PERSONAL FITNESS
1. Don’t die.
I crushed April. No near-death experiences, which is oddly good for me.
As always, I plan on living forever or die trying.
2. Lose 20 pounds.
I lost another 4 pounds in April, bringing my total weight loss to 24 pounds in 2023
I won’t declare victory until I get through the year with sustained weight loss, but at the moment, the goal has been achieved.
Now that I’ve hit my goal, my new goal is to lose another 10 pounds by the end of the year, bringing my total weight loss to 30 pounds.
I also need new pants.
3. Do at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and three one-minute planks five days a week.
Didn’t miss a single day in April.
4. Cycle for at least five days every week.
Done. I cycled every day but one in the month of April. I couldn’t find time to cycle on a travel day from British Columbia to Hartford.
I also rode the bike (stationary and actual bike) two or more times on a single day for ten days in April.
I also rode yet another Peleton for a day in a hotel gym in Victoria, Canada. Again, I found this machine epically disappointing. If you’re looking for a stationary bike, I’d strongly recommend a NordicTrack and other options.
I’m now looking into a stationary rower. I found one that I love, but it’s the space in our home that is lacking.
5. Improve my golfing handicap by two strokes.
My handicap at the start of the year was 17.6.
I played three rounds of golf in April and increased my handicap slightly to 16.2.
Lessons continue. Quite a successful one yesterday.
WRITING CAREER
6. Complete my eighth novel.
The book is about half complete, but I haven’t made any progress in 2023 as I focus on my nonfiction first.
7. Write my next Storyworthy book.
Contract signed! Due on September 1. Work has commenced! Two chapters were completed in April.
8. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist.
I sent my beaver-related picture book to my agent for review.
I’m writing a picture book alongside my students. I’ve also started two new ideas. Short, incomplete, and very much in the rough draft stage.
But progress!
9. Write a new solo show.
“Writing” is being completed in earnest. I put the word “writing” in parentheses because I don’t actually write anything that I perform onstage. I speak it aloud, crafting and revising orally, holding it in my mind, and eventually, I’ll make a recording that I can then listen to, evaluate, and revise.
I may eventually use text-to-speech to create a document that can be used for lighting cues, but for now, everything is worked on aloud and stored in my brain, as is my process for everything I’ve ever spoken onstage.
But still… it’s coming along.
10. Perform a new solo show.
July 30 and 31. TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT. Get your tickets here.
11. Write a musical.
My friend Kaia and I are writing a musical that we will also perform, even though I cannot sing. She writes the music and lyrics. She and I write the story.
I need to write some of the story in order for Kaia to begin writing music. I haven’t done that yet because we are currently immersed in the solo show, but once it’s done, I’m hoping to turn my focus on this next staged project.
12. Submit at least five Op-Ed pieces to The New York Times for consideration.
No progress.
13. Write at least four letters to my father.
I wrote a birthday note to my father in March.
One letter sent in 2023 so far.
14. Write 100 letters in 2022.
Another 13 letters were sent in April, bringing the total number to 67.
Recipients included students, the parents of students, friends, a superintendent of schools, Air Canada, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. I also sent a bottle of olive oil to a friend, which is a long story.
15. Convert 365 Days of Elysha into a book.
No progress. There is probably a company that does this sort of thing, so I am on the hunt.
16. Read at least 12 books.
I did not finish a book in April.
I’m in the middle of reading the following books:
“Out of the Corner” by Jennifer Grey
“Tough Sh*t” by Kevin Smith
“From Saturday Night to Sunday Night” by Dick Ebersol
“Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty
“The Groucho Letters”
“Magic Words” by Jonah Berger
Four books read so far in 2023.
“Sapiens” by Yuval Harari
“Life’s a Gamble” by Mike Sexton
“The Sea We Swim In” by Frank Rose
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
17. Read TIME’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time.
I read three more of the 100 books in April.
A total of 13 so far.
I’ve read many of the other books on the list in the past, but I am only counting those books that I have read in 2023 toward my goal.
18. Write to at least six authors about a book I love.
No progress.
STORYTELLING/SPEAKING CAREER
19. Complete the re-recording of Storyworthy For Business.
“Storyworthy” for Business is complete and available for purchase. Find it and much more at storyworthymd.com.
I want to produce a much-improved version of the course ASAP. Module 1 is now re-recorded. The recording for module 2 (and many other things) is currently being recorded. It will take a while, but the results, I believe, will be extraordinary.
20. Record the next Storyworthy course.
Done.
Two brand-new courses have been added to the Storyworthy platform:
Finding Stories
Anatomy of a Story
I’m exceptionally proud of both. You should check them out.
I also have a humor course recorded. It will need to be edited in order to make it available for sale, but that should happen by the end of June.
21. Produce a total of six Speak Up storytelling events in 2023
We produced our first show of 2023 on April 22 at the Connecticut Historical Society. Huge success.
We also are producing a show in partnership with Voices of Hope on May 4. Purchase tickets here!
We also have shows scheduled in July, August, September, and beyond that we will be announcing shortly.
22. Pitch myself to at least three upcoming TEDx events with the hopes of being accepted by one.
Done!
I spoke at a TEDx event at the University of Connecticut in January. It went well despite a malfunctioning clicker that sometimes advanced two slides instead of one.
You can’t imagine how annoyed this made me.
