Write It Down

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want"  ~Ben Stein.


I have a lot of things I'd like to do, see and experience this year.  And it is possible to achieve them all, I think, if I spend some time mapping out exactly what it is I want, and then planning for a balanced approach to making them happen.  (To say balance is not my strength is an understatement.)

So far I have some loose goals (lose weight, get fit, eat healthy) and have taken many steps toward them (got some workout equipment, started this blog, etc.), but in order to make it all come together I need to clearly define the goals and then define a plan of action.  There is a common business saying that I know to be true:  If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.  So let me start this plan with the mantra I adopted when I quit smoking:  Failure is not an option.  (Thanks to the movie Apollo 13 for that one!)

So then, my first attempt at writing out the top five goals starts here:

1. Lose "x" pounds by December 31, 2011.  (you didn't think I'd tell you how much I need to lose, did you? I'm not ready to give up that information yet.  Once I'm halfway there, I'll let ya know where I started.)
2. Alter my diet in such a way that at least 75% is comprised of natural, whole, organic and/or unprocessed foods, while simultaneously reducing the sugar and white carbs.
3. Spend a lot more time doing things with my son.  Biking, hiking, swimming, roller skating, ice skating, tubing, day trips, museums, science center, aquarium, etc.  He's already 11.  I am in a panic about the time that is flying by!
4. Spend a lot more time interacting with, hanging out with, and participating in life with people.
5. Take at least one more step toward getting a degree.

That looks a little daunting as a whole, so the next part will be to break it into smaller actionable goals that move me in the general direction of my bigger goals.  I'm going to print out this "bird's eye view" list, though, so I don't get lost in the quagmire of detail later, and so I can read it each morning.  In that way, when I am faced with choices during the day, my goals will be in my mind to guide me.  I will ask, "Does this choice move me closer to, or further away from, my goals?"  Then all I have to do is make the next right choice  and I will be one step closer to my goals.  See how that's going to work?


This is all going to be a process of trial and error, coming up with a Plan A and if that doesn't work, or something in the equation changes, shifting to a Plan B, or C, or D, as life demands.  As long as I keep my eye on the goals, maintain the flexibility to change the plans as needed, and renew the commitment to keep going every day, I'm going to get there.

I know it.