Resolution update: January 2015

PERSONAL HEALTH

1. Don’t die.

Done! So far…

2. Lose 20 pounds.

I have gained two pounds in 2015, which means I need to lose 22 pounds in 2015. Well done, Matt.  

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

Done. I added a plank every morning as well.

4. Stop drinking soda from two-liter bottles.

I drank soda from two-liter bottles on two occasions in January:

1. My wife’s not-a-surprise party (thanks to a friend’s stupidity)
2. A bottle purchased for my mother-in-law and left in the refrigerator

The results of this goal have already been extraordinary. First, I’m drinking an enormous amount of water in place of the soda. Also, I’m finding myself drinking less soda at work and in other locations as well.

My soda intake has already been cut at least in half.  

5. Practice yoga at least five days a week.

My shoulder injury is healed enough to resume yoga, though I may need a refresher course from my instructor. It’s been five weeks since I last practiced, and I can barely remember the routine. But I have a yoga mat now. That’s something.

6. Learn to cook three good meals for my wife.

No progress

WRITING CAREER

7. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2015.

The book remains about half finished. I’m polishing a memoir before I return to it.

8. Complete my seventh novel.

The book remains about half finished as well.

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

I have three written and ready to go. I had two new ideas that I liked a lot heading into 2015, and this month, I added a third that Elysha likes best of all. I’ll be working on them in 2015. We will submit a book to editors at some point soon.

10. Sell a memoir to a publisher.

The memoir is written and is being polished now.

11. Sell a book of essays to a publisher.

The book is in the hands of editors now. We should know if it will sell sometime next month. You can keep your fingers crossed for me.

12. Complete a book proposal for a book on storytelling.

The outline of the book is nearly complete. I’ll need to write some sample chapters and do all the other tedious jobs that go into developing a proposal, but progress is being made, and I’m excited.

13. Write a new screenplay.

I’m still revising my first screenplay based upon film agent’s notes. To be honest, I’m stuck on the solution to a problem in the story.

No progress on the new one.  

14. Write 50 pages of a new memoir about the years of 1991-1993.

I have 25 badly written pages for this memoir that must be transformed into 50 good pages in 2015. No progress yet.

15. Write a musical for a summer camp

I’ve written about 5,000 words so far and deleted about 4,700. I haven’t been able to lock in tone or voice yet. My partner has written three songs, so as usual, he is waiting on me. 

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

I published a piece in the Huffington Post this week. This, however, is not a physical paper.

17. Submit one or more short stories to at least three publishing outlets.

No progress.

18. Select three behaviors that I am opposed to and adopt them for one week, then write about my experiences on the blog.

I have created a list of ideas for this resolution now.

My first idea: Backing into a parking spot. I rightfully assume that anyone backing into a parking spot is a lunatic of the highest order. I shall spend a week backing into parking spots and see what wisdom I can glean.

I have not begun this experiment yet.

19. Build an author mailing list.

Major progress made! I actually went to the MailChimp website, learned how to manage my subscriptions and send email, and sent my first author email to my list of about 900 people. I’d been gathering email addresses for more than two years and had never done anything with them, so the first step was to invite anyone who didn’t  want to be on my list to unsubscribe. Between unsubscribers and dead email addresses, I lost about 200 people

My list is now lean, mean, and ready for next month’s email.

Now I must find ways to increase subscribers and provide compelling content to keep them engaged.    

20. Build a new website for matthewdicks.com

I paid a consultant to discuss the redesign of my website and other aspects of my author platform, and it went well. While I would love to continue to manage my website through WordPress, I’m leaning toward migrating things over to SquareSpace, which has a considerably lower learning curve. But I’m hemming and hawing on this. Any thoughts?

STORYTELLING

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

No shows produced in January. We have two shows scheduled in February and recently formalized a partnership with the Connecticut Historical Society that will bring two shows to their venue in 2015.

22. Deliver my fourth TED Talk.

I will be delivering a TED Talk at Boston University in April.

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23. Build a website for Speak Up.

Same hemming and hawing about my author website has held this up as well.

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

I attended a Moth StorySLAM at Housing Works in NYC in January. 

25. Win at least two Moth StorySLAMs.

I came in third in the most recent Moth StorySLAM after having my name drawn first from the hat. First sucks. I have won from first position once in my life, but that was in Boston, so it doesn’t really count. I’ve never seen anyone else win from first position, though I have heard that it has happened before.

I don’t believe it.   

26. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I compete in my first GrandSLAM of 2015 next month.

27. Launch at least one podcast.

We have decided to cross over to the dark side and purchase an Apple computer in order to make this process as simple as possible (and make the recording of Speak Up shows easier as well). We await the arrival of this machine. My website redesign must also be completed in order for this to begin.  

NEW PROJECTS

28. Pitch at least three new projects to five smart people.

I pitches one of my projects to one person in January, who had some great suggestions for me to move forward.

29. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

MISCELLANEOUS

30. Enroll in the final class needed for certification as a high school English teacher.

No progress. 

31. Set a new personal best in golf.

Two feet of snow is hindering the pursuit of this goal. It is not stopping my friend from sending me photos from the golf course in Florida.

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

Done

A New Year’s resolution for all experienced parents: Silence the small, sad and stupid. Allow expecting parents to be expectant.

