{"id":298,"date":"2008-12-01T06:42:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-01T06:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/omeoflittlefaith\/2008\/12\/resolution-check-up.html"},"modified":"2008-12-01T06:42:00","modified_gmt":"2008-12-01T06:42:00","slug":"resolution-check-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/omeoflittlefaith\/2008\/12\/resolution-check-up.html","title":{"rendered":"Resolution Check-Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last January, <\/span>I decided to post my New Year’s Resolutions<\/a> here at the blog. That may or may not have been a good idea, but in the spirit of honesty and self-promotion and too much information — which is what blogging is about — December 1 seems like a good time to see if I’ve achieved them. If not, I’ve got 31 days.<\/p>\n

1. Write three books (no details yet, but I’m pretty close to being contractually obligated to fulfill this goal, so I can say with some assuredness that it’ll probably happen).<\/span><\/p>\n

Done, Done, and Almost Done. I’ve completed Pocket Guide to Sainthood<\/span> and Pocket Guide to the Afterlife. Pocket Guide to the Bible<\/span> has been slightly edited and prepared for re-publication. And I’m on the final chapter of my book about doubt for Zondervan. Other than a couple of months off in the summer, I’ve been writing steadily, six days a week, since November of 2007. This was a crazy goal to set, and I do not recommend it…at least not while holding down another job. I’m glad it’s nearly over.<\/p>\n

2. Maintain <\/span>this blog<\/a> on an almost-daily basis, especially so you can follow along as I write the new books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done. Hope you’ve been enjoying it.<\/p>\n

3. Also maintain <\/span>my family blog<\/a>, so that I can remember, in vivid detail, the stuff we do. I greatly dislike not being able to remember when-we-did-this and what-we-did-then and what- was-that-funny-thing-that-happened? Hopefully a digital scrapbook will help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done. And, yes, it helps.<\/p>\n

4. Take more photographs.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Take better photographs.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve been taking lots more photos than in the past, as evidenced at our blog. Not sure if they’re better. But definitely more.<\/p>\n

6. Read more books. This is hard when I’m writing, as I have very little unassociated free time. I read a lot when I’m working on a book, but most of it is for the purpose of research. So it’s work. Not fun reading, or reading for knowledge, or reading to be challenged. I need to do more of that, if only to become a better writer.<\/span><\/p>\n

I haven’t been too good at this one. I’ve probably read less than ten books this year for purely fun, non-research-related purposes. My favorites include Born Standing Up,<\/span><\/a> by Steve Martin, and The Year of Living Biblically<\/a>,<\/span> by AJ Jacobs. Next year will be better.<\/p>\n

7. Produce more art<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not much. I think I’ve done three paintings this year. One project for friends and two for our home. That’s all. The dearth of painting is definitely due to Item #1 on this list.<\/p>\n

8. Sell some shirts<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sorta done. I’ve sold a few. Nothing huge. You can help with this one, by the way. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a fake band shirt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. Go on at least one backpacking trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bushnell Lakes, Colorado. Late July. See this<\/a> and this<\/a>.<\/p>\n

10. Stay in the exercise habit, but keep the means of exercise fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done. I decided in May or June of this year to spend the summer preparing for a sprint triathlon. I ended up competing<\/a> in two of them<\/a>. I’ll do it again next year.<\/p>\n

11. Drive as little as possible, even in the winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sorta done. I think I drove more this year than in the previous year. But I did ride my bike this morning. It was 34 degrees outside.<\/p>\n

12. Be outside more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not sure how to quantify this, but due to my triathlon training over the summer, I spent nearly 45 minutes of every day outside running or biking. Add in time with the kids and riding to work and backpacking and all that stuff, and I can probably check this one off.<\/p>\n

13. Maintain a regular Sabbath, especially from book-writing. This will be hard, because there’s a lot of time on Sunday to be spent writing. But it’s good to stop creating one day a week. Real good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done. I recommend this, whether you’re working on a book or not. Unplugging one day a week is good.<\/p>\n

14. Flyfish as often as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nope. I did worse on this one than in past years. I think I fished three times total, and one of the times was on the backpacking trip. And it being winter, it’s not like I can go perform this one before the year’s up.<\/p>\n

15. Get the other business thing rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done<\/a>.<\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

How about you? How are you doing on your 2008 resolutions\/goals? Or do you think the idea of setting yearly goals is dumb? Please discuss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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