2010: Goals & Resolutions

"You have a specific responsibility to existence, to God if you like, to taste, touch and smell what there is to experience. You have to do everything. If given an option between doing something and not doing it, you have to do it; because you've already done the "not do it" part.
- Sam Sheridan, "A Fighter's Heart"


Resolutions: More general in nature than goals, without necessarily having a number or defined "success point."

1. Curse Less: There are times when "fuck" is truly the only acceptable word for a given situation, and I have no problem with you (or I) using it in those situations.  I do think it should be slightly less common than the average pronoun though, so I want to work on reserving my cursing for those times that call for it.

2.  Think My Own Thoughts: I constantly have some form of external stimulus going on.  Whether its TV, the computer, my cell phone and text message friends, or just music, it is rare that I have the silence around me to just let my mind drift and think what it needs to think.  This is one reason that I like solo hiking.  After 20-30 minutes, your mind just seems to let go and drift in whatever direction it wants.  I want to make sure that I spend time each day either medititating, writing stream of conscious, hiking solo, or just giving myself some time to sit and think.

3.  Consistency in Training:  2009 was all over the place in terms of boxing training.  I would work hard and smart leading up to a fight or event, and then basically, not do shit in the 4-8 weeks following that.  Its ok to take a week or two off, but anymore than that is just being lazy. 

4.  Limit my use of Technology: Jokes on me, since I am writing this on a computer, but I definitely want to get away a bit from the idea of the online community, whether that is facebook, internet forums or what have you.  Some of that stuff is good, but not as much of it as I am doing. 

5.  Use Every Weekend Well: Too often I am content to just chill out in my neighborhood.  This year I want to make sure to get outside each weekend for hiking, camping, visiting friends, etc.

Goals:  Specific and with a set end-date for success or failure. 

Sports & Recreation:

• Spar 600 rounds over the course of the year
• Win 1 tournament
• Turn Open-Class in Boxing
• Break a 5 minute mile
• Hike/Run 1000 miles over the course of the year
• Deadlift 450 LBS
• Perform 1-arm Pullup

Financial

• Pay off the rest of my debt
• Build 6 month Emergency Fund
• 6% Pre-Tax Income to Roth
• Invest in stock market

Reading & Writing

• Write at least 250 words a day
• Read 40 books
• Maintain blog without any filler bullshit - make 'em count
• Write Artist Way Morning Pages for 2 weeks straight

General Know-How & Survival

• Volunteer with Marin County Search and Rescue
• Visit firing range 6x
• Master Popular Mechanics 100 Skills Every Man Should Know
• Complete all 6 of Yosemite Mountaineering's Climbing Courses

Travel & Adventure

• Visit 2 new contries
• Get at least 2 multi-day backpacking adventures in; 1 with Salman
• Summit another mountain. With ice.
• Get back to Joshua Tree

Neither Resolutions nor Goals, but would like to see happen in 2010

• Find the right woman
• Live closer to Parents
• Get my eyes fixed
• Have my brother live with me for a bit when he gets back from Kiwi-Land
• Build up network of outdoorsy-types for kickass expedition-style travel.

In short, nothing less than utter domination can be accepted.  This time next year I will be more competent, accomplished, and possibly an even more pleasant person to be around.