Now that I’ve posted my New Year’s resolutions for 2015, I have a  New Year’s resolution suggestion for all parents:

Spend the next year (or even better, the rest of your life) telling expecting and first time parents that children are joyous miracles, and that being a parent is a remarkable and rewarding journey. Pour forth positivity. Tell stories about your children’s unadulterated adorableness and all the ways that they have made your life better. Glorious, even.

Have no fear about portraying parenthood through rose colored glasses. There are more than enough dumb ass parents in the world who are hell- bent on spreading doom and gloom to expecting and newly-minted parents. For every positive remark that you extend to an expecting parent, I promise that there will be a dozen or more nattering nabobs of negativity whining about the cost of diapers, the loss of sleep, and their inability to go out to the movies anymore.

It’s impossible to shut these people up. I have tried.

Instead, I spend my time attempting to balance the world by assuring pregnant mothers and expecting fathers that these whining, complaining, unhappy parents are small, sad, stupid people who cannot find joy in their own lives and choose to spread misery wherever they can. I assure these soon-to-be parents that they are about to embark upon an amazing journey, and the cost of diapers is nothing compared to the happiness that they are about to experience.

Make 2015 the year you bring some balance back to the world. Counter every parental whine and complaint with a story of happiness and joy. Follow every ridiculous warning with an expectation of elation.

Expecting parents should be exactly that: Expecting. Not dreading.

Make this your 2015 resolution.

New Year's resolutions: 2015

The following are my New Years resolutions for 2015.

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For the first time, I have placed my resolutions in categories to help me keep them in order in my mind. I’ve also sought reasonability in my resolutions this year, since there are more than ever before.  

As always, I reserve the right to alter the list for up to one week after posting. Suggestions are still welcome.

PERSONAL HEALTH

1. Don’t die.

Recommended by a friend a couple years ago. Still valid today and deserving of the first spot on the list.

2. Lose 20 pounds.

Since my first weight goal in 2010, I have lost a total of 48 pounds. Another 20 is ambitious, but it would get me down to my high school weight, and I’m willing to try to make that happen.

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

I’ve accomplished this goal for three years in a row, but it’s not exactly automatic, so it remains on the list.

4. Stop drinking soda from two-liter bottles.

My plan is to reduce my intake of Diet Coke. My original plan was to eliminate all soda consumption in the home, but this would cause problems when I bring a cup of soda home from McDonald’s or on the rare occasions that my wife brightens my day with one. Eliminating the two liter bottle will reduce my soda consumption considerably but still allow for the occasional soda brought in from a restaurant or 7-11. 

It will also save me approximately $500 per year in soda costs.

I plan to add a glass of orange juice to my mornings as well, to replace the Diet Coke that I normally start my day by drinking. 

5. Practice yoga at least five days a week.

I’m currently not practicing yoga because of an unrelated shoulder injury, but as soon as I get approval from my physical therapist, I will resume.

6. Learn to cook three good meals for my wife.

The only meal that I am capable of cooking for Elysha at this time is macaroni and cheese and hot dogs, which is amazing but not very impressive. I want to be able to cook three meals for her that she loves by the end of the year.

WRITING CAREER

7. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2015.

The book is about half finished, and I like it a lot. It shouldn’t be hard to finish it by the end of this coming summer.

8. Complete my seventh novel.

This unconventional novel is nearly finished but requires a great deal of polish and assembly. I may be able to finish it by the end of the summer as well.

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

I have three written and ready to go. We will pitch soon. I have two new ideas that I like a lot, so I will work on them in 2015 as well. 

10. Sell a memoir to a publisher.

The memoir is written and is being polished now.

11. Sell a book of essays to a publisher.

The book is written and will go to editors in January.

12. Complete a book proposal for a book on storytelling.

I’m in the process of writing a book on storytelling, modeled a bit after Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part how-to. I think I have some important and helpful things to say about the art of storytelling, and I’m excited about this book.

13. Write a new screenplay.

I wrote my first screenplay last year. I am revising it now based upon film agent’s notes. I plan to write another in 2015. 

14. Write 50 pages of a new memoir about the years of 1991-1993.

I have 25 badly written pages for this memoir that must be transformed into 50 good pages in 2015.

15. Write a musical for a summer camp

Camp begins in July. My partner and I broke the story this week. Now all I have to do is write the whole damn thing.

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

My real goal is to land another column in a magazine, newspaper, or online publication this year, but I’m keeping this goal more reasonable.

17. Submit one or more short stories to at least three publishing outlets.

I could’ve been more ambitious and make it a goal to get one of these short stories published, but I’ve decided to recognize the effort as significant enough with this goal, particularly because I don’t know how good these short stories are.

18. Select three behaviors that I am opposed to and adopt them for one week, then write about my experiences on the blog.

A suggestion by a reader that appealed to me.

My first idea: Backing into a parking spot. I rightfully assume that anyone backing into a parking spot is a lunatic of the highest order. I shall spend a week backing into parking spots and see what wisdom I can glean.

Others (I have lots of ideas) will follow. 

19. Build an author mailing list.

This is apparently a big deal. Email drives sales. Builds my author platform. All the experts agree. And we sell out every Speak Up event on the strength of our mailing list alone, so I guess I’ll do it.

20. Build a new website for matthewdicks.com

This is a much needed reboot of my website. My current website was designed by a professional, which means it was excellent at the time but I can’t do a thing with it. If I build this one myself, I’ll be able to update and change at will.

STORYTELLING

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

We produced eight shows in 2014, so this is a conservative total, especially given that we will have produced four by April, but I would be happy with eight and ecstatic if there were more.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I’ve had some bad luck in terms of TED Talks over the past two years.

