Resolute Honesty

I don't make New Year's resolutions.

Not that I am opposed to the concept- not at all. I think more people should make resolutions, but more to the point, I think they should be "goals" that are expressed specifically, positively, and are geared toward answering the question, "What do I want?"

So, yeah, I make resolutions, but I don't do it on January 1st. I wait til the end of the month.

January 29th, to be exact.

I was born on that date, so aside from making my birthday anti-climatic after the Holidays, ("You want what for your birthday? Come on, kid! We just had Christmas! Here's five bucks-now get outa' here.") it also gives me a chance to look around, collect my thoughts, and make my goals more realistic and obtainable. That way, I'm not creating the "knee-jerk" gotta-lose-weight-and sober-up type resolutions that are frequently made on the fuzzy-edged, nausea filled morning of January 1st.

I just finished teaching a seminar today at the TEC Counseling office, in Atascocita. Our topic was "Setting Lifestyle Goals", and I am very pleased with how it turned out. We didn't have a big audience, but those who did show up were ready to work, and they left with a clearer vision of what they want, how they intend to get it, and how they will feel when they get there.

So, in the interest of practicing what you preach, here are my new Goals for 2008.

Gary’ Lifestyle Goals


I want to experience greater joy and more enthusiasm in my life, and with my family. I can achieve this by making choices that positively influence me mentally, physically, and spiritually. In order to get what I want, I will take the following actions:

I will lose 15 pounds by June, 2008. I will do this by losing 3 pounds a month for the next five months. I will lose the weight by following a lifestyle diet outlined by Dr. Phil McGraw in The Ultimate Weight Solution. I will also exercise 3 or 4 times a week by using my home gym equipment, walking, jogging, or playing sports with my children. When I have lost the 15 pounds I will re-evaluate my ideal weight and take action to maintain it.
I will write for at least 3 hours each week. I will enter one writing contest in February, and one additional contest before August. I will enter, and complete, the National Novel Editing Month challenge and edit for 50 hours in the month of March. At the end of March, I will re-evaluate my novel manuscript and begin the final re-write, and start my search for a publisher.
I will present another seminar at TEC counseling, either on Setting Goals, or a new topic, by May.
I will share these goals with my Humble Fiction Café members, my co-workers, seminar participants, my friend Greg, and my wife. I will allow them to hold me accountable, and I will also allow them to encourage, help, and guide me on the way to meeting my goals. I will also seek God's will for my life by praying each morning before work, and by praying with my family in the evenings.
When I have met these goals I will feel accepted by myself, valuable, illuminated by God, and free to create a positive reality for myself and my family.
I will post this goal at work, near my desk at home, and keep a copy in my wallet. I will read and evaluate this list each week, and change, add, or subtract as needed to ensure I achieve what I really want.

Okay. There you have it: Focused on what I want, measurable, accountable, realistic, broken down into obtainable steps, connected with behavior and feelings and set into a specific time line.

If you want to hear more about setting goals, and you live in the Humble, Kingwood, Atascocita area, then send me an e-mail or add a comment. I can perform the seminar again at any time, as long as I have 5 to 10 people, and I will probably teach on this topic again by July.

Have a blessed New Year!

And if you happen to have been born in January like me, my daughter, and my niece Emilee, then let me tell you how much I feel your pain.
I really do.
How about five bucks off admission to the seminar? :)

Gary