The Best Year of My Life (part 7)

“Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.” – Robert Schuller

What a difference a title makes.

These are actually my most popular posts. I’m pretty sure it’s just because of the title, but in reality these posts are just simple goal reviews that I do once or twice a week.

I’d say that the past couple of days have been great for me in terms of productivity. The key to my success is in implementing a morning routine. Every morning for the past week, I have woke up meditated, then eaten breakfast. Three days ago, I added simple exercises to the routine. Two days ago, I decided to try to try and write rhymes for at least an hour everyday.

This was all inspired by Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art.

I use JoesGoals and tick off every little task that I do. It’s great to see nothing but green marks on the screen everyday.

I started using RescueTime to track just where all of my time is going when I’m online. Not surprisingly, most of my time is actually spent reading blogs. However, I find that if I take care of everything I need to BEFORE I check the blogs, then the amount of time is drastically reduced.

It’s these minor tweaks that really help a lot.

Without further ado:

1. Develop Attraction Skills

I got a number this weekend, which brings me up to 4 this year out of 6 weeks overall. Which is good for me since I am pretty sure that I’ve equaled my output for all of last year. The number was a wrong one, so I really shouldn’t count it.

This past Saturday sucked balls in terms of doing what I need to do when I go out. I am no longer going to get a beer until I’ve at least said a sentence to a girl I don’t know. Yeah, let’s apply the success I’ve had getting stuff done at the beginning of the day to PUA.

2. Look for New Job

The truth here is that I am really enjoying not working. Not in the lazy sense, because I keep myself active pretty much all day. I woke up at 10AM today, and worked straight through until about 5PM. Took a nap and took care of some more business. I believe that I should be able to last another month or so living comfortably, so I will probably just do that.

I do not want to go back working for the man. I am going to have to formulate a plan that prevents me from doing that.

3. Better Management of $$$

I was good at saving my money all week, then I went to this Brazillian restaurant on Saturday. This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I figured I should splurge on myself every so often.

Notice that I have whittled down my goals to 3, but have actually added other ones that I previously crossed out? Meditation, write rhymes, and exercise used to all be on my list, and I now do them all daily. It seems that once I let go of some goals that they become something that comes naturally into my life.

Until next week.

The Broken Record

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan

I feel melancholy right now.

I could describe what happened tonight, but I would sound like a broken record, repeating the SAME MISTAKES that I’ve been typing about for the past month plus I have been keeping this daily blog. The reality is, that I’ve been repeating this mistake much longer than a month and a half, I have been repeating it since I was 13 years old.

I am talking about the mistake of inaction.

I just don’t know what to do, I go out with the best of intentions, “yeah I’m going to go all out, talk to girls tonight,” but then when I do go out, I sit on the side in fear. This has been the case in the past two years since I read the game and really got into PUA shit, and it was the case since I started going to parties at 18 years old.

The part that really frustrates me, is that I’m not too angry at myself. I always say, “oh, you’ll get ‘em next time.” But I know that next time will probably be much like this time. It’s not that I don’t want this to change, I wouldn’t have started this blog or done a TON of things if I didn’t want it to change, I just don’t know how to stop myself from making the same mistakes over and over again.

I feel horrible. I’ll give a more detailed run down of my night tomorrow.  For right now, just know that inaction HAS to stop. It is simply not acceptable anymore. I am going to sit here and maybe cry, but I am going to think of ways to FORCE myself to change, because what I’ve been doing in the past hasn’t worked.

Ugh, I can’t accept not trying either, Michael.

The Best Year of My Life (part 6)

“If you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined.” – Paul J. Meyer

Okay, so we’re a month into 2009 now, was January one of the best months of your life?

Let’s take a look at things:

I feel 1000 times better ever since I quit my job, but being unemployed has its own problems. I am not in a negative mindset where I am wondering what the FUCK I am doing with my life anymore. No, I am certainly not nearly as depressed as I once was, but I am constantly wondering where my next meal will come from.

As far as women go, it’s nice having the redhead to talk to everyday, and chillin’ with HipsterGirl every so often. Having multiple girls in my life is unprecedented, but I do feel like I could be doing so much more.

I didn’t meditate nearly as much as I wanted to, but I did consistently write in my blog for the whole month. Having a daily slap in the face is beneficial.

So yes, January was actually a great month for me, but do I feel like I am at the place where I need to be? Absolutely not.

