PERSONAL FITNESS
1. Don’t die.
Pneumonia had me reeling for a bit in February, but I eventually defeated it.
As always, I plan on living forever or die trying.
2. Lose 20 pounds.
I lost another 5 pounds in February, bringing my total weight loss to 16 pounds.
Feeling really good about this.
3. Do at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and three one-minute planks five days a week.
I missed about a week of exercise because of pneumonia. Otherwise, done.
4. Cycle for at least five days every week.
I couldn’t ride the bike for six days due to pneumonia.
I also rode a Peleton for three days in the hotel gym, which I did not enjoy nearly as much as my Nordictrack and reaffirmed my purchasing decision.
The Peleton is a fine bike, but my Nordictrack raises and lowers to match the terrain on screen and has a fan to cool me off as I ride. I know the Peleton has an outstanding cast of workout coaches and great music, but I can’t stand being told what to do. I watch movies and listen to my own music when exercising.
I’m currently watching “The Last of Us.”
5. Improve my golfing handicap by two strokes.
Thanks to a golfing weekend in Florida back in January, I lowered my handicap from 17.6 to 15.9.
I won’t be playing golf again until the weather improves, but lessons continue in earnest.
WRITING CAREER
6. Complete my eighth novel.
The book is about half complete, but I haven’t made any progress in 2023.
7. Write my next Storyworthy book.
Contract signed! Due on September 1. Work has commenced!
8. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist.
I have an idea for one new picture book involving numbers.
I’m supposed to be revising a book about beavers.
All of this is to say, “Not a lot of progress.”
9. Write a new solo show.
I’ve been working on this quite a bit in January, adding transitions, anecdotes, and jokes to the structure that my director, Kaia, and I have already created.
I also found an interesting beginning and end wrap-around.
I’m excited about this project.
10. Perform a new solo show.
My first-choice theater is hoping to confirm dates for me in their already packed lineup. Fingers crossed it can happen.
I can’t wait to announce dates.
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.
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.
No progress.
14. Write 100 letters in 2022.
Another 16 letters were sent in February, bringing the total number to 49.
Nearly halfway to the goal!
Recipients included students and former students, a colleague, two clients, a friend, and two businesses.
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.
In February, I read:
“Sapiens” by Yuval Harari
“Life’s a Gamble” by Mike Sexton
“The Sea We Swim In” by Frank Rose
I’m in the middle of reading the following books:
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Nioah (re-reading for our book club)
“From Saturday Night to Sunday Night” by Dick Ebersol
“Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty
“The Groucho Letters”
Four books read so far in 2023.
17. Write to at least six authors about a book I love.
No progress.
STORYTELLING/SPEAKING CAREER
18. 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 scheduled for March. Kaia and I will be spending a lot of time in the studio.
19. Record the next Storyworthy course.
No progress.
20. Produce a total of six Speak Up storytelling events in 2023
I’ve scheduled four shows in 2023, including some remarkable venues.
Our first two shows are on April 22 at Wolcott School – a fundraiser – and April 29 at the Connecticut Historical Society.
We also are producing a show in partnership with Voices of Hope on May 4.
Mark your calendars! Tickets on sale soon!
21. 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.
I was also invited to speak at a TEDx event in Natick, MA on April 13.
I pitched myself to TEDx events in Harlem, Roxbury, and on the campus of Yale University.
Harlem was only looking for residents of the borough, so they passed. I await a response from the other two.
22. Attend at least eight Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
I attended one Moth StorySLAM in Boston in February.
One show altogether in 2023.
23. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.
I attended one Moth StorySLAM in Boston in February, but my name was not drawn from the hat.
24. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.
I was invited to compete in the Seattle GrandSLAM this month, but traveling cross country was not possible. I await invitations from producers in New York, Boston, and Washington DC.
25. Produce at least 24 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.
No progress.
26. Perform stand-up at least six times in 2022.
I have a stand-up partner who will be going to open mics with me. We have a date and location planned for April and will be punching up each other’s sets in March.
27. Pitch three stories to This American Life.
No progress.
28. Pitch myself to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast at least three times.
No progress. But I watched his special. It was excellent.
29. Send a newsletter to readers at least 50 times.
Two newsletters were sent in February. A total of 10 newsletters sent thus far in 2023.
HOME
30. Clear the basement.
I’m ordering a dumpster for a day during my April vacation so that I can clear out things that need to go. Otherwise, incremental progress was made in February.
31. Clean and clear the garage.
The dumpster will also be key to completing this task, too. Incremental progress was made in February.
32. 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.
33. Eliminate clothing not being worn and closet bins.
I removed the other two bins of clothing and moved them downstairs in hopes of finding an opportunity to go through the clothing with Elysha. My closet is now free of clutter. A culling of pants, jackets, and hats is next on the list.
FAMILY/FRIENDS
34. Text or call my brother or sister once per month.
Done. I exchanged texts with my sister several times.
35. Take at least one photo of my children every day.
Done.
36. Take at least one photo with Elysha and me each week.
Photos were taken in two out of four weeks, which is sadly good for me.
37. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.
No progress.
38. 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.
39. Surprise Elysha at least six times in 2023.
I surprised Elysha twice in February:
Her Pusheen surprise package arrived, filled with fun Pushneen paraphernalia.
I also gave Elysha tickets to the upcoming Lizzo concert for Valentines Day. This was especially surprising given that we had a Speak Up storytelling event scheduled for Gillette Castle on the same day, which required me to move that show to the fall before purchasing the tickets.
She’ll be bringing a friend to the concert, who is equally excited.
Three surprises so far in 2023.
40. Play poker at least six times in 2023.
No progress. So annoyed.
41. 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
42. 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).
43. Learn to play the piano by practicing at least three times a week.
Done.
MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS
44. Learn the names of every employee who works at my school.
Progress! I learned the name of another paraprofessional who I don’t work with directly but occasionally see in the lunchroom, and I also confirmed the last names of two people who I only know by their first name.
45. Convert our wedding video to a transferable format.
Nearly done! A professional who does this sort of thing successfully extracted by wedding video and other content from the laptop in question. We will be meeting soon so that I can get these things back into my possession.
So excited!
46. Memorize five new poems.
No progress.
47. Write to at least three colleges about why they should hire me.
I have begun writing the letter.
48. Complete my Eagle Scout project.
I’ve reached out to the folks who manage the cemeteries in Newington for assistance on this project.
Charlie is excited to help.
49. Post my progress regarding these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.
Done!
