OK, here are my 2008 commitments.
I am posting these so that you can get an idea what I am going to be accomplishing next year and why I have decided on these particular commitments. You have over a week until 2008 so maybe you can use my commitments a a springboard for your own ideas.
- Ride at least 4 days/week for total time of over 200 hours during 2008: Road bike riding is my primary form of exercise as well as the key way I get to satisfy my competitive nature outside of work. I have been riding seriously for almost 5 years after 20+ years of running. I really enjoy the structure of planning out each week’s worth of riding and going out after work for an hour or so really helps keep everything in balance. I ride by myself 2-3 days a week and with a group the other 1-2 days. I have pretty much decided to stop racing criteriums (fast circuit races) as I just don’t have the time to train properly to be truly competitive but I mainly don’t want to risk a bad crash like I have witnessed/barely missed in nearly every “crit” I raced. I guess I’m getting a little chicken in my old age:-) Instead, I plan on riding several “competitive” centuries this year. If I can stay healthy (see below) I may attempt a 12 hour event.
- Learn something new every day: I am reading “The Intellectual Devotional” which is 365 days worth of knowledge from 7 key areas. It should help me learn a little each day and might inspire me to try something new. I will read this book each evening before bed.
- Become more flexible: As I get older I am finding out that my body doesn’t tolerate the abuse like it used to. As a result I am finding that I am starting to get some small, nagging injuries that could affect my ability to participate in cycling, among other things. So, I have already begun a nightly stretching routine that is already starting to make a positive impact. I will probably order “Yoga for Cyclists” as it has specific routines to help cyclists become more flexible. I want to be “200%” more flexible by this time next year. I realize this might be hard to measure but I will use the flexibility of my hamstrings as the benchmark. Currently, I can barely get my hands past my knees while sitting on the floor with my legs flat against the floor. I should be able to touch my feet easily if I am doing things the right way.
- Make time to visit out of town friends: We have very close friends (two different couples) that live, now that we all have moved, in two different cities than us. We have a great time when we are together. We have made a point the last few years to get together for at least a long weekend. This is a major goal for us this year as we don’t want to break that tradition.
- Obtain advanced investment management designation: I am going to begin work on an advanced investment planning professional designation. There are 2-3 courses of study available and I will need to investigate them to see which one best complements my current experience. I will have narrowed the field by the end of January and I could be done by the end of the year if I pursue one or by the end of 2009 if I pursue the other.
As part of my commitment to myself, and everyone else who reads this, I will update my progress each month. For better or worse, I will let you know how I am progressing and if I have had to make any adjustments along the way.
There you go, I have laid my 2008 commitments out there for everyone to see. There is nothing earth shattering, just some things I would like to improve on. Hopefully they will give you some ideas for your own. To develop your own, follow the outline I had in my last post.
Everyone please have a happy and safe holiday!
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