Plus the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl!

Without further ado:

1. Develop Attraction Skills

This past weekend was bad for me. I didn’t accomplish any of the goals I set out for myself. I drank too much on Friday and it affected my mood on both Saturday and Sunday.

This weekend, I am going to cut down on the drinking partly because I just cannot afford to put it in too hard, but also because it is affecting whether I open or not. I have committed to going out three days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).

2. Learn How to Drive

I am considering crossing this goal out.

Yesterday, Hero said that it’s pointless for me to learn if I don’t have a car to drive once I get the license. I countered with the belief that once I get the license, I will be more apt to get a car. It’s like the chicken or the egg discussion.

Still, Hero is on vacation this week, so no practice until he gets back. I could ask my friends, but King Lear’s car is broken, and The Roommate… oh, I guess I should be getting at him, shouldn’t I? He is a busy dude, though!

3. Look for New Job

I went hard at this yesterday. Not in the conventional sense, though.

I started researching different avenues by which I can make money online, from the comfort of my own home. It’s not that hard by most accounts but it does take time, patience,  and capital.

I have maybe a month before I run out of money and that is not enough time to start earning a sustainable salary, so I am applying for jobs. I have lost the total ambition to go back and work for the man, though.

There HAS to be a light at the end of this tunnel!

4. Better Management of $$$

Sunday through Wednesday I spent a combined total of maybe $40. Thursday through Sunday I spent a good $100.This includes eating out twice on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I had pre-planned dates, but on Sunday I should have known better.

Still, my bills are paid for the month and I cancelled a few services. Hopefully, once my taxes are filed I should be able to make it through the end of March.

5. Take the GRE

Have not done at all. Embarassing. Better planning is in order.

Okay, see you guys later this week.

The Best Year of My Life (part 5)

I just had a goals update two days ago, but in an effort to get back on track, I am going to have another one today.

Remember, I re-did a lot of my goals after reading Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less, and coupled with the short time between the last update, this should be a shorter post.

Without further ado:

1. Develop Attraction Skills

Even though I am unemployed, I haven’t increased my social life because I do not want to spend money. Sure, I can go out and simply not drink which I’ve done in the past, but it will still involve money. This is going to be a longer weekend so I will have ample opportunity to go out.

When I do go out, I will remember to be present, confident, and just an overall fun guy. After all, it’s just talking to girls!

2. Learn How to Drive

We had a snow storm here, so my driving practice was canceled yesterday.  I re-scheduled my test for later next month, since the dudes car I’m using will be out of town on the originally scheduled weekend.

3. Look for New Job

Interview on Monday. I’m not too excited about my options right now, though. I’ve been thinking really hard about ways to get myself out of the “entry-level hole.”

4. Better Management of $$$

Being unemployed has me obsessive about being responsible with my money. Any penny that I spend I know stress over. This weekend will be a real test because it’s Super Bowl weekend and I live in Pittsburgh. The *real* test however, will be when I get a steady flow of cash in and stop throwing the money away. I have actually spent exactly less than 30 bucks since Sunday, and half of that went towards paying small bills!

Okay, so I am now going to add one goal and drop two goals:

Add: 5. Take the GRE

Wow, if I ever want to get out of the entry-level hole, this is an absolute necessity. I have full afternoons open to do whatever I want, so being unemployed is a prime time to do this.

Drop: Cut Down on Watching Porn

I changed the way I watch porn and have made it more of a ritual. Now, whenever I think of watching porn I think that it is too much trouble. If I feel I have started watching too much again, I will re-add this goal.

Drop: Write on this blog everyday

I am doing this everyday. Yeah, I missed a day, but that was more because I mis-planned my day. 28 out of 29 days is really really good. Like the porn goal, if I stop posting consistently, I will re-add this goal.

In the end, it feels good to have reduced my goals down to a parse five out of what used to be nine. Hopefully in a months time, I will be able to eliminate two (driving and a new job).

I am working towards accomplishing these goals, I am sure that I will have the best year of my life!

The Best Year of My Life (part 4)

I contemplated shutting down this blog today.

I wasn’t planning on shutting it down completely, but merely moving all of the posts to private status. I had a crisis where I became paranoid that someone I know might happen upon this blog. I also questioned the point of this blog-do I really need to have an anonymous blog? Couldn’t I just do the same thing with a personal journal (which I have) or in a word document?