I did a TED Talk at the AT&T Conference Center in 2013 that went extremely well, but technical difficulties made the audio on the recording almost indiscernible.

I did a TED Talk at Western Connecticut State University in 2013 that went flawlessly, but the college students who hosted the conference never posted the recording online.

I did a TED Talk in April of 2014 in Somerville, Massachusetts that also went well, but my 15 minute talk was accidentally put on a nine minute timer, which forced me to dump sections of my talk on the fly and speak faster than I would’ve liked. The talk was good, but it was not exactly what I had planned. There was room for improvement.

Let 2015 be the year that I am able to deliver an outstanding TED Talk with zero technical difficulties.

23. Build a website for Speak Up.

Elysha and I have been slow to build a website, simply because we have sold out every show. But as outside venues reach out to us and the media makes inquiries, a website has become a necessity.

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

I attended 15 Moth events in 2013, so this number is more than reasonable.

25. Win at least two Moth StorySLAMs.

I won one slam in 2011.

I won two slams in 2012.

I won seven slams in 2013.

I won five slams in 2o14.

Winning two slams in 2015 is a reasonable goal.

26. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I won my first GrandSLAM in 2013 after eight tries and six second place finishes. I’ll probably be competing in three or four GrandSLAMs in 2015, so this goal isn’t completely unreasonable.

27. Launch at least one podcast.

This was a 2012 and 2013 goal that I have yet to complete.

NEW PROJECTS

28. Pitch at least three new projects to five smart people.

I have many ideas and not as much time as I would like. In 2015, I would like to move some of these ideas forward by partnering with smart people who are willing to do at least half of the work required to make these things a reality. Basically, I want to work with smart, motivated people. I seem to have a bounty of these kinds of people in my life. I will begin reaching out.

29. 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.

MISCELLANEOUS

30. Enroll in the final class needed for certification as a high school English teacher. 

31. 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 2015.

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

Resolution update: 2014 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 through the end of 2014.

In 2014, I managed to completed 15 out of the 25 goals that I set for myself back in January for a 60% completion rate. This is actually fairly good in comparison to previous years.

In the four years that I have been charting my goals, my completion rates have been 60% (2013), 30% (2012), 62% (2011) and 44% (2010).

In examining my successes and failures, I’ve noted the following:

• I had four goals related to storytelling and public speaking, and I managed to complete them all.
• I had seven goals related to writing and completed four of them. I failed to complete the two novels that I wanted to finish in 2014, as well as the children’s books that I had hoped to sell, primarily because of a book that required more revision than I had anticipated. A great deal of progress was made, however, on those three failed goals.
• I had four goals related to personal health and completed three of them, falling five pounds short of my weight-related goal.
• I completed both of my organizational goals of the New Year.

My biggest disappointment of 2014 was the goal related to podcasting. I looked forward to launching a podcast all year and allowed technical challenges to stand in my way. I should’ve been podcasting two years ago.

There were three goals that I did not continue to actively pursue in 2014. My desire to become certified as a high school teacher waned as I realized all that I would be giving up to leave the position I currently hold.

I also made no real attempt to run another A-Mattzing Race in 2014. Though I’ve loved running them in the past, there was simply no time for  race in 2014. I launched a summer writing academy instead and am happy with the tradeoff.

I also made no attempt to write any short stories in 2014. I wrote two short stories in 2013, but both were written upon waves of inspiration (and in one case, a bet). When short stories became an expectation rather than a surprise in 2014, the desire waned considerably.

Here are the final results from 2013:
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1. Don’t die.

Most important goal accomplished.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I was down eight pounds at one point, but as I end the year, I am down just five pounds. Weight goals are hard given the food that is eaten in the holidays. You almost need a buffer going into December to avoid the holiday bounce.

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

Done.

4. Launch at least one new podcast.

My goal was to launch a second podcast in addition to the first, which never got off the ground. Almost all of the problems with this are related to my website, which is badly in need of an update. My intention was to rebuild the entire website myself, so I could make changes and updates in the future without relying on someone else, and I still intend to do that. 

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2014.

This book is more than halfway finished. My primary stumbling block was my fifth novel, which I revised throughout much of 2014. I thought this book would be finished by February, but when work on it continued, the other writing projects suffered.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

This book is more than halfway finished. Same problems as above.

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

My agent and I swapped by three manuscripts back and forth throughout 2014. They are currently back in my hands and nearly ready to return to her. She will pitch them in early 2015, and with some luck, an editor will like one or more of them enough to make an offer.    

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of 30-40 of my Moth stories is complete. The process of sending the book to editors for their consideration has begun.

A memoir comprising a season of golf is also complete. My agent and I are in the process of preparing the manuscript for sale.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

Work also began on a new book which will be part memoir and part instructive.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

I scheduled this for December 27, but because of the holidays, I was unable to get enough people to attend to make it happen. I have lots of interest but waited until the last minute and chose a date that didn’t work with most. I plan to reschedule for early 2015. 

10. Write a screenplay.

Done! Back in my hands with notes from my film agent. She likes it. I’m thrilled.

11. Write at least three short stories.

I failed to write a single short story in 2014. After writing two short stories in 2013, I thought that three was a reasonable goal. 

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

My agent has spoken. Not only does poetry not earn any money, but she doesn’t think my poetry is worth my time in terms of time and money. She encouraged me to send some of my better poems to journals and contests, which I may do at some point. Many of my poems are autobiographical, and it turns out that at least a few will make excellent Moth stories.

