three pounds down and holding annoyingly steady.

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.

Preliminary work has officially begun.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car. One of my students loaned me a flute because he wants to play a duet with me. I haven’t removed it from the case. I don’t think any of this counts as progress.

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

Done! Huzzah!

7. Complete my sixth novel.

I’m in the process of deciding which book will be next. There are eight choices, and I am equally excited about each one. Discussions with my agent and my wife have begun.

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

I have three manuscripts in various states of being. I will share these drafts with students and adults this month to determine the one that I should focus upon first.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work will not begin on this goal until the summer.

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

No blog posts written yet for the year.

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

I am now just one class and an inexplicable $50 away from achieving certification. That class will be taken in the summer.

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

I had a second piece published in the Huffington Post in March and another in Beyond he Margins. Both of these publishing outlets exist online but might be better in terms of audience and publicity than an actual newspaper. I may need to rethink this goal.

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

I attended three Moth events in March. I told a story at the GrandSLAM Championship in The Music Hall in Williamsburg and placed second. I told a story at The Bell House in Brooklyn and placed third. I told a story at the New School in Manhattan and placed a surprising fifth (it was one of my best stories, I think). That brings my total to five Moth events in 2013.

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

The script, the score and the soundtrack are now in the hands of even more necessary people. Fingers crossed. We also plan on applying for a New York theater festival in 2014, though that application process has not yet begun.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

Though I’m ready to try this whenever possible, the summer might be the most feasible time to attempt this goal.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

Done.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Progress continues. The garage may me empty by the end of April.

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress. Summer job.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress. Summer job.

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

My plan was to begin recording my soda intake in March. I failed. I also failed to begin recording in April, so I will have to wait until May to begin this project.

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

In March I tried a curry chicken dish that I liked a lot and sugar snap peas (as part of a rice dish) that were palatable.

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

No progress. Summer job.

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

I am four days late.

Resolution update: February 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 February. 1. Don’t die.

I didn’t even require any CPR this month..

2. Lose ten pounds.

The four pounds I lost in January shrunk to three pounds in February, putting me seven pounds from my goal. But it’s been a week of dining out, which never helps.

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.

Equipment purchased. Software downloaded. Expert onboard to assist if needed. Work begins on April 1 when the book is finished.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car. I think. I haven’t actually bothered to look for at least six months.

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

Work continues.

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

No blog posts written yet for the year.

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

I received an email from the Connecticut Department of Education yesterday informing me that I am now just one class and an additional $50 away from achieving certification. That class will be taken in the summer.

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

I had another piece published in the Huffington Post yesterday. While this isn’t an actual print newspaper, do those even matter anymore? I may need to rethink this goal.

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

I attended two StorySLAMs in February and planned on telling a story at both. Unfortunately that did not happen. Fate denied me the opportunity. I will be at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Monday night with the hopes of telling a story and back n Brooklyn ten days later for the GrandSLAM.

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

The script, the score and the soundtrack are now in the hands of the necessary people. Fingers crossed. We also plan on applying for a New York theater festival in 2014, though that application process has not yet begun.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

Though I’m ready to try this whenever possible, the summer might be the most feasible time to attempt this goal.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

Done.

17. De-clutter the garage.

Progress! Our town’s sanitation department picks up two bulk items each week free of charge. On Tuesday an old bed frame and an ancient table were removed from the garage. In about six weeks all the old and unused furniture will be gone forever.

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress. In fairness, it was impossible to reach the shed with the recent blizzard, but this is definitely a summer job.

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

I begin recording my soda intake this month. My plan is to record of my soda consumption for a month in order to determine the average amount of soda I drink in a day and will then seek to reduce that number by 50 percent.

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

In February I tried acorn squash and did not hate it.

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

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

Done.

Resolution update: January 2013

1. Don’t die.

Still here.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I’ve lost 4 pounds in January, and happily, it’s been through no great effort on my part. Just eating a little less and exercising a little more.

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. In fact, I didn’t miss a day in January.

