Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Month to Month Resolutions: January 2012

As I hinted yesterday, the grossly self-indulgent L&TM5K "Quarterly Reports" are henceforth to be replaced by grossly self-indulgent IAT "Month to Month Resolutions."  As I am a UnitedStatesian, and have the naive concomitant belief in the possibility of intentional self-improvement, the idea is to use this here blogging platform to provide myself with incentives and disincentives for certain types of behavior.  Every month I set some goals, and report back to you on how I did on the previous month's goals.  As if you could give a damn.

Like any truly geeky project, this one involves a graph on a clipboard.  I'm very excited about it.

You will notice, I think, that the goals for January are very, very achievable.  (You shoulda heard Mrs.5000 sputter when I told her about the "veggies" goal!  It was awesome.)  The idea is just to ease me into the mindset and see if I can get in the habit of keeping up with the chart.  Which, as I mentioned, is on a clipboard.  I think that will help.

Categories and Goals for January 2012

Push-ups: A fine exercise for the trunk as well as the upper arms!

  • Goal: To do a number of push-ups equal to the date (eg. 22 push-ups on January 22).  May be done in sets.  I am writing this on January 1 and have already done my push-up, and I'm telling you, I feel great!
Weighing-in: I shed quite a bit of extra weight in 2010, but plateaued for 2011.  I'd ultimately like to take off another chunk this year if I can.
  • Goal: Simply to weigh myself and record my weight every morning, just like they say you aren't supposed to.  I think it will work for me.

Cola: Mmm, delicious cola.

  • Goal: To consume no more than an average of two units of cola per day per week.  The definition of "units" being, well, a secret.
Veggies: Mmm, delicious veggies.
  • Goal: To consume no fewer than four units per week.  The definition of "units" being "something that, to me, feels like a serving of vegetables."
Gym: I apparently have a gym membership!
  • Goal: No fewer than two visits over the course of the month.

Paper Mail Sent: Personal cards, postcards, or letters to friends, acquaintances, or strangers.

  • Goal: An average of at least one item per day over the course of the month.  This one was considered challenging by some consultants, but it's actually well within the range of what I send normally.

That Other Blog: Michael Reads the Bible

  • Goal: No fewer than two posts over the course of the month.
Garden: Those plants growing outside the house.
  • Goal: none at this time.  
Music: An ordered sequence of pitches that we are culturally and perhaps biologically predisposed to enjoy.
  • Goal: none at this time.

I trust, Gentle Reader, that I have your blessing and support in these endeavors.  And of course, in your capacity as a Reader of this blog, you have the right to suggest additional goals or to deride the existing ones if you would like me to self-improve so as to be more to your liking.  That's what the comments section is for!

12 comments:

Jenners said...

Oh Lord. I think this is good actually … but I can't imagine you doing 22 push-ups by Jan. 22. Can you do a vlog for the last week of the year with the push-ups?

The USPS must LOVE you.

Rebel said...

Yeah, I was wondering about that gym membership of yours and what the per-visit cost was averaging out to be. It seems like you've gotten most of your exercise by running hither and yon outside.

I think your goals are awesome. I may even join you with the pushup goals. Although I will have to do 6 today to make up for not reading this blog earlier. And also - I'll be doing girl push-ups.

Rebel said...

OH! And I think you're right - the clip board will help. I always feel significantly more official when I'm carrying a clip board. I think that might inspire me to keep my goals as well!

Voron X said...

I agree - the push-up thing is a good idea. I can imagine December will be mightily difficult, however. 10 reps of 36/37 pushups...ambitious. 67,161 pushups. 183.5 push-ups on average a day.

Jennifer said...

You've got the push-ups in the bag! I'm a little concerned about the veggie servings, though. But if your secret measure of cola (mmm, delicious cola) is a "firkin" or "kilderkin," please let me know because I think that would be really cool, though maybe not humanly possible.

Also, just an idea, but for the garden, maybe you should see if you can get some bulbs to pop up outside--or do you save that for February? It's my favorite (some would say only) gardening trick.

Finally--though I realize I may be overcommenting here--I would just like to express concern about your plan to lose weight by taking off a chunk. I think there are less invasive ways to do it.

Rebel said...

I was reading this as a one-month goal... so, you plans to do more than 31 push ups right? I don't think I'll be up for 366 pushups at the end of the year!!!

Rebel said...

that should be "no plans to..."

sister jen said...

I believe I have some fairly good inside information on that secret measure of cola...and...and I believe I will comment no further.

Michael5000 said...

Jenners: I am buffer than you think. 22 push-ups isn't going to give me any trouble.

Reb: It's true, my gym membership since June doesn't exactly pencil out.

Mind y'all, these are MONTH to MONTH resolutions. I haven't said anything about extrapolating out to 366 push-ups next New Year's Eve. Yet.

Hey, I ate a unit of veggies tonight that I wouldn't have otherwise. AND, I only had one unit of cola today. Which is awesome, because that means I can have three tomorrow if I want!!!

gl. said...

oh, good: i am glad we are still privy to some amount of gross self-indulgence! a blog NEEDS self-indulgence to be a good blog.

good luck with your monthly goals! and it doesn't matter what size the units are as long as the goal is to decrease or increase the units as appropriate.

Eric said...

Uh oh. Nothing about the Beatles project. Is it abandoned?

Michael5000 said...

Nope. Just very, very slow.