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

I remain one class and $50 away from completion. I’m also a lot less certain about wanting to teach English at the high school level. I kind of love my job as it stands. Why change?

That said, having the additional certification would be great in terms of future endeavors.

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

Done! In October I published an Op-Ed in the Hartford Courant about communicating with students in the digital world.

My third column in Seasons magazine also published in December.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

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

I competed in a Moth StorySLAM in New York on December 29 at The Bitter End and won. 

This brings my total number of events for the year to 17.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Done!   

17. Give yoga an honest try.

I took my first yoga lesson in November and practiced for about three weeks before a shoulder injury forced me to stop. I’m beginning physical therapy on the shoulder next week and then will return to my morning yoga ritual.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Done!

19. De-clutter the shed

Done! I dislodged a mouse family, filled the back of my truck with junk, and now I have an empty, organized shed.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

Didn’t even come close to making this happen.

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

Done! We produced a total of eight shows in 2014.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played golf last week. Not well. I finished the year tying my personal best for nine holes but failing to beat it.

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

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

New Year’s resolutions work. Goal setting can change your life. Maybe not for losers, but you are not a loser. Don’t let the pundits tell you otherwise.

As the New Year approaches, you will undoubted see and read many articles on why New Year’s resolutions never work and are best avoided.

It’s a trope that media outlets love to roll out at the end of December. 

It’s 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 to meet their goals..

Since 2010, I have been posting my New Years resolutions on my blog and charting my progress month by month. While my New Year’s resolution success rate over the past five years stands at just over 60 percent, my life has changed immensely thanks to my yearly goal setting and 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. Doing this creates an 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.
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I 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, and it will likely provide me with a longer, healthier life.
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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. My colleagues think I’ve crazy for eating the same thing almost every day, but as a result, my cholesterol has remained within the guidelines that my doctor set for me, and while so many of my friends are on medication to control their cholesterol, I am not.
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In 2011, after two years of saying that I would do it, 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 competed in 28 Moth StorySLAMs, winning 15 of them, and have performed for Moth Mainstage audiences as large as 1,500 people. I’ve been featured three times 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, and it happened because I wrote that goal down in January of that year.

Since then, I’ve also performed at a number of other storytelling shows in New York, Boston and Hartford, and I’ve spoken at three TED conferences. I’ll be speaking at another TEDx conference in April at Boston University.

In 2013, my wife and I co-founded Speak Up, our own storytelling organization. We produced three shows in 2013 and eight in 2014. We’ve established partnerships with additional venues and local schools, and we conduct ongoing workshops for 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.
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This year, I included “Write a screenplay” on my list of resolutions. It’s something I have wanted to do since 1993, but it wasn’t until I actually added this goal to my list of resolution that it got done. Sometimes just the act of writing something down is enough to make you do it.

And I spoke to my film agent last week and she believes that the screenplay has great promise. Best of all, it turns out that I can write movies and love doing so. Even if I never sell a screenplay, I’ve uncovered a new outlet for my creativity that I may have never tried had I not resolved to do so this year.
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This year, I also included, “Find a way to keep Elysha home for one more year with the kids” on my list of resolutions.  Honestly, I didn’t know how we would ever be able to manage living on one income for another year after surviving on one income for almost five years now. I didn’t think it possible. But as soon as I wrote the goal down, my mindset instantly shifted from “Can I make this happen?” to “How am I going to make happen?” Writing down the goal  and acknowledging its importance made the decision automatic for me.

Figuring out the “How?” hasn’t always been easy, but the kids would never know it, and that’s what matters most.   

Don’t let anyone fool you. New Year’s resolutions (and goal setting in general) can change your life, for the upcoming year and sometimes forever, if you actually apply yourself and monitor your progress carefully.  

My advice:

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

Outsourcing and crowdsourcing my New Year’s resolutions: Any suggestions for me?

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I take my goal setting and New Year’s resolutions very seriously. Since 2010, I’ve posted my resolutions on my blog, and at the end of every month, I post my progress or lack thereof.

Two years ago, I came upon a piece in the Wall Street Journal on New Year’s resolutions that suggests that outsourcing your resolutions may improve your ability to achieve them.

Most of us could use help achieving our goals. Who better to tell us how to improve ourselves than someone who knows us well—perhaps better than we know ourselves—and even may be all too happy to offer up some tough love? And if we promise to check in regularly with this person to discuss our progress, we’ll probably do a much better job of keeping our resolutions.

“We all have blind spots, but the people we are intimate with can see through them,” says David Palmiter, a couples therapist and professor of psychology at Marywood University, in Scranton, Pa. A loved one can encourage us to meet our goals and hold us accountable when we slip, he says.

I had always asked a select group of friends to suggest goals for my upcoming year, but after reading this piece, I thought it might be a good idea to open up my goal selection process to anyone who might want to participate. I’ve been doing this for the past two years.

So if you’d like to suggest a goal for me in 2015, I would love to hear your ideas. Please note that this does not guarantee that I will adopt every suggested goal, but I will seriously consider all that are submitted.

Also note that all goals must be empirically measurable, so a goal like “Be less of a jerk-face” cannot be included in my list of resolutions (even if it’s a valid suggestion) because there is no way for me to determine if the goal was met.

But you’re welcome to tell me to stop being a jerk-face at any time if you’d like.

Not need to wait until the end of the year to make that request.