4. Launch at least one podcast.

Until my book is finished (my deadline is March 31), this will have to wait (though I am extremely anxious to get started). On a positive note, a friend has offered to guide me through some of the technical aspects that I have not learned yet.

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

The broken flute remains in the back of my car. My wife has offered to bring it to the repair shop for me.   

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

I am moving along at a fairly rapid pace. The pressure of an actual deadline and a disappointed editor weigh heavily on me.

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

For the first time since this project began, I am the one stalling progress. Kelli posted in late December and I have yet to respond. I will do so shortly.   

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

I need to complete one more class in order to become certified to teach English in grades 6-12. It looks like I will be taking that class in the summer or fall of this year. 

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

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

I was scheduled and then rescheduled to attend a Moth event in January, but family illness and then foul weather (and a less-than-adventurous friend) stopped me both times. I plan on attending a StorySLAM on Monday in Brooklyn and then later in the month in Boston with Elysha and friends.  There is also a StorySLAM at the end of the month that I may be targeting as well.

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

Talks have begun with people who might be able to help us find a venue. We also plan on applying for a New York theater festival in 2014, though that application process has not yet begun.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

Though I’m ready to try this whenever possible, the summer might be the most feasible time to attempt this goal.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

Done.

17. De-clutter the garage.

No progress, though my wife has offered to assist me eliminate the excess furniture via Craigslist.  

18. De-clutter the basement.

No progress. 

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

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

My plan is to record of my soda consumption for a month in order to determine the average amount of soda I drink in a day and will then seek to reduce that number by 50 percent.

I did not record my soda consumption in January.

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

I tried couscous in January and liked it very much. We had it again last night.  

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

Work will not begin on this goal until the fifth book is complete.

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

I am one day ahead of schedule.

Resolutions that didn’t make the 2013 list

In deciding upon this year’s New Year’s resolution, several were discarded for a variety of reasons. Among them were the following:

Set a new personal best in golf.

I may have excluded this from my list simply because I am afraid that it is not possible. My lowest score for nine holes is a 46, and my lowest score for 18 holes is 95. Without lessons or a dramatic increase in the amount of playing time, I just don’t see myself improving these scores without an enormous amount of luck.  

Launch a podcast related to teaching.

I already plan on launching a podcast related to writing in 2013, so my idea of bringing three teachers (my wife, my friend and me) together to discuss education and answer questions of parents, students and fellow teachers might turn out to be fairly simple once I learned about the process, but it may not. Even if I manage to streamline the technical aspects of the process, it will still take time to record. As a result, I thought that one podcast this year would be more than enough. If the second manages to get off the ground, it will be a bonus.

Deliver a TED Talk.

While the idea of delivering a TED Talk remains something that I would like to pursue in 2013, the amount of content that I already plan on producing is so large that I felt that some ideas had to be left off the list. A TED Talk was one of them. 

Write and perform a 5-10 minute standup comedy set in 2013.

I would like to attempt standup comedy someday, but once again, the amount of writing, storytelling and podcasting that I have planned for 2013 is already more than enough.

Launch a proposed business venture with a close friend.

A friend and I have a possible business idea on the drawing board that we hope to launch in 2013, and we are already in discussions about it, but it may take more than a year to accomplish, so I have left it off the list for now. 

Read a specific number of books in 2013.

Readers suggest this resolution to me every year. Three years ago I established the goal of reading a dozen books published within the same calendar year (and achieved the goal fairly easily), but that goal was set in order to force me to read more current material.

My attitude towards overall reading has always remained the same:

Read as often as possible in 2013. The number of books doesn’t matter if I am reading as much as I can. Therefore no resolution is needed.

Make one mortgage payment from poker profits.

I paid for our honeymoon with poker profits, and I’ve always wanted to make at least one mortgage payment via poker, but the amount of playing that I do today is limited because of my writing schedule. Also, the online poker environment became decidedly more challenging with the US restrictions on online gambling in 2010. While I am fairly certain that I could earn enough money via poker to make at least one mortgage payment if I dedicated time to the endeavor, it turns out that writing is simply more profitable.

