Goals for the new year

I hate resolutions. I, like most people, say I hate New Year’s resolutions, yet I always make them to myself and when I break them, I justify it by telling myself that New Year’s resolutions are dumb. This year, I mean it. I’ve made some goals for myself and in a round-about sort of way for my family. They include the following:

1. Lose weight - Now, I’m not obese by any means. However, while working 5 years at a desk job, and mostly when I was working three jobs at once, I packed on some extra baggage. I currently weight about 190 pounds and am 5’9”. I could probably stand to lose about 15 pounds of chub and, hell, if that was replaced by lean muscle, I’d be a happy camper.
2. Better opponent - What’s worse than getting winded chasing your 5-year-old around the park playground? When she calls you “old” because you are writhing in cramping unhappiness like a sissy. That will end after I’ve built up my endurance again like I used to have when I ran regularly.
3. Strive for perfection -I’ve been internally inspired by an interview I read in some magazine (I was sitting in the doctors office reading it) of Brad Pitt when he was preparing for his role as Achilles in Troy. In it, he was asked about his workout regimen to beef himself up to play the god-like ancient warrior. He said he took a year and strived for physical perfection. He wanted to see how far he could take his physique. Anyone whose ever seen him in a movie such as Snatch, Fight Club or Troy, knows just about every part of him is chiseled and lean. I realize he is probably one of those people I loathe who is gifted with good genetics, but what’s stopping the rest of us guys from striving for physical perfection ourselves?
4. Malibu Triathlon - In September, I want to participare in my very first triathlon. The one I’ve set my sights on is the Malibu Triathlon. Head over to my Triathlon page (currently dusty and unloved) which I hope to get much more use out of.
5. 2006 and beyond – I don’t think I’d be ready for it this year, but in the next couple of years I’d love to participate in this bike ride benefiting AIDS/Lifecycle

Those are some of my goals for this year. Why have I chosen to make public? Because I’m one of those people that needs support of friends and family to stay motivated. I can justify anything to myself. But I’m hoping, if I have some sort of support, I’ll stick with it.

Related posts:

1. My try for a Tri
2. War in Iraq: One year later