The First Goal Achieved!

I found a goals worksheet online and I’m going to use it to make sure my goals are still fresh and relevant. I’ll be working through the worksheet over the next several days in the blog.

“Do I have a Vision for my life?”

I do actually. I have a vision for my life.

“If yes, how will my goals emerge out of that vision?”

My goals will (perhaps already have) emerged out of my vision in this way: I imagine how I would like my life to be in one month, one year, and five years. I ask myself “in what ways is my life not like this now?” To bring my life into integrity with my vision, it is going to take work on my part and the support of Howard (God). With regard to each individual goal, I ask, “Hey Howard, what steps do I need to take today to move me toward this particular goal?” Howard tells me in my head and I type that action item under that goal. Every morning at 07:00, I check in on the phone with my action partner. He tells me the action items he’s going to tackle that day and I share with him mine. We check in the next day and report on how we did and list the action items for the new day.

I’ve been checking in with this action partner for maybe a week and a half now. I’ve been just picking some things that I know I need to do and listing them as the (usually three) action items for that day. Tomorrow I’ll do that again but I want to move more into sharing action items that have to do specifically with the attainment of my goals. Perhaps I’ll share those with y’all as well. At least I’ll keep you abreast of how that’s going.

When I looked back at my goals list tonight when I started to write this blog, I realized that 1) I haven’t been looking at my goals list lately (that needs to change; I need to look at them daily at least once) and 2) I have achieved one of the goals on the list! That need to be acknowledged and celebrated. #1 on my short-term goals list, “I live in New York City,” has been achieved as of February 10! Yeah me. Yeah Howard. Yeah support team (that includes you, my blog readers).

Incidentally, for those of you who missed it, I call God “Howard” because I figured out when I was very young that that was God’s name. It’s in The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, Howard be thy name.”

I don’t want to just drop goal #1 from the list because it’s been accomplished. I’ll leave it there for now with the word “accomplished” by it until I decide how I’m going to handle that– maybe I’ll make a new list of accomplished goals and add a new goal to the list as the accomplished ones go to the new list.

To remind us of my goals, I’ll list them again here now in their revised form. Remember that I state my goals as if they are already made manifest. (I tell you that to avoid in confusion.) As always, I appreciate your good thoughts and prayers. Just having accomplished that first goal has made a world of difference. Imagine what life will be like when they are all accomplished. And they will be.

Here are my revised goals as of February 21, 2015:

Short term goals:

1. I live in New York City. ACHIEVED!
2. I have a reasonable spending plan to which I abide. It covers my basic living expenses, self-care, savings, investment, tithing, and entertainment. I have a positive cash flow and spend less than I make.
3. I incur no unsecured debt.
4. I lift or do CrossFit six days per week.
5. I drink a gallon of water a day.
6. I abstain from all nicotine products, excessive caffeine, compulsive sex of any kind, and unhealthy foods.
7. I don’t drink or do drugs and live with a general sense of happiness and serenity.
8. I write for four hours every day.
9. I have a prayer and meditation practice, at least 15 minutes morning and evening.
10. I attend one recovery support group meeting daily, in person or via conference call.
11. I have a three month prudent reserve.

Long term goals:

1. I own a residence that I love in NYC.
2. I have a healthy body that serves me well. When I look in the mirror I’m pleased with what I see.
3. I have written 25 movies, 10 TV shows, and 25 plays.
4. I am the man of my dreams and I’m married to the right and perfect husband for me.
5. I head a successful production company.
6. I make $110K or more per month.
7. I live off 10% of my income and direct the rest to do good on the planet.
8. I head a successful nonprofit that helps Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We teach Pure Peer Support techniques, host weekend retreats, sponsor creativity workshops, and offer paid internships in the entertainment industry providing the veterans employment that fulfills them and sustains them financially. We have big, beautiful work spaces and in New York City and Los Angeles.
9. I have a six months prudent reserve.

See y’all tomorrow

“How will I define my vision?”