PERSONAL FITNESS
1. Don’t die.
Alive and kicking. Recovered from COVID-19. Recovered from surgery. Still don’t have any feeling in my upper left thigh except when it’s occasionally on fire, but as long as I can swing a golf club again, I’m all good.
2. Lose 20 pounds.
I added three pounds in January.
Great start, Matt.
3. Do at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 3 one-minute planks for five days a week.
I won’t be able to resume this goal until March 1 at the earliest thanks to my surgery.
4. Cycle for at least 5 days every week.
I rode the bike on 26 of 31 days in January. I spent much of it listening to music, but I’m also watching “Lost in Space,” which is not quite good enough to warrant spending any focused amount of time watching but is perfect for the distracted viewing of a 45 minute bike ride and the constant interruption of children.
5. Establish my golfing handicap, then lower that handicap by at least 2.
Can’t play golf with snow on the ground, though I’ve admittedly done it a few times. But this is a lot of snow.
WRITING CAREER
6. Complete my seventh novel.
I’m doing a final proofread of “Someday is Today.”
I’ve submitted “Storyworthy 2” and my golf memoir to my agent for consideration.
At last I can turn my eye to fiction. I started writing this past week.
7. Prepare “Storyworthy 2” or update “Storyworthy” or both for potential sale.
The first 40,000 words are in excellent shape and in the hands of my agent. The remaining 40,000 words are still in rough draft form.
8. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist, and one protagonist who is not neurotypical.
I’ve begun writing a new picture book entitled “Hug a Fish.” I’m also working on a partially written manuscript from 2021 entitled “Who Put the Baby in a Tree?”
9. Complete a memoir.
I have two memoirs in progress:
One about the two year period when I was arrested, jailed, and tried for a crime I did not commit, which also led to homelessness then a pantry off a kitchen that I shared with a goat. I was also the victim of a horrific robbery at that time that left me with a lifetime of PTSD amongst other awfulness.
Also participation in an underground arm wrestling and gambling ring.
The second is about the two year period in which a lowly band of anonymous cowards attempted to destroy my teaching career.
I’ve written about 25,000 words for both, so I really need to choose one and move forward.
Instead, I wrote about 1,000 words in each during January, which was not smart.
10. Write a new screenplay.
No progress.
11. Write a solo show.
No progress.
12. Write a musical.
No progress.
13. Submit at least five Op-Ed pieces to The New York Times for consideration.
One essay submitted and rejected in January.
14. Write at least four letters to my father.
No progress.
15. Write 100 letters in 2022.
No letters written in January.
16. Convert 365 Days of Elysha into a book.
I’ve passed this project onto my production manager, so does that count as progress?
17. Read at least 12 books.
Two books – “The Passion Economy” and “Empire of Pain” – read in January. Being quarantined in my bedroom for four days with COVID-19 helped. I never turned on the television even once, instead focusing on reading, writing and resting.
I’m nearly finished John Green’s “The Anthropocene Reviewed” as well.
Off to a good start.
18. Write to at least six authors about a book that I especially like.
No progress.
STORYTELLING/SPEAKING CAREER
19. Complete the recordings for my new business for at least two target consumers.
Lots of recording happened in January. Lots of re-recording happening in January. Harder than it looks. I need a better office. Mine is small, frigid, and exposed to noise of all sorts: barking dogs, neighborhood children, and the damn wind.
20. Engage with LinkedIn at least once per week.
Success. I responded to 12 comments and queries on LinkedIn in January. My plan was to actually post content to LinkedIn, which I will, but instead of ignoring all of the messages and mentions on LinkedIn, as I typically do, I engaged.
One of those engagements resulted in a new client, so the effort has already paid off.
21. Produce a total of 6 Speak Up storytelling events.
We scheduled our first two shows for 2022:
A benefit show for my school on March 19 and a live, outdoor show on July 13 in partnership with the Hill-stead Museum.
We’ll be scheduling additional shows soon. We’re in the midst of a pandemic pause.
22. Pitch myself to at least 3 upcoming TEDx events with the hopes of being accepted by one.
None progress.
23. Attend at least 6 Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
I had tickets for a Moth StorySLAM in January, but with infections rates so high, I decided to skip it.
I’ll be back at The Moth in February, ready to tell a story.
24. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.
No progress.
25. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.
No progress.
26. Produce at least 12 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.
Recording commences in February.
27. Convert my YouTube channel into an actual channel.
Progress. My production manager has begun to structure and re-design the channel, and I’ve been accumulating content for release.
28. Perform stand-up at least 3 times in 2022.
No progress. Waiting for open mics to return.
29. Pitch a story to This American Life.
No progress.
30. Pitch myself to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast at least three times.
No progress.
31. Send a newsletter to readers at least 25 times (every other week).
One newsletter sent in January. I’m already one behind.
HOME
32. Clear the basement.
Scheduled for mid-February.
33. Organize the children’s books.
Enormous progress made. Books have been removed from the kids’ bedrooms and divided into three bins:
- Keep in rotation for kids/students
- Store for future grandchildren
- Give away to those in need
I need to get the large number of giveaway books out of the house now.
FAMILY/FRIENDS
34. Text or call brother or sister once per month.
Done. The texts were short , but it’s a start.
35. Take at least one photo of my children every day.
Done.
36. Take at least one photo with Elysha and myself each week.
No photos taken of just Elysha and me in January. I need to find a way to remember this.
37. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.
No progress.
38. I will not comment, positively or negatively, about physical appearance of any person save my wife and children, in 2020 in an effort to reduce the focus on physical appearance in our culture overall.
Done.
I complimented once person on how relaxed and happy they appeared after a day of struggle, but they mistook the compliment as being about their clothing.
I did not correct them.
39. Compliment one person every day on a topic unrelated to physical appearance.
This turns out to be easier than I thought, at least as long as I’m teaching. I constantly give my students positive feedback, and I compliment my own children quite a bit. There were two days in January when I had to consciously offer a compliment to someone to meet that goal, and in both cases, I complimented Elysha on something she did.
40. Surprise Elysha at least six times in 2021.
No surprises in January but a great surprise planned for February.
41. Play poker at least six times in 2021.
I have our first game scheduled for Saturday night.
42. Spend at least six days with my best friend of more than 30 years.
No progress. We have spoken and texted but not yet gotten together.
NEW PROJECTS
43. Create an emergency preparedness kit for each car.
No progress. Also, I’m driving a friend’s car as I wait for issues with the title to be sorted out by the dealership, so I really need a car before I equip it with an emergency preparedness kit.
44. Memorize the lyrics to at least 5 favorite songs.
I’m working on “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. I’ve played it hundreds of times at weddings and listened to it many other times, but damn, I didn’t know half of those lyrics.
Like this one, for example: “Toora loora toora loo rye ay”
What?
45. Learn to play the piano by practicing at least three times a week.
Done.
46. Convert our wedding video to a transferable format.
Another task passed off to my production manager, who has been working on it.
47. Memorize 5 new poems.
I considered memorizing “Casey at the Bat” or “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and I may still try one or both, but they are long, and I wanted one a little shorter to start, so I’m working on “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” by Emily Dickinson.
I also made a list of poems I have committed to memory, to ensure they remain committed to memory through occasional practice.
48. Write to at least 3 colleges about why they should hire me.
No progress.
49. Understand Instagram better.
No progress.
50. Complete my Eagle Scout project.
No progress.
51. Post my progress in terms of these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.
Done.