Submit your suggestions by commenting on this post or emailing me at matthewdicks@gmail.com.

Resolution update: November 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

With one month to go, it’s looking like I will complete 15 of my 25 goals for sure, with an outside chance of completing as many as 5 more.

1. Don’t die.

Alive enough to write these words, though I nearly rear ended someone last night on the way to the GrandSLAM in Brooklyn. It was only Elysha’s scream that caused me to apply my brakes.

Actually, even if we had hit, we wouldn’t have died. Low speed, airbags, and seat belts would’ve saved us. 

2. Lose ten pounds.

Up two pounds since October, which means I’d have to lose five pounds in December to achieve this goal. Difficult but doable.

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: The redesign of my website continues, which will allow me to actually post future podcasts.

I’ve also secured a commitment from a cohost for that second podcast.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2014.

Work on this book continues. It will not be finished in 2014.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Work continues. It will also not be finished in 2014.

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

Three manuscripts are back in the hands of my agent after further revisions. A sale in 2014 is unlikely.

I also had an excellent idea for a new book that is underway.   

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of 30-40 of my Moth stories is complete. The process of sending the book to editors for their consideration has begun.

A memoir comprising a season of golf is also complete. My agent and I are in the process of preparing the manuscript for sale.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

Work also began on a new book which will be part memoir and part how-to.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Scheduled for December 27. Just under the wire. If I can get enough friends to commit. 

10. Write a screenplay.

Done! In the hands of my film agent. I anxiously await her thoughts on the piece.

11. Write at least three short stories.

Nothing. What was I thinking?  

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

My agent has spoken. Not only does poetry not earn any money, but she doesn’t think my poetry is worth my time in terms of time and money. She encouraged me to send some of my better poems to journals and contests, which I may do at some point.

Many of my poems are autobiographical, and it turns out that at least a few will make excellent Moth stories.

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion.

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

Done! In October I published an Op-Ed in the Hartford Courant about communicating with students in the digital world.

My third column in Seasons magazine also publishes this month.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

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

I attended a Moth StorySLAM in New York on November 11 at Housing Works and was not called to the stage. 

I attended a GrandSLAM in Brooklyn on November 30.

This brings my total number of events for the year to 16.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Done! I’m fresh off a victory in last night’s GrandSLAM in Williamsburg.  

17. Give yoga an honest try.

I took my first yoga lesson in November and have been practicing for more than two weeks. I don’t exactly love it, but I’m starting to notice an increase in flexibility, which is huge for me.

18. De-clutter the basement.

My hope is to take a day during my December vacation and finish this off.

19. De-clutter the shed

Done! I dislodged a mouse family, filled the back of my truck with junk, and now I have an empty, organized shed.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

Not going to happen in 2014, much to several of my friend’s dismay.  

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

Done! We produced a sold out show at The Mount in Lenox, MA last month, bringing our total number of shows to seven. We have one more show planned for this year on December 6 at Real Art Ways

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played golf once in November. I actually played well but was two strokes off my personal best.

With snow on the ground, my window for realizing this goal might be closed.

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

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

Done.

Resolution update: October 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof). With two months to go, it’s looking like I will complete 15 of my 25 goals for sure, with an outside chance of completing as many as 5 more.

1. Don’t die.

Still kicking.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Stuck on seven down and three to go.

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: The redesign of my website has begun, which will allow me to actually post future podcasts.

I’ve also secured a commitment from a cohost for that second podcast.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2014.

Work on this book began last month and continues.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Work continues.

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

Three manuscripts remain in the hands of my agent. She is deciding upon which one to forward to editors and will do so in November.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of 30-40 of my Moth stories is complete. The process of sending the book to editors has begun.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

Work also began on a new book which is part memoir and part how-to.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet, but I’m hoping to schedule something over Christmas break.

10. Write a screenplay.

Done! In the hands of my agent.

11. Write at least three short stories.

Nothing. I still hate this goal.

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

My agent has spoken. Not only does poetry not earn any money, but she doesn’t think my poetry is worth my time in terms of time and money. She encouraged me to send some of my better poems to journals and contests, which I may do at some point.

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion.

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

Done! Last Sunday I published an Op-Ed in the Hartford Courant about communicating with students in the digital world.

My second column in Seasons magazine also published this month.

I still await word from a major online magazine about a pitch that I made in August.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

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

I attended a Moth StorySLAM in New York on October 8 at The Bell House in Brooklyn and finished in first place. It brings my total number of events for the year to 14.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I have competed in five GrandSLAMs in 2014 in New York City and Boston, finishing second three times. When I didn’t finish in second place, I was  forced to tell my story from first position (the kiss of death).

It’s all terribly annoying.

I have another GrandSLAM in New York in November, and that may be my last chance at a championship for 2014.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

My friend, who is a yoga guru, has agreed to give me a lesson. I will schedule that this month.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Progress continues at a constant, slightly less than glacial, pace.

19. De-clutter the shed

Done! I dislodged a mouse family, filled the back of my truck with junk, and now I have an empty, organized shed.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

No progress.

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

Done! We produced a sold out show at The Mount in Lenox, MA last month, bringing our total number of shows to seven. We have one more show planned for this year on December 6 at Real Art Ways

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

Nothing close to a personal best last month, and I missed two golfing opportunities because of Patriots games. The season is sadly drawing to a close.

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

We still don’t know how we will afford this, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son.

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

Done.

Resolution update: September 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

Still kicking.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Seven down and three to go.   

