Friday, March 25, 2005

2005 Goals: Quarterly Review

IT'S SPRINGTIME and time for... dum, dum, dum, dum... My first 2005 goals quarterly review! If you will recall, I posted my 2005 goals here for all the world to see. Now, a moment of truth as I give a progress report.

Things ain't lookin so pretty.

In the Career goals section, I get an F-minus. Of the 12 goals I set, only 1 is in motion. No new publication credits, no website, no start on writing a play, no building of a wardrobe for performance - no, no, no, no. The only thing I've done is to give at least 1 free performance a month.

Action Plan:

1) Talk to Paul about the website.

2) Write a plot summary for the play.

3) Send out a new batch of poems for publication.



In the Health section, I get a D. I'm actively engaged in 3 of the 5 goals. I am eating more vegetables, doing a leg workout once a week, and drinking more water. As for my target weight of 168 pounds, I'm failing miserably. Opening the year at 162, I actually lost 5 pounds while in South Africa eating my own cooking. Not cute!

Action Plan:

1) Start eating breakfast to gain more weight.

2) Intensify the chest workout.



In the Spiritual section, I get a C. I've been adequately pursuing 3 of the 4 goals. (I haven't been to a church yet this year, where I said I would attend once every two months.) But I have taken a platonic friend out at least once a month, sown before reaping, and meditated consistently each morning in South Africa - though I've gotten sidetracked upon my return.

Action Plan:

1) Get thee to a church!

2) Get back to morning meditation!



In the Financial section, I get a B-minus. I've significantly cut down on eating out. I've put a dent in my awful Capital One card, and I'm actually ahead of schedule on making $5000 as an entrepreneur this year.

Action Plan:

1) Be creative and create financial opportunities for your writing instead of waiting for them to come to you.



As for Relationships, I get an A. I'm calling more often, saying No more often, giving more compliments, and am doing better at visiting my parents. Yeah!

Action Plan:

1) Keep up the good work!



In the Miscellaneous Personal category, I'd give myself a B-minus. I've been arriving early for most engagements, I've cleaned out my closet, and I've done a so-so job updating the blog.

The thing at which I've been most successful is exposing myself to new experiences. I've touched African soil, eaten chakalaka, performed a poem for a Zulu high school, tried a couple of different Atlanta restaurants (Two Urban Licks and South City Kitchen), seen a play with nudity ("Take Me Out" at Marietta's Theatre in the Square), learned some words in Zulu, seen a film in Zulu ("Yesterday"), and learned (hands-on) about the art of printmaking.


Action plan:

1) Get the book club involved in a community project.

2) Plan a trip to the Carribean.



And finally, regarding Self-Improvement, I'll give myself a B-minus. I'm engaged in pursuing most of my goals - attending at least 6 plays, learning 5 new recipes, completing the 1st year of my MFA in Poetry - and planning the others - swimming, Spanish, acting lessons. I feel pretty good about it.

Action Plan: 1) Keep on keepin on!


Overall, my F-, D, C, B-, A, B-, and B- average out to around a C or C+. Which means I'm passing, but I've got a lot of room for improvement. And as for the dreams, none of them have happened yet, but I'm imagining they'll begin to fall into place as I improve on reaching my own goals.

If you took me up on the challenge at the beginning of the year and set your own goals, what is your progress report? Feel free to share.

Ayo

3 comments:

junior said...

162 Lbs? My brotha, you need to go to GNC and get you some Mega Mass 4,500...lol. I am about 260 so I can probably loan you about fitty pounds or so.

M. Ayodele Heath said...

_a_y,

Are you serious? I remember you were bulking up the last time I saw you years ago, but are you, like, Lee Haney now?

My, oh, my what else did I miss at our 10-year reunion?

junior said...

Yeah I guess the last time I saw you was at Lennox that time....damn near 10 years ago!

I guess I have dieseled up in that time...I should own stock in GNC