This is a question I am going have to answer over the next couple of days.

The pros to having a public but anonymous blog this are: 1.) I am stating my goals in a public avenue, so that anyone reading can post here and say, “what the f are you doing?” and 2.) I can get advice from complete strangers.

I really don’t talk too bad about anyone on this blog, so if I were to be found out I don’t think it’d be that big of a deal. It’d be more of an issue about how weird I am!

I read a good bit of Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less today.

He talks a good deal about simplifying and putting limitations on what you do in order to be able to accomplish more. Mr. Babauta argues that in a world of multi-tasking, too many people are not getting anything done, because they are trying to get too much done. In the process of trying to get 20 things done at one time, tasks get diluted or abandoned altogether. Focusing on doing a few things and doing them well, is much more effective.

This is exactly my problem.

Therefore, I am going to eliminate some goals from the Best year of My Life list, many of which I plan on coming back to later. Babauta suggests trying to one goal at a time, for 30 days, since it takes 30 days to become a habit.

Without further ado:

Let’s first look at the list of goals overall and see which ones are left or have been amended:

1. Write on this blog everyday
2. Cut down on watching porn
3. Meditate Everyday
4. Exercise/Eat healthy
5. Apply for new job/Graduate School
6. Meet More Women
7. Learn How to Drive
8. Finish Rap Album
9. Better Management of $$$

Leo talks about breaking things down to the essential and non-essential. he suggests breaking things down to one goal at a time, starting with the most important first. If I were to break it down to ONE GOAL that affects me most in my life, it’d be WOMEN.

Not having women, for as long as I can remember, has been the #1 tried and true source of disappointment in my life. Tyler Durden says, “If you do not have women actively in your life, you are failing at one of your core purposes.”

This is not to say that I would like to have wild orgies with 2 or 3 women a night, but I think that having 1 or 2 women that I could spend time with on a regular basis is a highly reasonable goal. In order to be able to do this, I have to learn to be more aggressive and talk to women in public settings. Oftentimes, that means going to the bar, even if I have to go alone.

So, I am going to start with Develop Attraction Skills, renamed from Meet More Women because that isn’t necessarily what I’m trying to do.

1. Deveop Attraction Skills

I had a life first this past weekend.

I hung out with two different girls on consecutive days. One might even go as far as to call them “dates.”

It’s a great feeling, going from so many years of absolutely loneliness to hanging out with two different girls on two different nights.

Still, there is much work to be done.

Now when I was out at the bar, did I make a concerted attempt to meet more women?

No I did not.

My goal, first and foremost, is to get over my approach anxiety, which seems to have taken on a life of its own in my head. In fact, it is a monster that I can picture now, it is purple blob named Bob. I am closing my eyes, and imagining myself pouring cold water over Bob, which makes the blob dissolve and kill Bob.

In my mind, I have conqured approach anxiety. I just need to go out and show the world that I have conquered it.

I am going to go out three times this week. One night will be either tomorrow or Wednesday with Hero. Then probably Thursday and a weekend night. If I don’t open, I DON’T want to kill myself over it. First and foremost, I want to have a GREAT time. It sucks going home depressed as all fuck because I didn’t do what I came out to do in the first place. Hmm… maybe that is why I should open!

2. Learn How to Drive

I have scheduled my drivers test for February 7th, but it will have to be pushed back since Hero will be out of town. I am getting in some practice tomorrow with Hero, and will continue to do so 2-3 times a week until the test. I really already know how to drive, it is just a matter of learning how to parallel, which is kind of hard now since there are all of these snow banks on the road.

3. Look for New Job

A necessity now because I am unemployed. I must say that I am enjoying being unemployed a little more than I’d like to be. Sure it gets boring, . I want to take this time to secure a job in the direction I want to go in-which is library science. However, I am also drawn towards work at home opportunities. This task occupies the waking moments of every weekday now.

4. Better Management of $$$

Budgeting always will be a absolute necessity of mine. I have been budgeting pretty dilligently as of late, especially since I don’t know where my next paycheck will come from.

5. Cut down on watching porn

For years, I thought I was addicted to porn because I spent so much time looking for and watching it- I am talking 3 to 4 hours of my day, easy.

For a long time, I would go through spurts where I would watch a TON of porn, then feel guilty and stop for 2 or 3 days, then go right back into it. This past June, I stopped watching (and masturbating) for over thirty days, before regressing to my old ways.