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: I have selected an online service to redesign my website,  which would allow me to post podcast online, which will allow me to actually make my podcast.

I’ve also secured a commitment from a cohost for that second podcast.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2014.

Work on this book finally recommenced this month.  

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Work continues.  

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

Three manuscripts remain in the hands of my agent. I await word on their fate. Work began on a fourth.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of the about three dozen of my Moth stories is complete. It will be sent to editors for their consideration later this month.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I’m also writing another memoir about this current season of golf. Since I haven’t played enough golf this summer, I plan to stretch it so that it encompasses the entire year rather than just the summer.  

Work also began on a new book which is part memoir and part how-to.

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.   

10. Write a screenplay.

Done! In the hands of my agent.

11. Write at least three short stories.

Nothing. I still hate this goal.

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

My agent has spoken. Not only does poetry not earn any money, but she doesn’t think my poetry is worth my time in terms of time and money. She encouraged me to send some of my better poems to journals and contests, which I may do at some point.

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion. My wife is actively looking for a place online where I can complete this relatively obscure requirement.

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

My second column in Seasons magazine publishes this month.

I still await word from a major online magazine about a pitch that I made last month.   

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

None of these are Op-Eds in a physical paper. Please ignore that fact in the event I need to use these publishing credits in order to claim that I have completed my goal.

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

I attended a Moth StorySLAM in New York in September but was not called to the stage. It brings my total number of events for the year to 13.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I have competed in five GrandSLAMs in 2014 in New York City and Boston, finishing second three times. When I didn’t finish in second place, I was  forced to tell my story from first position (the kiss of death).

It’s all terribly annoying.  

I have another GrandSLAM in New York in November, and that may be my last chance at a championship for 2014.   

17. Give yoga an honest try.

My friend, who is a yoga guru, has agreed to give me a lesson.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Progress continues at a constant, slightly less than glacial, pace.

19. De-clutter the shed

Done! I dislodged a mouse family, filled the back of my truck with junk, and now I have an empty, organized shed.  

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

No progress.

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

Done! Our September show (one of our best ever) was our sixth of the year, and we have additional shows planned for October at The Mount in Lennox, MA and December at Real Art Ways

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at two other TED conferences in the fall and am still awaiting word on my pitches.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

Nothing close to a personal best last month. But I beat my friend, Jeff, for only the third time in my life, which was great.

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

We still don’t know how we will afford this, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son.

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

Done.

Resolution update: August 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

There’s a good chance that we all exist in a computer simulation, and if so, we are not actually alive. But if that’s not the case, I’m still going strong.

2. Lose ten pounds.

Still six down and four to go.   

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: I have completed the redesign of my website, which would allow me to post podcast online. By “completed the redesign,” I mean that I have finished sketching the architecture on paper. Now I have to actually do the work, which I only kind of know how to do.

I’ve also begun saving segment topics for both Author Out Loud and my unnamed podcast.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer 2014.

So much of the summer was consumed with completing the revisions of my next novel that I was unable to apply myself to the next book. It remains more than half finished, and I have adjusted my timeline to extend until the end of 2014. 

6. Complete my seventh novel.

A great deal of progress was made on this book in August, mostly because of the non-traditional way that it’s being written. It’s still possible that I’ll finish my seventh novel before I finish my sixth, which obviously makes no sense. 

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

Three manuscripts are in the hands of my agent. I await word on their fate.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of the about three dozen of my Moth stories is complete. It will be sent to editors for their consideration soon.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I’m also writing another memoir about this current season of golf. Since I haven’t played enough golf this summer, I plan to stretch it so that it encompasses the entire year rather than just the summer.  

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.   

10. Write a screenplay.

Nearly complete. And I have my idea for the next screenplay, too.    

11. Write at least three short stories.

Nothing. I still hate this goal.

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

My agent has spoken. Not only does poetry in general not earn any money, but she doesn’t think my poetry is worth my time in terms of time and money. She encouraged me to send some of my better poems to journals and contests, which I may do at some point.

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion. My wife is actively looking for a place online where I can complete this relatively obscure requirement.

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

My first column in Seasons magazine published in June. My next column publishes in September.

I also pitched a column idea to a major online magazine that is seriously being considered.  

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

None of these are Op-Eds in a physical paper. Please ignore that fact in the event I need to use these publishing credits in order to claim that I have completed my goal.

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

I competed in a Moth GrandSLAM and a StorySLAM, both in Boston, bringing the total number of Moth events to 12 and exceeding this goal. I won the StorySLAM and placed second in the GrandSLAM.

I have plans to attend another Moth StorySLAM in New York in September.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I competed in the aforementioned GrandSLAM in August and placed second. I have completed in eight GrandSLAMs in the past three years and placed second six times.

It’s annoying.  

I have another GrandSLAM in New York in November, and that may be my last chance at a championship for 2014.   

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Progress continues at a constant, albeit glacial, pace.

19. De-clutter the shed

Done! I dislodged a mouse family, filled the back of my truck with junk, and now I have an empty, organized shed.  

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

No progress.

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

Our total stands at five after our July show with additional shows planned for September and December at Real Art Ways and October at The Mount in Lennox, MA.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at two other TED conferences in the fall and am still awaiting word on my pitches.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I shot a 42 last week, but that was at an executive course (par 32). Not a personal best, and I don’t feel like setting my personal best at an executive course would be a real victory anyway.  

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

We still don’t know how we will afford this, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son.

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

Done.

