correct me if i’m wrong

I spelled out my goals at the beginning of this year. They are horribly outdated.

Revised Goals for 2009

1. Blog an average of once a week.
2. Read one book every two weeks.
3. Lift weights two times a week.
4. Become well-versed in machine learning.
5. Volunteer with students in science-related activities.
6. Ramen profitability for WatchUWant!

Long-Term

1. Speak four languages by the age of 30 (english, spanish, french, kanji)
2. Learn to box
3. Become a millionaire by 35
4. Rewrite book 7 of the Harry Potter series

Reflecting On What Went Wrong

My original goals didn’t exactly pan out. Stop reading here if you don’t want to be bored.

My first book of the year was Zen The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a philosophical narrative about how motorcycle maintenance parallels fundamental values. It has three or four solid themes that the author hammers home for nearly 500 pages. I eventually dreaded picking it up and it stalled my progress for months. I concluded that I don’t need to finish everything I start and so I moved on.

Lifting weights takes up too much energy to do three times a week, especially leg work outs. I compromised by doing two days a week of upper body and legs when I feel like it.

I was salsa dancing up to four times a week earlier this year, and improving quite rapidly. But then I stopped. This is a sisyphean skill, and as soon as you let the boulder roll down the mountain lifting it back up is a magnitude of effort harder than maintaining it.

I stopped working on iFlex and Wordisms to devote my time to WatchUWant. I would like to polish and release iFlex, time permitting.

I am looking forward to helping at the National Hispanic University in August, which is an organization designed to help Hispanics get degrees. This includes running after-school and summer programs for high-school students to obtain important college prep skills. I hope my volunteer work provides a basis for more community involvement later.