But now, things are different.

I only allow myself to watch at the end of my day, after everything is done. I have also made watching a ritual. I pick a scene to watch, and I watch the whole scene, usually 30 or 40 minutes. I practice my stalin technique and kegel exercises in the meantime.

Oftentimes, I am too tired to sit down and dedicate 30-40 minutes to porn. Other times, I just don’t have the desire to watch anymore. I think this is due to me having ladies in my life, but also because I would be accountable for it in this blog.

6. Write on this blog everyday

Yeah, I missed a day.

That day was an exception, not the norm, and I have worked hard to keep writing consistently. After missing once, it’s  is very easy for me to say to myself, “who cares? I can miss again!”

I believe that posting everyday like this is very beneficial and I will continue to do so throughout the year. Let’s just hope I am not discovered!

A few words about the crossed out tasks.

3. Meditate Everyday
4. Exercise/Eat healthy
5. Graduate School
8. Finish Rap Album

It’d be stupid to say that I have just given up on these goals. I mean, who DOESN’T want to Exercise and Eat Healthy? It’s just that right now, I am focusing on other goals, and when those goals have converted into habits, I will work on these goals.

That’s not to say that if I wake up in the morning, and I feel like I need to meditate, that I won’t do it. What I am saying is that I am going to be the most focused on the six (actually, really four) goals listed above.

Best Year of My Life (part 2)

“Mission is at the heart of what you do as a team. Goals are merely steps to its achievement. Mission has an eternal quality. Goals are time bound and once achieved, are replaced by others.” - Patrick Dixon

It’s Friday. I had the day off because I was fired yesterday. It hasn’t been the most productive day, although I did get some things done. A lot of it was spent texting Red from Wednesday.

Without further ado:

1. Write on this blog everyday

Haven’t missed a day yet, sixteen and counting. There have been a few that I have technically finished the next day, like after midnight, but I am going to count it as the same day as long as it’s finished before I go to sleep.

It takes me a lot less time to write these posts now, and I think that I am improving grammar-wise. Hopefully, there aren’t any tense shifts in my posts anymore.

Good job!

2. Stop Watching Porn Cut down on watching porn

I amended this goal a little bit- I have simply cut down on my watching, only at the end of the day after I have accomplished all of my tasks. Doing this has actually made me lose the zest I once had to watch porn. There were two days this week where I didn’t watch any porn at all. Even last night, I put some on, and just wasn’t feeling it, so I turned it off.

I think that the reason I watch porn is because I have self-esteem issues. The times when I go off on some crazy binge and download and watch nothing but porn all day are when I feel the worst about myself. Conversely, when I have women in my life, and I feel that I am accomplishing things, it is the first thing that goes out the door. I know that it’s bad to use women as validation, but that isn’t necessarily the case with me. I find that I stop watching as much porn if I simply OPEN and talk to women, no matter if I get played or not.

3. Meditate Everyday

I meditated once this week, and it was a bad experience.

I was very anxious throughout the whole sitting, wondering when it was going to end. I didn’t even last the full 30 minutes. Instead of going to zazen at the zendo this week, I went on the date with the redhead.

It’s not that I don’t want to meditate, but when I get home I think about all of the things I have to do and meditation is always the first thing cut out. Meditation has a TON of benefits for me, I am going to make it more of a priority.

When I get home from work, I am going to meditate, even if I am hungry.

4. Exercise/Eat healthy

I have the $$$ for the membership to the gym, but since I got fired prematurely, I am going to have to save that money.

I ate the last of the hamburger helper this week, too. I told myself, when the last box is done, no more of that for you. I made some pasta tuna salad which has lasted me a couple of days!

5. Apply for new job/Graduate School

It looks like that new job is falling through, so I am going to get on the ball with this very soon. I will call the temp. agency on Monday and start applying for permanent jobs  next week.

As far as graduate school, no movement on that front. I need to make a plan of recommendations and get ready to write the best acceptance letter ever. I am afraid of failing, that’s why I haven’t done this yet.

6. Meet More Women

Met the redhead last Saturday, and talked to a few more girls that night, but I did nothing last night. I need to write down my goals for each specific night in my notepad before I go out, just like PUA Sinn says.

Honestly, I really like the redhead. There aren’t too many girls that I can get along with on an intellectual level. It might be cool to get serious with this girl. I don’t know, I’ll have to see how it goes. Part of me thinks that this is a cop out to stop sarging. I am conflicted.

