Do or do not, there is no Try...

Yoda said it best, didn't he? I was watching TV the other day and there was a small blurb about resolutions and why they fail.

First, the verbiage is all wrong.
Resolutions.
Goals.
Things you want to do.
They all smack of resignation that you will TRY but if you fail, then at least you tried.

So from now on, I am calling these my 2009 Things I Will Do list (TIWD).

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2009 TIWD Theme: Momentum

Description: I have done some things in 2008 that set me on a better path. This year is about maintaining that, apply some gentle pressure and keeping that momentum going. Some of the things I did were:

• losing weight
• lifting
• getting a handle on nutrition
• getting more balanced on fitness - not just running and numbers, but also making sure that everything is balanced.

This year, I hope to build on that foundation and then do more.

So, without further delay, the 2009 TIWD list:

1. Go to 15 new restaurants - 5 are out of metro Boston and Brookline area
   • January 14: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Boston)
   • March 20: Sichuan Garden (Brookline Village)
   • March 25: Orinoco (Brookline Village)
   • April 21: Snuffers (Southlake, TX)
   • April 22: Uncle Julio's (Southlake, TX)


2. Host 5 dinners for Charity - if possible. Try out the first one and see if it works.


3. Run 5 marathons
• April 20: Boston Marathon (MA)


4. Go to 5 movies at the theatre instead of watching them on the treadmill!
   • January 1: Slumdog Millionaire


5. Run or bike consistently for 5 days a week. This is on top of Scary Trainer which means lifting twice a week
• May 9th: Doing great. I've done some sort of activity every single day since December 29th!


6. Collect 5 new distilleries
• Benromach Organic
• Port Ellen
• Fettercain
• Lonach


7. Serve dinner to the homeless for a special dinner or a holiday dinner


8. Do the house to where I am 75% comfortable that its done. This is the interior - cleaning up, finishing the rooms, getting organized


9. Lose 5 lbs I've gained, lose 5 more pounds on top of that


10. Visit someone I haven't visited in in a few years or meet an online friend face to face and not necessarily at a race!


11. Swim at Walden Pond in my wetsuit


12. Study Chinese at least 5 hours a week!
• January 14th: Not doing so well on this one. Sigh...
• May 9th: STILL not doing so well...

Then we have the carry overs from prior years or just things I have to work on.

1. Stay off Webkinz!! TIME SUCK!


2. Read 15 books
   • "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running." by Murakami Haruki


3. Visit one new baseball park (failed spectacularly at this one in years past)