PERSONAL FITNESS
1. Don’t die.
Still alive.
As always, I plan on living forever or die trying.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Hopefully excellent
2. Lose 20 pounds.
I lost another 3 pounds in June, bringing my total weight loss to 35 pounds in 2023.
I won’t declare victory until I get through the year with sustained weight loss, but at the moment, the goal to lose 20 pounds, as well as my revised goal of 30 pounds, has been achieved.
Now that I’ve hit my new goal, I’m setting my sights on another 10 pounds, which would bring my total weight loss to 40 pounds. This might be difficult but not impossible.
I still need some new pants.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
3. Do at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and three one-minute planks five days a week.
I did not miss a single day in June.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
4. Cycle for at least five days every week.
Done. I cycled every day in June. My stationary bike broke and was out of commission for about a week, but happily, the weather was suitable for riding outdoors.
I also rode the bike (stationary and actual bike) two or more times on a single day for 16 days in June.
I still want a stationary rower. I still don’t know where to put it.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
5. Improve my golfing handicap by two strokes.
My handicap at the start of the year was 17.6.
I played about a dozen rounds of golf in June and increased my handicap is up to 20.9.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m getting much better.
Lessons continue.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Good
7. Write my next Storyworthy book.
Work continues. Five chapters were completed in June. Due September 1.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
8. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist.
My agent has my beaver-related picture book for review.
I’ve also started two new ideas. Short, incomplete, and very much in the rough draft stage. All of this must wait until the fall, but I feel excited about the ideas I have.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
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. I’ve got a solid 40 minutes so far.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
10. Perform a new solo show.
July 30 – August 1. TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT. Get your tickets here.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Unlikely
12. Submit at least five Op-Ed pieces to The New York Times for consideration.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
13. Write at least four letters to my father.
I wrote a birthday note to my father in March.
One letter has been sent in 2023 so far.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
14. Write 100 letters in 2022.
Another 15 letters were sent in June, bringing the total number to 94.
Recipients included students, the parents of students, Little League coaches, a restaurant, and gymnast Olivia Dunne.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
15. Convert 365 Days of Elysha into a book.
No progress. There is probably a company that does this sort of thing.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Probable
16. Read at least 12 books.
In June, I read “The Science of Storytelling” by William Storr and “Slayers and Vampires: The Unauthorized Oral History of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel” by Edward Gross and Mark Altman.
That makes eight books so far in 2023.
I’m in the middle of reading the following books:
“The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore
“Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal and Ryan Hoover
“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”
Eight 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
This Will All Be Over Soon” by Cecily Strong
“Magic Words” by Jonah Berger
“The Science of Storytelling” by William Storr
“Slayers and Vampires” by Edward Gross and Mark Altman
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
17. Read TIME’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time.
I didn’t read any of these books in June. Reading will resume in September when school starts.
A total of 15 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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
18. Write to at least six authors about a book I love.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Good
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. Module 2 (and many other things) is currently being recorded. It will take a while, but the results, I believe, will be extraordinary.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
20. Record the next Storyworthy course.
Done.
Two brand-new courses have been added to the Storyworthy platform:
Finding Stories
Anatomy of a Story
Humor: Volume #1
I’m exceptionally proud of them. You should check them out.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
21. Produce a total of six Speak Up storytelling events in 2023
We produced two shows in 2023 so far:
- April 22 at the Connecticut Historical Society
- May 4 in partnership with Voices of Hope
Our next show is a collaboration with another local show on July 29. Tickets here.
We also have shows scheduled in the summer and fall that we will be announcing shortly.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Probable
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.
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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
23. Attend at least eight Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
I attended two StorySLAMs in June. Boston and New York. My name remained stubbornly in the hat for both.
A total of nine Moth shows altogether in 2023 thus far.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
24. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.
Done. I won the Moth StorySLAM in Boston on March 29.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
25. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.
I competed in a Moth GrandSLAM in Boston in May and did not win. I also had to go first, which is not exactly fun or conducive to winning.
I was invited to compete in the Seattle GrandSLAM in March, but traveling cross country was not possible at that time.
I await invitations from producers in New York, Washington DC, and Boston again (where I have won StorySLAMs in the past year) when my turn comes up.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
26. Produce at least 24 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.
No progress
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Unlikely
27. Perform stand-up at least six times in 2022.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
28. Pitch three stories to This American Life.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
29. Pitch myself to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast at least three times.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
30. Send a newsletter to readers at least 50 times.
Four newsletters were sent in June. Two bi-weekly storytelling newsletters and two Speak Up show and workshop updates.
A total of 39 newsletters have been sent thus far in 2023.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
HOME
31. Clear the basement.
Major progress was made in June. Nearly all of the furniture has been repositioned. Items continued to be removed. Work is going well.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
32. Clean and clear the garage.
A much-needed dumpster, a trip to the dump, or perhaps a neighbor’s tag sale will be key to completing this task, but it’s nearly done. There are large items that need to be discarded, and a pile of school supplies needs to be eliminated, but otherwise, almost complete.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
33. Furnish and decorate the studio.
Done!
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
34. Eliminate clothing not being worn and closet bins.
Just two bins left to go through with Elysha.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
FAMILY/FRIENDS
35. Text or call my brother or sister once per month.
Done.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Probable
36. Take at least one photo of my children every day.
Done.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
37. Take at least one photo with Elysha and me each week.
Two photos of just Elysha and me together in June. Lots of photos of the four of us together, but only two of just us.
Many four of the four of us, but that doesn’t count.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
38. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Unlikely
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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
40. Surprise Elysha at least six times in 2023.
When buying flowers for Clara and Elysha’s two students following their dance recitals, I also bought and surprised Elysha with flowers as well, for all the effort put into getting Clara prepared for her performance.
Elysha took those flowers and turned them into something even more beautiful.
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
- Another surprise surprise dessert delivered personally to her school
- Another Pusheen Mystery Box
- Tickets to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Tina Fey/Amy Poehler, and Jenny Lewis
- Flowers following Clara’s dance recital
Eleven surprises so far in 2023.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
41. Play poker at least six times in 2023.
No progress. It’s ridiculous since I love this game so much.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
42. Spend at least six days with my best friend of more than 30 years.
Two visits in June.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Probable
MUSIC
43. Memorize the lyrics to at least five favorite songs.
I memorized the lyrics to Vance Joy’s “Lay It On Me.” It’s an excellent song if you don’t know it.
I also memorized the lyrics to “Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay and the Americans. Also excellent.
I’m still working on Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and “Renegade” by Styx (with Charlie).
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
44. Learn to play the piano by practicing at least three times a week.
Done.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS
45. Learn the names of every employee who works at my school.
I learned the name of two paraprofessionals who will not be working in our school in September. Oh well.
But September is a great time to ensure that I learn the names of new employees.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
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!
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Absolute
47. Memorize five new poems.
No progress.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
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.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
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 need to try again.
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Possible
50. Post my progress regarding these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.
Done!
LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETION IN 2023: Excellent