7. Learn How to Drive

No progress here this week, although if I’m not working next week, getting some practice in during the day could certainly be helpful. I’ll have to schedule a test in the very near future.

8. Finish Rap Album

I wrote a little today, but not enough to finish a song. I hope to complete a song either tomorrow or Sunday. I want to complete one song per week.

9. Better Management of $$$

Much better on this front this week, I stuck to my budget and didn’t spend too much eating out. Getting fired changes things though, I am going to have to conserve and cut things out until I get something steady.

I am sure that this will be the best year of my life.

The Best Year of My Life (part 1)

“People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals— that is, goals that do not inspire them.” – Anthony Robbins

I didn’t go out last night.

I had originally planned to, but after being out until 5:30 AM the night before and then going to work at 9 AM, I was just too exhausted to do it. A two hour nap after work didn’t cut it-plus King Lear cancelled on me.

Instead, I turned on the space heater, put on Ken Burns’ The Civil War, and tried to stay awake as long as I possibly could before finally dozing off.

So, today will be my very first goals update. I know I wanted to have the update for Mondays and Thursdays, but I think I will actually go out tomorrow night and have a field report for that night.

I have revised or even abandoned some of my previously stated goals, and added some new ones.

Without further ado:

1. Write on this blog everyday

So far so good. I haven’t missed a day thus far. Having a place to write down my thoughts and reflect has been immensely helpful to me. At first I had some concern that I would run out of things to write, but so far that hasn’t been the case. I actually have a few topics to pull out on rainy days.

This goal goes in tandem with my intention of carrying my notepad with me wherever I go. Having a notepad is great for jotting down thoughts, or things I need to remember to do later.

2. Stop Watching Porn

Quite simply, I don’t think this will happen because I don’t want it to. The main reason I want to stop watching is because I had been spending too much time finding good porn. All this week, I have watched porn only as a reward for getting everything I need to get done.

As far as porn ruining my sex life, I think that’s mostly it’s a problem with the technique I use to masturbate. For the porn I have been watching, I have been practicing the stalin method pretty regularly-masturbating until near climax and then going soft. It’s weird because I have been watching full scenes of porn for the first time in my life. Before, I would skip ahead to the missionary position, whack off, and be done within five minutes. Now I spend a good 30 minutes at the end of my night, wind down, and watch about 30 mins. of a scene. It helps me sleep at night.

3. Meditate Everyday

I fell off on this goal. I meditated twice on Monday and that is it. I want to start waking up early and meditating to start my day, but when I wake up late, this is the first thing to get nixed.

I will make a more concerned effort for this task starting tomorrow.

4. Exercise/Eat healthy

I have yet to start my exercise regiment because I don’t have the $$$ for the gym membership. I have been researching recipes this week, and even made pasta-tuna salad this week. I am not sure I am going to go back to the 5x a day eating schedule, but three hearty meals plus a milkshake or two will definitely be beneficial to me. It will just take some planning.

5. Apply for new job/Graduate School

Well, according to the girl who works there, the job I want is in the bag. They haven’t made an offer yet, but I am hoping on Monday they will seal the deal. If not, I will go back to sending cover letters/resumes out, at least 1/day.

As far as graduate school goes, I should take the GRE, although it’s not required to get into the program here. Last year, I had half an application in, this year, I will put the full one in. DOPE.

6. Meet More Women

Well, on Thursday I went out and opened more than I have ever remembered. I am going out tonight and have a continuation of my glorious Thursday night.

7. Learn How to Drive

I want to take care of this goal before March. I need to get at Hero and schedule some time with him. I will do that tomorrow.  I will also schedule my test for sometime at the end of the month or early February.

8. Finish Rap Album

I didn’t work on this at all this week-this week was really busy with that assignment I had and applying for the new job, but I made a pledge to myself that I will finish a song a week this year. This will be incredibly difficult at the beginning, because I am a slow writer, but eventually it will take me no more than a few hours to write a complete song.

9. Better Management of $$$

I started out this week afraid I had overdrafted my account. I had spent a lot of money over the new years weekend. It turns out that I didn’t overdraft and actually had money to spare. Still, it will be better for my mental health if I avoid those situations.