Resolution update: July 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

Done. 

2. Lose ten pounds.

Six down and four to go.   

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: I found a much easier way to podcast that eliminates the need for much of the equipment and a producer. I would really like to start this month if I can get this website ready to receive.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer.

Some progress. It’s more than half finished.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Progress continues on this one as well. It’s possible that I’ll finish my seventh novel before I finish my sixth, which makes no sense. 

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

Work continues on five manuscripts now. My writing camp generated many new ideas. Quite a few are good, I think. Sending at least one manuscript to my agent by the end of the month.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of the 35 or so of my Moth stories is complete. I await news of its sale.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I’m also writing another golf memoir about this season of golf. Since I haven’t played enough golf this summer, I may stretch it to encompass the entire year rather than just the summer.  

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.   

10. Write a screenplay.

More than half finished. Still going well. I met with my screenwriter’s group last week. They approve of my progress so far. I’m over-writing, but I knew I would. Better to have too much than too little.   

11. Write at least three short stories.

I am still nearly finished with one short story.

I still hate this goal.

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

Done! The collection is complete and in the hands of my literary agent. I still await her response. She probably hates it.   

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion. My wife is actively looking for a place online where I can complete this relatively obscure requirement.

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

My first column in Seasons magazine published this month.

I also pitched a column idea to a major online magazine that is seriously being considered.  

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

None of these are Op-Eds. Please ignore that fact in the event I need to use these publishing credits in order to claim that I have completed my goal.

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

I competed in a Moth GrandSLAM in Brooklyn last month, bringing my total number of Moth events to 10 and completing this goal.

I have plans for two more Moth events in August.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I competed in the aforementioned GrandSLAM in July. Unfortunately, I had to tell my story first, which made it impossible for me to win, even if I could have won. But given my record of second place finishes, I probably wouldn’t have won.  

I have another GrandSLAM this month in Boston, and that might be my last chance at a championship for 2014. There may be one more GrandSLAM in New York before the end of the year, and if so, I will be entered based upon my previous StorySLAM victories.

But my chances for winning are becoming limited.  

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress.

18. De-clutter the basement.

Small progress made.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

No progress.

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

Our total stands at five after our most recent July show with additional shows planned for September and December at Real Art Ways and October at The Mount in Lennox, MA.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at two other TED conferences in the fall and am still awaiting word on my pitches.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I shot a 47 last week, which was one off my personal best. I have made enormous improvements in my game this month despite only having a limited amount of time to play.

I have a chance at this goal in August.  

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

We still don’t know how we will afford this, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son.

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

Done.

Resolution update: June 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

Most important goal still looking good. 

2. Lose ten pounds.

Holding steady with three down and seven to go. With half of 2014 now in the books, this means I am failing this goal. 

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

Progress so far: I brought my Apple laptop home from work, though I’m starting to think that I may just use my PC instead.

I’m doing great. Huh?

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer.

Revisions on the next novel have continued to stall progress on the new one. It remains more than half finished.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Progress continues on this one as well. In fact, I may finish my seventh novel before I finish my sixth, which makes no sense. 

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

Work continues on The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of the 3o or so stories that I have told on stage for The Moth, Speak Up, The Mouth, The Story Collider and other storytelling organizations is complete. I await news of its sale.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I’m also secretly writing another golf memoir that is going better than expected. Last summer, I wrote one almost by accident, and I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done.

How could I not take another foolish stab at it again?

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.   

10. Write a screenplay.

More than 20 pages written. It’s going well, I hope. My film agent will eventually tell me. I also met with my screenwriter’s group in June. It was a productive meeting.  

11. Write at least three short stories.

I am still nearly finished with one short story. I hate this goal. What was I thinking?

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

Done! The collection is complete and in the hands of my literary agent. I await her response.  

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion. My wife is actively looking for a place online where I can complete this relatively obscure requirement.

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

My first column in Seasons magazine published this month.

I also pitched a column idea to a major online magazine that is seriously being considered.  

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

Neither of these are Op-Eds. Please ignore that fact in the event I need to use these in order to claim that I have completed my goal.

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

I competed (and won!) another Moth StorySLAM on the last day in June at The Bitter End in NYC, bringing my total number of Moth events in 2014 to nine. 

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I have a GrandSLAM scheduled in July in Brooklyn and August in Boston.

Based upon the previous 6 GrandSLAMs that I have competed in, this should mean to more second place finishes by the end of the summer.  

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress, though the co-writer of another book that I am attempting to write has offered to introduce me to this sport.

I also learned that competitive yoga exists. I’m thrilled.  

18. De-clutter the basement.

Small progress made.

19. De-clutter the shed

No progress, but it’s summer now. I really should be making progress on this goal.

20. Conduct the ninth No-Longer-Annual A-Mattzing Race in 2014.

No progress.

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

Our total stands at four with our next show scheduled for July 19 and shows planned in September and December at Real Art Ways and October at The Mount in Lennox, MA.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at two other conferences in the fall and am awaiting word on my pitches.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played more than a dozen rounds of golf this year, failing to break 50 every time. 

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

We still don’t know how we will afford this, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son.

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

Done.

Resolution update: May 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof).

1. Don’t die.

Didn’t even come close to dying in May.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I gained two more pounds in May, leaving me down three with seven to go.

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). Once we have that podcast running smoothly, we can think about adding a second podcast.

BUT… summer vacation is almost here.

