HOT DAMN — Achieving My Goals

LIFE’S WONDERS PRAISED IN SUGGESTIVE, ODDBALL, AND NONSENSE WAYS

As a counterpoint to my usual cynical antics, I’ve committed myself to a weekly, year-long discussion of my life’s joys.  But, never one for the more traditional approaches, I intend to keep things a little off side, a tad outlandish, and always one foot outside of polite company.

//ACHIEVING MY GOALS//

It’s important to set goals.

Even more important, though, is achieving those goals. You work hard, you struggle, and despite some initial setbacks, you push through to the end. You did it, bro. Good job.

I say that somewhat cheekily, but I mean it, too. Quite often we chastise ourselves far more consistently then we praise ourselves. Sometimes we don’t even praise ourselves at all. I suppose that kind of back slapping is frowned upon, and maybe that’s because it seems a little masturbatory. But if you set goals that challenge yourself and force you to grow as a person (be it intellectually, emotionally, or otherwise), then self-congratulation will hardly lead to hairy palms or partial blindness. I think.

Apparently making lists helps in achieving your goals. So I hear.

This year, I set several goals for myself, and I actually achieved a good handful of them:

• I bought a car
• I lost a (significant) bit of weight
• I finally took my first trip on a plane (and wound up in P.E.I.)
• And I wrote a weekly blog series about all the positive things in my life that I take pleasure from

The last one is important. Most of the time, I’m a rather pessimistic fellow. Oh, I play it off with humour and (aspiring) wit, but there’s no mistaking me for a motivational speaker. Still, I thought it was important for me to try something a little more upbeat.

And so the HOT DAMN series was born, of which this entry is its last. On the whole, I think it went moderately well, though sometimes I did verge into pessimism thinly disguised as optimism (such as “Not Slam Poetry” and “The Silly Responses to the Gay Marriage Ruling”).

By far, the most popular entries were about family, my weight loss, and (surprisingly) baby wipes. Also, a good number of fitness junkies read and liked my post on protein shakes (aka Bro Shakes). Sure, some of my other posts were less well received, but that’s because they were long winded and too typically Zac-centric, if you know what I mean (and I think you do).

How I’d like to end this series, however, is with you, dear friends.

As most of you likely know, I’m not a particularly social person. Yes, I often prefer being alone, but, as the cliché suggests, I’m not antisocial. Hardly. I totally dig parties . . . of one or two people.

What I really mean to say is, I enjoy your presence here. Even more, I appreciate it. Admittedly, I don’t know who any of you are; you register as nothing more than a blip on my site statistics. But for me, inside this little boy heart of mine, your presence is felt.

So thank you.

No matter how many goals I set, they would mean nothing if I achieved them alone.

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Did you miss last week’s entry on CHRISTMAS?  Catch up here.

For a full list of all HOT DAMNs, click here