Earlier this week, I planned out my budget through the end of March. This budget will ostensibly change very soon as I get a new job that pays a significant amount more money. I look forward to being able to pay my college loans, and start chipping away at debt.

And there you have it, my goals. I am very excited about all of them, and am actually surprised because I am doing better than I usually would be doing, mostly in thanks to this blog, which reminds me of them every day. 2009, has been a great year thus far, outside of one very drunken night.

I am sure this is going to be the best year of my life.

The Blueprint: 10 Goals for 2009

“Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

Last year, I made a list of goals for 2008. I failed at all of them.

This year, I kept those same goals, but added even more. Why? It’s not because I am a masochist that gains some pleasure in watching myself fail, it’s because I feel I can complete these goals. So what’s different about me this year than last year? I am more determined, I realize that I’m not getting any younger, or as Mr. Ford put it, I am starting, “more intelligently.”

With these goals, I try to be more definitive with them and assign quantities wherever applicable.

Also after I list each goal, give a brief description, and maybe a brief history behind the goal, I am going to list the deviations, which are the reasons that I rationalized in my head that it was not a good idea to keep working on that particular goal. Recognizing these thought patterns will lead to me making different decisions. I am also going to list any websites that will assist me in achieving my goals.

1. Use the computer less

I currently use the internet on average 12 hours a day. This is no exaggeration. Sure, on days that I work, I am required to sit in front of a computer for eight, but often I come home and use the internet for another four.

I want to make a conscious effort to cut down my internet usage. A good goal is  about 2 hours a day during the week, and 4 on the weekend. This is still a lot of internet time.

Deviations: A lot of my internet time is spent looking for new porn (see goal #2), and surfing random websites. I absolutely love the random article function on wikipedia. If I can simply be mindful that I am doing these things, then they will stop.

2. Stop Watching Porn

I made great strides in achieving this goal this year. I actually stopped watching for something like 35 days.

There are a number of reasons why I want to stop watching porn. The first being that I spend too much time looking for it. While I don’t actually watch too much porn per se, I will spend hours upon hours searching for good porn to watch. This time could be better spent on any number of more constructive tasks.

Secondly, porn is slowly ruining my sex life. First off, if you spend most of your day wanking off to girls and then try to go out and meet women on your own, you won’t be motivated, because the women are often not as attractive as those in porn, and if you do meet a woman and take her home, you won’t be able to get it up because you spent your whole day whacking off!

The last reason is more ideological in nature. Porn is watching other people having sex. Why am I watching other people having sex? I want to have sex. Why am I not out meeting women on my own?

Mystery advises cutting down on watching porn to once a week for the best results. When you do watch porn however, he says to make it a date for yourself. Like, this prolonged event. If I do feel the need, then I will make Sundays this day.  All in all though, I would like to cut this out of my life entirely.

Deviations: I find myself watching porn the most when I feel particularly bad about myself. I’ll tell myself, “you’re not going to meet any women anytime soon, might as well watch some porn!” When I feel down, it is often the first thing I run to. What’s funny is that after all is said and done, and business is completed, only very rarely do I feel happy about myself. Oftentimes, I feel worse.

New Life Habits

3. Meditate Every Day

Out of all of my accomplishments of 2008, I am the most proud that I really got into zen philosophy. Back in May, I happened upon my local zendo, met some absolutely wonderful people and became really active. I was gung ho for awhile, I meditated twice a day, I went to the zendo once a week, and I even went to an all-weekend sitting. At some point though, I fell off and stopped going until recently.

When examining my mental health to a year prior, I find that I am a lot more calm and humble. I remember times when I was downright suicidal. Meditation has helped me get over that. While I still get sad, it never gets that extreme.

I had a routine going for awhile where I’d wake up 90 minutes before going to work, I’d sit for 20 minutes, shower, and eat breakfast. This was a wonderful way to start my day and I am going to bring it back. It helped me stay on time for work, too.

Deviations: Sitting is a large time investment. I usually try to sit for about 20-30 minutes at a time. Oftentimes, I would sit at work and tell myself that the first thing I’m going to do when I get home is sit, then I would get home, think about all of the things I have to do and I would forgo sitting for whatever I’d have to do.

Also, I think it’s easy to write meditation off as not helpful, because afterall you’re just staring at a wall for an extended period of time. I need to remember just how beneficial meditation can be and I’ll be alright.