Also, due to the delay in posting a TEDx Talk from more than a year ago, my University of Connecticut talk will not be loaded onto the TED platform for reasons I don’t quite understand.
This is both a blessing and a curse:
A blessing because I can now repeat the talk with a functioning clicker, thus producing a better version of the talk, but also a curse because I prepared and delivered a talk for an audience of about 100 people instead of the tens of thousands I had hoped to see online.
I also spoke at a TEDx event in Natick, MA on April 13. It went quite well.
I pitched myself to TEDx events in Harlem, Roxbury, and on the campus of Yale University. Harlem has declined. I await word from the two others.
23. Attend at least eight Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
I was scheduled to attend a Moth StorySLAM in NYC in April, but a death in the family derailed those plans.
I have two StorySLAMs and a GrandSLAM scheduled for May.
Four Moth shows altogether in 2023 thus far.
24. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.
Done. I won the Moth StorySLAM in Boston on March 29.
25. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.
I will be competing in a Moth GrandSLAM in Boston in May.
I was invited to compete in the Seattle GrandSLAM in March, but traveling cross country was not possible at this time.
I await invitations from producers in New York and Washington DC (where I have won StorySLAMs in the past year) when my turn comes up.
26. Produce at least 24 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.
No progress.
27. Perform stand-up at least six times in 2022.
My stand-up pal and I have plans to perform in our first open mic in 2023 on June 1.
28. Pitch three stories to This American Life.
No progress.
29. Pitch myself to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast at least three times.
No progress.
30. Send a newsletter to readers at least 50 times.
Fifteen newsletters were sent in April. Many were storytelling lessons. Three were Speak Up show and workshop updates.
A total of 31 newsletters sent thus far in 2023.
HOME
31. Clear the basement.
I had hoped to order a dumpster for a day of April vacation, but that vacation was booked with business travel and fun, so it will need to wait until the summer.
Otherwise, incremental progress was made in April. I cleaned out a box of audio cords and some leftover construction material. I also try to throw one thing away every time I enter the basement.
32. Clean and clear the garage.
The dumpster will also be key to completing this task, too, but I did a spring cleaning in April. Looking pretty good once I cleared out the neighbor’s bikes and toys.
33. Furnish and decorate the studio.
Done! The last bookshelf was purchased and built. Lighting was added. The water damage has been repaired.
The studio is officially complete.
34. Eliminate clothing not being worn and closet bins.
Just two bins left to go through with Elysha.
In April, I eliminated all unwanted tee shirts from the closet. Added to the hats and shoes, this is serious progress.
Pants and button-down shirts are next on the list.
FAMILY/FRIENDS
35. Text or call my brother or sister once per month.
Failed to achieve this goal in April. Busy month but no excuses.
36. Take at least one photo of my children every day.
Done. Elysha took photos for me when I was away, but no day was missed in April.
37. Take at least one photo with Elysha and me each week.
No photos of just Elysha and me together in April. Lots of photos of the four of us together, but none of just the two of us.
38. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.
No progress.
39. I will not comment – positively or negatively – about the physical appearance of any person save my wife and children in order to reduce the focus on physical appearance in our culture overall.
Done.
I saw a news clip of a woman being interviewed on MSNBC who looked as if she has been constructed from artificial intelligence. She looked utterly unnatural, so I genuinely thought that she might be a digital fabrication of sorts. I showed this clip to Elysha, asking her what she thought, and she suspected that it might be a less-than-ideal filter or simply far too much makeup.
So while I commented – negatively – on the woman’s physical appearance, I didn’t think she was an authentic human being at first, so I’m not counting this one.
40. Surprise Elysha at least six times in 2023.
Done!
I surprised Elysha once in April:
I brought her and her fellow kindergarten teachers a dessert after a day spent in the rain during a field trip. As an added bonus, I was able to see Elysha and spend a few minutes with her before hustling back to work.
Surprises this year have included:
- Half a dozen birthday cards, all handmade, scattered throughout her life on her birthday
- Tickets to the upcoming Lizzo concert
- A Pusheen Mystery box
- Goodie bag of Trader Joe’s delights
- Coat from Canyon Ranch
- Visit from Kathy
- Surprise dessert, delivered personally to her school
Seven surprises so far in 2023.
41. Play poker at least six times in 2023.
No progress.
42. Spend at least six days with my best friend of more than 30 years.
No progress, but we spoke and agreed to meet as soon as the weather turns warmer.
MUSIC
43. Memorize the lyrics to at least five favorite songs.
I’m still working on Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and “Renegade” by Styx (with Charlie). Admittedly, there wasn’t ,much work done in April.
44. Learn to play the piano by practicing at least three times a week.
Done.
MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS
45. Learn the names of every employee who works at my school.
Progress! I learned the name of one new paraprofessional who joined our team last month.
46. Convert our wedding video to a transferable format.
Done! The wedding video, along with a great deal of other content, was successfully extracted from my ancient Apple laptop. The footage was not removed in perfect order, so some work will need to be done to reassemble the parts of the video, but at last, this goal has been completed.
So excited!
47. Memorize five new poems.
No progress.
48. Write to at least three colleges about why they should hire me.
I have begun writing the letter, though I’m starting to wonder if I would still want the job.
49. Complete my Eagle Scout project.
I’ve reached out to the folks who manage the cemeteries in Newington for assistance on this project in March.
No response.
I’ll try again in May.
50. Post my progress regarding these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.
Done!
