I’ve failed at goal-setting so much in my life.
Lose this much weight by this date, learn this much of that language by another, get my art skills up enough so I can make some dumb thing…
I ride waves of motivation instead of setting a sustainable, seemingly-boring pace from the start.
So I’ll start with pacing and get more detailed as I go.
Tier 1: Every Day
- Track caloric intake
- Make/review flashcards
- Check up on a loved one
Tier 2: Every Other Day
- Lift (shoot for 2-3 sessions/wk)
- Read something new
- Be seen and heard online
Tier 3: Once per week
- Spreadsheet diet, weight, and lift data
- Try a new recipe
- Visit someone in person
Tier 4: Biweekly
- Assess whether energy balance is correct, lower calories if weight loss is below 1kg/week on average.
- Blog
- Prioritize paycheck:
- Expected expenses (bills, gas money)
- Debt
- Travel savings
- Crypto
- Petty cash
Wish-Making
What I did was consider everything I’d ever wish for, then eliminated anything I could or would not work to have.
- Be comfortable in my body.
- Be supportive of loved ones.
- Financial stability to live modestly and travel broadly.
- Japanese language competency.
- Read and write music.
- Do and Be > Record and Show
Now a little bit more about where I am and what I think I might be able to get done this year.
Comfy Body
I’m obese. I am nearly 100kg, and I should be closer to 75kg. I’m going to eat fewer calories such that I am losing 1kg every two weeks for the next year. I’m going to lift 1-3 times per week and get some cardio done on the off-days.
My diabetes could be managed better, my blood sugar is often on the. high end of normal and this endangers my vision, which I like having.
I would like to wear nicer outfits and feel that being overweight limits my options, not merely in terms of mass-produced articles but also just how good I can possibly look.
Some things are financially-constrained, such as having a current eyeglass prescription, corrective braces for my teeth, and surgery to remove pubertal gynecomastia.
In a year I can lose almost all the fat I need to, and while I’ll still work on the other things, that needs to be fixed first. All my other health problems decrease with my weight, and even my relative strength improves.
Be Supportive
I think the best relationships I’ve had involved a degree of selflessness that I guard too jealously. In the last year or so I have been detrimentally dismissive of the problems of others when it would have been no greater effort at the time to offer consolation.
While I have been sick more often than years prior, I am not so committed to any of my interests that I can’t afford room in my mind and heart for people I already care about to begin with. Even as I become more serious, as this post is about, I want to remember that this is something worthy of work too.
In a year I would like to have a stable romantic relationship founded on mutual appreciation and emotional support.
Financial Stability
I have taken on more responsibility than I can handle, and am now in debt. That has to be removed first, a flame that will grow even when doused. It must be eliminated.
I cannot simply direct all incoming money toward it unfortunately, so I will have to keep a close eye on what I do with each paycheck. Reserve enough money for the time until the next paycheck, pay as much toward the debt as possible, and have just a little left for social visits.
In a year I think I can be debt-free and saving toward the trip to Japan I would like to make.
Japanese Competency
I haven’t done enough research to determine what this actually means, yet.
For a basic and immediate use, I’d like to understand and sing some of the Japanese music I’ve been listening to lately.
I know I don’t need any kind of certification to just visit Japan, but I’d like to be able to engage there socially when I do visit.
In a year I would like to be able to translate some songs without reference, or possibly just comprehend what I’m hearing and be able to repeat it even if I don’t necessarily understand all of it.
Musical Competency
I have a friend who is interested in learning piano, and I’d like to accompany her.
I don’t really have any use for music in my life other than to cherish others. I have some worry that I’ll enjoy music less the more I know about it, which is dangerous given how little I enjoy it to begin with.
Still, I’d like to have more to say than “that sounds good,” and not just critically. I want to be able to communicate what could be added or removed, why, and so on.
In a year I would like to be able to mentally “hear” music I’m reading, or possibly be able to play an instrument with some improvisational capability. I wanna jam.
