2011 Resolutions | #4 – Renovate My Basement

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I have been meaning to talk about the power of goal setting and some methods for setting and achieving goals on this blog.  As a way of addressing this topic, I am going to talk about my four resolutions for 2011 this week.

The resolutions I have explored over the last few days have all been bout personal development – both physical and intellectual.  For my last resolution in 2011, I have elected to embark upon a journey that will benefit my family both financially and in terms of bettering our quality of life.  As most readers know, I have twin girls who will be two years old this summer.  My wife and I bought a comfortable three-bedroom, one and a half bath house four years ago.  When we bought it, we had just one dog and no children.  In the past four years, we have added one dog and the twins.  Our once spacious house has since grown a little less empty.  I will rectify that situation in 2011.

My final resolution for 2011 is probably the hardest one for me to accomplish – I will commit to make our house more livable for my family.

2011 Resolutions | #3 – Read 20 Books

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I have been meaning to talk about the power of goal setting and some methods for setting and achieving goals on this blog.  As a way of addressing this topic, I am going to talk about my four resolutions for 2011 this week.

I have gone through phases in my life where I read a lot and phases where I have read very little.  Despite my lackadaisical commitment to reading, I believe it to be a fundamental building block in creating and intelligent person.  In my experience, the people who can converse about most anything during a work meeting, dinner party or even while have a beer at the bar are the people who read.  Newspapers, magazines, books, blogs – the media does not really matter as long as people are absorbing new information on a regular basis.  I have not been doing that lately for numerous reasons that are irrelevant to this post.

In 2011, I will commit to increasing my reading quantity in order to become a more well rounded intellectual.

2011 Resolutions | #2 – Run At Least 3 Races

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I have been meaning to talk about the power of goal setting and some methods for setting and achieving goals on this blog.  As a way of addressing this topic, I am going to talk about my four resolutions for 2011 this week.

I do not now and never have considered myself a runner.  As you read in the previous post, I have always been a big person.  Growing up, I played football, basketball, baseball and (in high school) track.  I always played positions that required more strength and power than speed and endurance – lineman, center, catcher, shot putter and discus thrower.  I have never needed endurance in my athletic pursuits.  However, as time moves on, the requirements of your body change.  Likewise, I found that once I left school-related activities I lost an outlet for my competitive nature.

Running will cure these issues and 2011 will be the year I commit to being a runner.

2011 Resolutions | #1 – Lose 35 lbs

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I have been meaning to talk about the power of goal setting and some methods for setting and achieving goals on this blog.  As a way of addressing this topic, I am going to talk about my four resolutions for 2011 this week.

The straight up truth is that I am overweight.

Standing at a height of 6’2” tall, I am by no means a small person.  I have always carried my size well – I have always looked more muscular than overweight.  During college and even after college, I would lift weights on a regular basis.  This activity kept me in shape but put a lot of size on my body.  I was never concerned with the size I was putting on other than wanting more.  For me, lifting was a way to get bigger and stronger.  I was eating in a manner that coincided with muscle gain during this time.  High caloric intake that centered on clean proteins was my main dietary concern.  Unfortunately, over the last three or so years, my workouts have tapered off as work, children/family and the house have changed my priorities.  Despite the lack of workouts, I have still maintained my eating styles.

The added intake without exercise has manifested itself into a person who recently topped out at 270 lbs.  My unhealthy increase in weight directly links to the elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels I have experienced over the last few years.  Obviously, there are many gains to be had from reducing my weight: reduction in health care risks, increase in quality of life (read: I will be able to keep up with my kids even more) and probably lengthening of my life just to name a few.

In 2011, I am ready to get back to my ‘fighting weight.’  My goal is very direct – I intend to lose weight, at a healthy pace, in 2011 by eating healthy and exercising.