New Year's resolutions: 2013

The following are my New Years resolutions for 2013. As always, I reserve the right to alter the list for one week after posting. Suggestions are still welcome.

1. Don’t die.

This was suggested to me by a reader a couple years ago, and it makes sense to keep it on the list. It is my most important resolution.

2. Lose ten pounds.

After a year of stagnation, I intend on moving the needle on my scale in 2013.  Ideally, I’d like to lose about 20 pounds and get down to my ideal weight (as defined by my lunatic doctor), but after last year’s failures, I’m keeping things realistic.

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.

This goal is the same as one I accomplished in 2012. I considered adding to the goal, since I typically exceed the 100 mark on a daily basis, but again, why not be realistic?

4. Launch at least one podcast.

The equipment has been purchased. The format of the podcast has been decided. Even the name has been chosen (thanks to a reader’s suggestion). I need to learn how to post a  podcast to a website and iTunes and complete a few simple tasks and I’ll be ready to go.  

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

This is a goal that I failed to complete in 2011 and 2012. I should stop torturing myself and abandon the goal, but I want to play the flute again, damn it.

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

My fifth novel, THE PERFECT COMEBACK OF CAROLINE JACOBS, is not finished but should be. I’ve given myself 75 days to complete it.

7. Complete my sixth novel.

Relying heavily on my summer vacation, I intend on completing my sixth novel by the end of 2013.

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

I have three children’s books in various stages of revision and completion.  My goal is to sell at least one of them to a publisher in 2013.

9. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

I have no experience writing a book proposal, but I know that it requires an outline, at least three chapters and a lengthy cover letter of sorts. I intend on accomplishing this in 2013.

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

One entry per month is a reasonable goal, though  ideally I would like to post more often. As reasonable as it may sound, however, we failed to achieve this goal in 2012, coming up two posts short. Giving my sister a laptop will hopefully make this goal easier to accomplish.

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

I need to complete one more class in order to become certified to teach English in grades 6-12. My wife has found a local community college offering the required class. Though I have no intention of leaving the elementary school classroom, I like to keep my options open.  I will begin my fifteenth year of teaching teaching elementary school in the fall of 2013, and there may come a point when I desire a change. I want to be prepared for that moment.

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

I would like to think that I could publish more than one in 2013, but I failed to achieve this goal in 2012, so I am not getting my hopes up.

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

I attended eight Moth events in 2012, so this seems like a reasonable goal. Ideally, I would like to attend one event per moth and will try to accomplish this in 2013, but setting a goal of 12 seems unrealistic.

I also considered setting a goal related to winning a specific number of Moth events, but this goal also seemed unrealistic. Many factors influence a storyteller’s chances of winning, and some of them are beyond the storyteller’s control. I would very much like to win a GrandSLAM championship in 2013, and I have at least one opportunity to do so, but again, establishing that as a goal seems unrealistic.

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

After next weekend’s performances, my writing partner and I will hopefully have our rock opera ready for a full run at a willing playhouse. Admittedly, most of the work involved with finding a playhouse will fall into the lap of my partner, but I will be supporting his efforts every step of the way.

15. Give yoga an honest try.

I have been critical for yoga for years but have never actually attempted yoga (a source of consternation for my yoga-loving friends). I intended on correcting this in 2012 by participating in at least half a dozen yoga classes in order to gain a better understanding of it. I failed to do so but have made it a goal in 2013.

16. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

This goal was recommended by a handful of readers in 2012, so I thought that it was worth investing five minutes a day in order to see if meditation could make a difference in my life.  I don’t know if it has actually helped my life in any tangible way, but I have gotten quite good at clearing my mind for 5-10 minutes at a time and plan on continuing this in 2013.

17. De-clutter the garage.

I own a two-car garage that is essentially being used to store unused furniture. This will end in 2013.

18. De-clutter the basement.

The addition of Charlie to our family, as well as my wife’s temporary departure from teaching, has caused the basement to fall into a state of disorganization. This will end in 2013.

19. De-clutter the shed

There is a shed at the rear of our property that I have yet to clean or organize since moving into the house. It is full of gardening paraphernalia from the previous owner. This will end in 2013.

