Exigency

My present state of being requires a drastic change if I wish to stave off the physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, and financial atrophy that I am experiencing. It is my desire to be a well-rounded individual and to continue to progress in life. The problem is that I have become so indolent in all aspects of life that I hardly have a semblance of living. I feel as if I am among the waking dead and this cannot be. Therefore, I have decided to make the following goals for myself and am posting them so that I may be held accountable from outside sources (that is all of you, my friends).

PHYSICAL:
The Problem: My physical well-being has been suffering over the past several years. I've never really treated my body poorly, but I haven't kept it tip-top either over the years. Nevertheless, once I began working full-time and attending graduate school in the evenings, most exercise ceased and my eating habits digressed from semi-healthy to horribly unhealthy. The result, I became extremely out of shape, packing on pounds, and becoming short of breath. . . pathetic. To make matters worse, last year (as I was finishing up my master's degree) I tore my achilles tendon. The result--a cast and crutches for six months followed by physical therapy. Needless to say, I am now in the worst shape of my life and this must not be.
The Solution: I am going to discipline myself to eat a wider variety of healthy foods (I won't entirely eliminate the "good" tasting foods, i.e. junk food, but I will limit it. Furthermore, I will exercise at least four days a week (preferably six) with a combination of weights and cardiovascular activities.
The Goal: Lose 20 pounds in 6 months (or if I happen to bulk up with muscle, then I won't worry about the weight so long as my double-chin is gone an my stomach is flat).

SPIRITUAL:
The Problem: I have become far to casual with my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I have seemingly been going through the motions and not living the gospel with all my heart. The result, I have offended the spirit on more occasions than I would like to admit.
The Solution: Commit to reading the scriptures for at least 30 minutes a day, take time to pray frequently and sincerely, take time to ponder, seek opportunities to serve others, and train my heart and mind to see others as our loving Father in Heaven sees each individual.
The Goal: Be in tune with the Holy Spirit so that I may recognize and act upon the promptings that He offers me.

INTELLECTUAL:
The Problem: Having been burned out on graduate school I have taken a "leave of absence" from the intellectual world. Having done so, I have become extremely lazy with reading or studying in general and with each passing day I am the more stupid for it.
The Solution: I am going to set aside 30 minutes every day for my own intellectual development. I am leaving the actual activity open so that I don't get burned out on one activity.
The Goal: To develop my mind so that I can engage in intellectual discussions when such opportunities arise and so that I may feel good about my own personal development.

SOCIAL:
The Problem: I am innately an introvert. The truth of the matter is that I don't mind spending time on my own rather than with groups of people. This may seem odd to some and obvious to others. It is nothing personal, so don't take it as such, and I am not completely introverted--there are times that I need and desire good company. I suppose that this can be both good and bad. The bad--I don't date as much as I should, and as much as I look forward to develop a loving relationship with some woman and having a family, I don't get my skibbies all bunched up in a knot when I don't. Perhaps I should be more concerned about my dating habits. . .
The Solution: Force myself to be more social--attend more activities, go out more frequently, meet more people, and ask more ladies out on dates.
The Goal: I'll keep this one to myself (after all, I am an introvert--I must keep some things on the inside:).

FINANCIAL:
The Problem: With rising prices, and rising unemployment, there is a bad combination for keeping finances where I would like them to be. I am not struggling by any means--after all, I have no debt, I have enough money saved to get me through the summer without working, I've been consistently stashing money away for retirement, and I've even been able to purchase a few "wants" among all of the needs. Unfortunately, I haven't been saving for a house, which is something I really need to do.
The Solution: Spend less on "wants" and begin a savings account for a home. While I hold tithing and fast-offerings sacred and will continue to pay/donate, I can cut off my financial generosity to friends in need (I know that sounds horrible, but I really need to save for a house).
The Goal: By summer's end, begin placing a specific percentage of my earnings into an account for a home, comparable to what I am doing with retirement.

*I know that this must be really dry reading. My apologies to anyone who has made it this far with the reading--in truth, this particular blog is really for me in order to write down my thoughts and hold myself accountable.