2010/2011

Seems like it’s time for one of those annual review and goal posts. I don’t make resolutions, because that just sets me up for failure. Goals, on the other hand, give me something to strive for.

Writing:

• In 2010 I made 24 short story submissions. My previous high was 10 (in 2009), so I’m quite happy about that. I’d like to increase it again this year, though not by the same percentage.
• I only wrote two stories in 2010. In 2011 I plan to write four.
• Finished and began revising a book and started writing another book. This year I will finish writing the one, finish revising the other, and start a new one. I’m trying to get down to a one book a year schedule; not there yet but getting faster.

Fitness:

• Last year I ran 3 5ks and failed to come in last in any of them. This year, I plan on doing two 5ks, in April and November, and would like to finish in under 40 minutes.
• Last spring I started swimming again, so I plan to do a triathlon or two this year. There are two local ones that have the swim in a pool instead of a lake, and that wouldn’t require a 1+ hour drive to get there, so I’m keeping an eye out for when they’re scheduled.
• I’m going to join the bike club again and actually go on some rides. Riding on the roads is a lot more comfortable in a big group.
• Last weekend I ran across a program for working up to 100 consecutive pushups (also 200 crunches). Being able to do 100 pushups in a row seems like a neat ability so I’m giving it (and the crunches) a try.

Also in the “neat but useless abilities” category is mental arithmetic. I don’t remember where I found this link, but someone made a 2011 lightning calculation calendar with methods and exercises for multiplication, square roots, logarithms, etc. It’s been a nice “wake the brain up in the morning” technique for the past couple weeks.

(Crossposted to LJ.)