At the beginning of the month I completed a kick-ass workbook that Tony Robbins put out called The Power of Momentum: Seven Steps to a Fulfilling 2006. Afterwards I took the top 4 goals that had materialized out of completing the workbook, and posted them on my new Zaadz Goals section. Since then I’ve decided to do a couple things regarding these goals, so that they aren’t just good ideas. One is to publicly share them here, in part to create some public accountability, and in part to inspire other people. So here they are:
Get Straight A’s & Graduate: This one is pretty straightforward. I have two semesters left at Naropa before I finish my undergraduate in Religious Studies. My aim is to get straight A’s both semesters and to have my degree in hand by the end of this year. Part of the reason I’m going for straight A’s is not because I care so much about getting good grades, but rather because a more long-term goal I have is to get into grad school next year. Along with taking the GRE, having strong grades my last year will probably impact my ability to get into the schools I’m applying to.
Meditate 2 Hours Daily: I’ve had a daily meditation practice for over 3 years now, and the next level for me, in terms of daily practice, is to have a consistent 2hr/day practice. I will define what I mean by consistent a little later, but by practice I mean formal sitting practice, where I actually sit down for a pre-determined amount of time, and focus exclusively on a specific technique (or formless practice). In other words, walks in the woods, or getting into a “meditative space” while doing something else, don’t count.
Improvement of Overall Health: This goal is going to be a little harder to define, since its scope is so wide. Part of what I’ve decided to do is determine some of the quantitative things I can actually measure, and keep fine-tuning what will lead to greater health. One of my main resources in this area has been Fantastic Voyage, a wonderful health book by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. Here are a few of the things I’m looking at now in terms of improving my health:
- Gradually eliminate junk foods (high glycemic index/load foods, refined sugars, fried foods, transfats, etc.) through moderation
- Reduce body fat to %12 or under (currently I’m not sure what my body fat is. Will need to measure that).
- Build up to a 4 day/week weight training program (currently going 2-3 times each week).
- 4 day/week aerobic activity (either walking or biking for at least 30 mins)
- “Aggressive supplementation” – Emily and I have recently starting taking some high doses of multivitamins, and will likely be adding some other supplements in the course of this year.
Learn Basic Thai: Another of my goals is to have a basic grasp of Thai (writing, reading, & conversational ability) by the end of this year. This goal is twofold. One reason for doing this is because Emily & I are planning on going to Thailand for several months after I graduate. The other reason is because I want to get a head start on learning a language that will contribute to my language requirements in grad school. Voila! I have two self-teachings books that I want to have mastered by the end of the year. One I already have and have started studying, and the other I’ll be ordering when I get through this book.
A little side note about this whole goal thing before I go on… I recognize that setting goals, being directional, and driven is not right for all people at all times. I don’t think the way I’m approaching this year would necessarily work for everyone else. I also recognize that if I take my directionality too far it can turn into self-defeating striving, or can take on a hint of arrogance and work to alienate those closest to me. Even so, having goals, setting direction, and being disciplined and committed has always worked for me. It’s a strategy that continues to keep me inspired (which given the outlook that meditation practice tends to illicit, is freaking amazing), and keeps me joyous about the possibilities that exist as a human being. So as I was saying…
The above are the top 4 goals I have for this year. I’m doing other stuff, but these are the things I’ve decided are really worth pursuing, worth investing my time and energy into, etc. In order to make sure that I’m not simply blowing hot-air up my butt crack (hehe), I’ve decided to follow this post up with a couple more. One will be a post concerned with my initial strategy for each of these goals. These strategies will be about how I plan on making them happen, and what I will consider success. The other thing I’ve decided to do is to revisit these goals each quarter. Much like businesses do when they evaluate their progress during the four yearly quarters (April, July, October, & January), and give their stockholders the good (or bad) news, I’m going to be checking back in with my goals, looking at the progress I’ve made and the ground I still have to cover. That will also be a good time to check in with my strategies, and see whether or not they’re working, what needs to be changed, added, or taken away. I can then dynamically correct my direction, or create subtly new directions given whatever new data I have, and hence will be able to breathe fresh air into this whole process. Should be fun!
Goal #1: Strategy – 1st Follow-Up – Final Results
Goal #2: Strategy – 1st Follow-Up – Final Results
Goal #3: Strategy – 1st Follow-Up – Final Results
Goal #4: Strategy – 1st Follow-Up – Final Results
Hell yea dude. Goals kick ass!