Day 009

If my word for the year is discipline, I failed pretty miserably today.  I have a class that starts on Monday (that I'm teaching) and I should have spent the entire day getting everything lined up for it.  Instead I watched a little television, played with the dog and cats, read a little - in general relaxed - for a good part of the day.  I did work on it for a few hours this evening, but I would have been so much farther ahead and therefore felt better if I'd worked on it longer today.  Hopefully I won't repeat my error tomorrow.

I realized today that I hadn't introduced the other member of the family here yet.  This is Dipstick.  He is Fluffy's brother (they were litter mates). Dippy is so named because when he was little he was all white except for the tip of his tail which was black.  He has grown into his name with his quirky personality too which is kind of nice.  This picture doesn't show them off very well but he has the most beautiful blue eyes.

Hope everyone is enjoying a safe and warm weekend.

How I plan to live 2010 by the numbers

For me, this year needs to be all about building discipline. I've never considered myself a disciplined person. While I might be diligent and even focused, I've never been disciplined. So, rather than loads of resolutions I won't keep I'm going to try to build discipline by living by the numbers.

365 - It's not that large of a number. But, when it comes to keeping up with a goal or a task every day for 365 days, I've never - EVER - been able to come close. Three hundred, sixty-five pennies is only $3.65. Three hundred, sixty-five calories is less than what is consumed by drinking some candy bars and most twenty ounce bottles of soda. Three hundred, sixty-five days is, on average less than 1/70 of the life of a person. Three hundred, sixty-five days is just one year - a mere blip in the span of history. Yet what can I do, once a day, every day, for three hundred, sixty-five days. Here is what I plan to do every day, over the next 365 days:

• Write - Whether it's a post like this one or simply writing down a quote that inspired me that day, I plan to write something - anything - every day.

• Reflect - What is my place in this world? How do I fit here? What is my purpose? I plan to spend a few minutes each day reflecting on these questions.

• Create - Whether a photograph, a collage, a piece of doodling doesn't matter (although I'm participating in a couple of different photo365 projects to try to keep me motivated). I will create something each day this year.

52 - Only fifty-two weeks in a year - and already so much of that is planned. I already have travel plans for more than eight weeks this year. What can I do at least once a week each week for fifty-two straight weeks. These should be slightly bigger things that lead to helping me achieve my 365 activities:

• Cache - In 2009 I "discovered" geocaching. At least once each week in 365, I want to find a new cache.

• Move - I want to make real changes in my physical appearance in 2010 and that's going to require some movement - at least once a week I need to move.

• Review - I'm committed to staying on top of my life this year. That requires a weekly review each week.

12 - Each month is a chance to start anew - to refresh and get a new perspective. The twelve almost equally sized months divide the year into manageable chunks. Months slip by without our notice - I don't want it to happen this year. I want to mark the passing of each month this year by enjoying something special every single month.