5. Complete my sixth novel before the end of the summer.

Revisions on the next novel have continued to stall progress on the new one. It remains more than half finished.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

Progress continues on this one as well.

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

Work continues on The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised of the 3o or so stories that I have told on stage for The Moth, Speak Up, The Mouth, The Story Collider and other storytelling organizations is complete. I await news of its sale.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I haven’t decided whether I should write this entire book or a proposal for the book yet.

I’m also secretly writing another golf memoir that I do not expect to sell. Last summer, I wrote one almost by accident, and I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done. How could I not take another foolish stab at it again?

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

10. Write a screenplay.

Writing has commenced. I have also formed a screenwriters group, consisting of an actual screenwriter and a writer who wants to try his hand at screenwriting.

11. Write at least three short stories.

I am nearly finished with one short story and had an idea for a second last month.

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

Done! The collection is complete and in the hands of my literary agent.

Happily, I didn’t establish the goal of actually selling a collection of poetry, so if she hates it, it is irrelevant in terms of this goal.

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

Still one class and $50 away from completion.

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

My first column for Seasons magazine will publish in June.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe testers. You can read the April-May issue here.

image

Neither of these are Op-Eds. Please ignore that fact in the event I need to use these in order to claim that I have completed my goal.

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

I competed in a Moth StorySLAM in May at Housing Works in NYC. This brings the total number of events in 2014 to eight.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Two GrandSLAMs in 2014 and no victories. My next chance will be in July.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress, though the co-writer of another book that I am attempting to write has offered to introduce me to this… sport?

18. De-clutter the basement.

Small, insignificant progress made.

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.

With two events in May, our total now stands at four with our next show scheduled for July 19 and shows planned in September and November/December.

We have also been contacted by outside venues about the prospect of bringing Speak Up on the road. We are extremely excited about this possibility.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA. I will be posting video from that talk next week.

I have also been contacted about speaking at two other conferences in the fall.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played my four rounds of golf in May, failing to break 50.

I’m putting exceptionally well, though, and am threatening to become a person who can hit a driver, so perhaps hope is on the horizon.

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

We may still not know how this will actually happen, but we made the decision to keep Elysha at home for one more year with our son. I told her last Sunday. She was very excited.

I would be, too.

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

Done.

Resolution update: April 2014

In an effort to hold myself accountable, I post a list my New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of each month, along with their progress (or lack thereof). 1. Don’t die.

Unless none of us are alive and we’re all a part of a massive computer simulation (which I sometimes believe), I’m doing well.

2. Lose ten pounds.

I gained two pounds in April, leaving me down five with five to go.

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). 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 continued to stall progress on the new one. It remains more than half finished. I will set a new goal when revisions on next book are complete.

6. Complete my seventh novel.

My literary agent has read the partial manuscript of what would be my seventh and likes it a lot. She recommends that I proceed. Happy day!

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

Work continues on The Little Bad Wolf and two other manuscripts.

On a side note, I spent some time with successful children’s book author Bob Shea. Bob is the author of many, many children’s books, including a Clara favorite, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great. Bob and I chatted about the world of children’s books. He gave me some good advice that I hope to use moving forward.

8. Complete a book proposal for my memoir.

The proposal for a memoir comprised on the 3o or so stories that I have told on stage for The Moth, Speak Up, The Mouth, The Story Collider and other storytelling organizations is complete. My literary agent likes it and is moving forward with it. With any luck, I will have news of a sale at some point in the coming months.

Work also continues on a memoir that focuses 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.

It was a memorable two years.

I haven’t decided whether I should write this entire book or a proposal for the book yet.

I’m also secretly writing another golf memoir that I do not expect to sell. Last summer, I wrote one almost by accident, and I think it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done. How could I not take another foolish stab at it again?

9. Host at least one Shakespeare Circle.

Nothing scheduled yet.

10. Write a screenplay.

After a extremely positive conversation and flurry of emails with my film agent, I have begun work on my first screenplay. I’ve purchased and installed Final Draft, the professional screenwriting software, and as soon as I figure out how it works, I’ll begin writing.

I’m excited. Elysha and both my agents are excited, too, which is typically a good sign.

11. Write at least three short stories.

No progress.

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

The first draft of my poetry collection is complete and in the hands of some of my first readers. It is too long, and the poems will need to be reordered, but it feels great to have the actual draft in my hands.

I’ve contacted my literary agent about the book, and she is willing and ready to read once I am happy with it.

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.

My first column for Seasons magazine has been submitted and was accepted. I’m not certain of the publication date.

I also published a piece in The Cook’s Cook, a magazine for aspiring food writers and recipe tested. You can read the April-May issue here.

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

I performed in a Moth Main Stage in North Hampton, Massachusetts in early April, and I won a Moth StorySLAM at the end of April. This brings the total number of events in 2014 to seven.

16. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

Two GrandSLAMs in 2014 and no victories.

17. Give yoga an honest try.

No progress, though the co-writer of another book that I am attempting to write has offered to introduce me to this… sport?

18. De-clutter the basement.

Small, insignificant progress made.

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.

No events in April, leaving my yearly total at two. I will be doubling that number in May with events on May 17 and 31.

22. Deliver a TED Talk.

I delivered a TED Talk in March at Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville, MA.

I have also been contacted about speaking at another conference in the fall.

23. Set a new personal best in golf.

I played my first round of golf in April, shooting a 62 for 9 holes.

Needless to say, it did not go well.

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.

Done!

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:

____________________________________

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.

____________________________________

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.

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.

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.