4. Exercise/Eat healthy

Earlier this year, back in September, I put myself on a regiment of more exercise and healthier eating. My goal was to gain 20 lbs by the years end. The plan went well for about 3 weeks, then I fell off. In order to gain 20 lbs., it meant lessening the actual amount of food per meal, but increasing my meals to about six per day. This takes an incredible amount of planning/money.

I want to get back on track with this goal. Lifting for an hour 3x a week, and increasing my meals to at least 3 is very reasonable.

Deviation: At some point, I convinced myself that there is nothing wrong with being skinny, which there isn’t. I pointed towards Barack Obama who is a man that is looked upon by many as a very attractive man. However, the truth is 5′11″ and 150 lbs. is not a healthy weight.

Stronglifts

5. Apply for new job/Graduate School

2008 was a horrible year for me career wise. I actually ended the year making less than when it started for the second year in a row. I understand that money isn’t everything when considering a job, but I actually hate my current job more, too.

I have been unambitious about my career ever since I had a negative experience working at a non-profit company. I have taken jobs just to get by, without exception.

I want to go to graduate school for library science. I have been saying this for years, but I never apply. This year, I had half an application, with both recommendations submitted, but I never finished the application.

Deviations: Quite simply, I am afraid to fail. I dread the thought of getting a rejection letter so much that I am afraid to even apply. I need to work through this and realize that life is full of taking chances.

6. Meet More Women

If there is one goal I want to succeed at in 2009, it would be this goal. Two years ago, I read The Game and immediately became enthralled with the community. Still, for as much as I go out, I can count the number of women I have truly cold approached on one hand. Getting into pickup led to

I want to start going out at least 2 nights a week and opening 3 women a night.  By the end of the year, I want to have already taken, or be close to taking a bootcamp with RSD.

Deviations: Again, I am afraid to fail. I need to be present, make my two feet move, and open my mouth. It’s that simple.

Real Social Dynamics

7. Learn How to Drive

I will be turning twenty six this year, and this is simply unacceptable. This year, I made a great stride in that I actually took the drivers test, even though I failed.

I want to have a driver’s license, in hand, by March. I will practice 1-2 a week until the test.

Deviations: This goal is dependent on the schedule of others. Oftentimes, I get into the mindset where I tell myself, “oh I shouldn’t bother them!” And as a result, I never pass the test.

8. Better Management of $$$

Ever since I graduated college, I have kept a budget in excel that tracks my spending.  I have noticed that when I look at my budget on at least a weekly basis, I have a lot more money. Whenever I stop looking at my budget, that’s when overspending and overdraft charges come. I need to remember to look at my budget at least once a week.

An underling to this goal is to cut down on drinking and eating out, because a lot of money goes towards those endeavors.

Deviations: I just keep forgetting to be honest. A simple note to remind myself will suffice.

The Simple Dollar

9. Finish rap album

I love hip hop, specifically of the indie variety, although there have been some quality releases this year. When I was in college, I wrote and recorded songs, performed in front of people. I even had my own producer and DJ, who is my current roommate. My roommate gave me enough beats for an album 3-4 years ago, but I have just sat on them. This is maybe the biggest disappointment in my life right now.

This year, I made great strides in that I recorded 3 songs, which is more than the 1 output of years past, but a lot less than when I was at my peak.

I want to start writing for at least an hour 5x a week.

Deviations: A lot of this has to do with self-confidence. Sometimes I’ll tell myself,  ‘oh you’re terrible, you should put the mic down.’ But the fact of the matter is that I have a lot of fun making music, and that’s why I should keep doing it. It would be absolutely wonderful if I could finish that album this year.

10. Be more responsible.

This is more of a catchall goal that encompasses a big problem with my life. The truth is, there are very few things that I take seriously in my own life. For instance, I am rarely ever on-time to any engagement. In fact, I have a habit of leaving at the exact time as when I am supposed to be somewhere, usually. Oftentimes, when I an assignment to do, I mysteriously get sleepy, (as I am right now), and sleep rather than complete the assignment.

Failure due to irresponsibility put me in a horrible mood, and a more concerted effort would go a long way.

So there you have it, goals for 2009. I am sick of staring at this screen after having wrote this long post. I am going to bed!

Oh, before I go…

Big shout out to Zensquared, who left this comment:

Come now, where are those goals? Don’t procrastinate. Post them.

You can always revise them later.

I had been procrastinating, now here they are. Always good when a comment from a stranger motivates you!