2018 Goals, not Resolutions

"Knox Goals Notebook" by Jamie is licensed under CC by 2.0

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I fail them by the second week of January. So I have decided to start building positive habits NOW, independent of the New Year’s rush. It’s easy to say “I want X”, but without a plan, nothing will happen. However, with the end of the year coming up, I figured that a 2018 goals post would be appropriate.

There are two princples I am using in determining my goals:

MAKE PLANS

Not resolutions

EXECUTE PLANS ASAP

Don't hesitate!

Let’s break down each of those statements:

MAKE PLANS

It is easy to say “I want to lose some weight in 2018”. Before I go any further, please be aware that nothing I say is medical advice, check with your physician, etc etc.

Don’t simply say you want something! I want lots of things, yet without the will to do it, I won’t get what I want. How many of you reading this would freely give a significant portion of your time, talent, and/or treasure to give me what I want?

You might buy something from me if you think it is valuable, but that is not freely giving me anything. You are giving me something in hope of getting something back.

Instead, say “I am tracking my food and exercise every day” (there are free smartphone apps that do this for you) or “I am doing at least 10 push-ups / sit-ups every day” or “I am jogging around the block twice at 5:30 pm on Mondays and Thursday”. Make your plan specific. Set times if needed. If you miss a day, that is okay. Keep at it!

EXECUTE PLANS ASAP

It’s not the first of January yet. Don’t let that stop you. If you decide to make a change in your life, do it immediately. I have heard it said that best time to start something was yesterday and the second-best time is today. There is no third-best.

Driving home from work and you decide to start exercising? As soon as you get home, open the door, get on the floor, everyone walk the dinosaur.

er…

I mean…

Open the door, drop to the floor and do 10 pushups. Maybe throw in 20 sit-ups. It’s not much, but it is a start. Do it again the next day. And the next. Once you are comfortable with that, add some reps. Once you have pushed yourself to the limit that you can do alone, head to the gym and get a membership. Even if your plan starts small, do it! A mighty oak tree grows from a small acorn. It doesn’t magically appear overnight.

So what are my 2018 plans? After all, I should practice what I preach.

I) Writing

• Write every day, even if I don’t publish something every day. I scribbled the first draft of most of this post on my lunch break with my pencil in one hand and a protein shake in the other.
• Publish something on Steemit or WordPress at least once a week. I use Steemit mostly for fiction writing and WordPress for tabletop gaming / reviews of nerdy cultural stuff. I will try to limit the crossposting.
• By the 31st of January, complete the second draft of my story for a secret anthology.
• If Cirsova re-opens submissions from randos, I will submit a story. If submissions are not re-opened by the 31st of October, I will submit the story elsewhere.

II) Reading

• Read a minimum of one “new to me” pulp book each month.
• Read a minimum of one “new to me” non-fiction book each month.
• Leave a minimum of one Amazon review each month, may or may not be related to the above books.

III) Health

• Continue using MyFitnessPal to track meals / exercise and add friends to keep me accountable.
• Continue morning routine of pushups and situps
• Check local gym prices / hours in January. On or before the 5th of February, sign-up for a gym that works with my budget and schedule.
• Bring my lunch to work. Don’t eat out for lunch more than twice a month.

IV) Spiritual

• Tithe to our new church. Set up recurring online payment, so I don’t “forget”.
• If I sell a story or cash out anything from Steemit, tithe that too.
• Use Daily Prayer app at breakfast, dinner, and before bed.
• Read at least one book by a Church Father or saint (preferably pre-Great Schism) each month.

V) Tabletop Gaming

• Register for the NTRPG Con.
• At NTRPG Con, GM a table of Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS).
• By year-end, have a new playtest of ‘Demons in Space’ out.

Do you have plans? Make them happen! Find people to hold you accountable and that will help you succeed.