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

I drink a lot of Diet Coke. It concerns my wife. In 2013 I plan on cutting my soda consumption in half. In order to do so, I must first determine how much soda I drink on a given day. I will keep a record of my soda consumption for a month in order to determine the average amount of soda I drink in a day and will then seek to reduce that number by 50 percent.  

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

I successfully completed this goal in 2012 and feel that it’s worthy of repeating.

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

After unsuccessfully attempting to be cast for The Amazing Race years ago, I decided to plan, organize and run my own Amazing Race as a means of convincing producers that I was destined to be on the show. My first Amazing Race went off well, and I soon stopped caring about being on the show and instead wanted to run more races of my own. Thus the A-Mattzing Race (so named by a friend) was born. The last race took place in September of 2008, and while all good things must come to an end, I am not ready to allow this part of my life to come to a close yet.

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

Resolution update: 2012 in review

The following is the December update and end-of-year review of my 2011 New Year’s resolutions.

I am currently in the process of deciding upon my 2013 goals and will post them later in the day.

Of my twenty New Years resolutions established at the beginning of 2012, only six were successfully completed. This has been my least successful year in the seven years I have establishing goals and posting them to my blog. 

Of the goals achieved, I am most proud of my Moth performances and next week’s opening of The Clowns. Both of these achievements were unfathomable just two years ago.  

Of the goals I failed to complete in 2012, the failure to complete my fifth novel looms large.  It impacted completion of many other goals and hangs like an albatross around my neck.     

The success or failure of each individual resolution is as follows: 

1. Don’t die.

2. Lose ten pounds.

My weight is exactly the same as it was on the first day of the year.

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

I end the year with a broken flute and not a single hour of practice.

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

Still not complete. My greatest failure of the year, and the cause of many other failures.

6. Complete my sixth novel.

Though I wrote parts of my sixth (and seventh novel), neither is even close to completion.  

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

Three children’s books are in various states of completion, and an editor is interested in looking at them, but until I finish my fifth novel, all other writing projects were put on hold, preventing pursuit of this goal.

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

See above.

9. Complete three chapters of my memoir.

Parts of three chapters have been written in preparation for stories that I have told at Moth StorySLAMs in 2012, but nothing formal or comprehensive has been written yet.  

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

A total of ten posts were written for 2012.

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

One class was completed in the fall of 2012. The second class is not available until 2013.

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

Many pieces were written. Few were submitted. None were accepted. The failure to complete the fifth novel made this goal exceedingly difficult to achieve.

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

I attended a total eight Moth events in 2012, exceeding my goal. Seven StorySLAM’s and one GrandSLAM.

I won two StorySLAMs, placed second in three other StorySLAMs, placed second in the GrandSLAM, and was not called to the stage for one StorySLAM.

In terms of goals achieved in 2012, this is by far my proudest. I told my first Moth story in July of 2011, and since then, I have taken the stage for a total of eight StorySLAMs and two GrandSLAMs. I won three of the StorySLAMs, took second place three others, and placed second in this year’s  GrandSLAM.

The Moth has become an important part of my life in a relatively short time.

14. Complete the necessary revisions of our rock opera (The Clowns) so that it can be staged as a full production in 2013.

The Clowns opens on Friday for a weekend run. Are you coming?

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

Incremental progress was made throughout 2012.

16. Give yoga an honest try.

This did not happen, despite the efforts of friends to help.  

17. Meditate for at least five minutes every day.

This has been my most surprising achievement of 2012. Not only do I spend every morning meditating, but recently, I was able to enter a state of meditation in a room full of people. For at least a couple minutes and maybe more, I managed to eliminate all distraction and empty my mind. I had been trying to do this for much of 2012, and though I only managed it once, I was thrilled.

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

I tried at least twelve new dishes in 2012 and found at least a few that are palatable.  

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

This goal went uncompleted as a result of my failure to complete my novel.

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

Considering that I forgot to post results for the last two months, I can hardly consider even this to be a success.