In my Dec. 26th column I asked if any readers were interested in joining an experiment in which they agree to commit a minimum of 10 minutes a day, every day for a year toward some form of self-improvement or goal-achievement. Below is a list of those who responded to ericzorn@gmail.com along with their goals. If you want to add your name and goal, I’m setting a Friday deadline.
Anderson, Elizabeth — Study Spanish
Anderson, Kevin – Master ear training, “enough to recognize all the intervals and major and minor chords.”
Arndt, John — Scan and organize photo library.
Arnold, Tim – Study Spanish
Bales, Beth – Organize and declutter. “I’m starting in my bedroom, purging and finding a place for things. Some of the stuff on the shelves is from my kids’ school years and the youngest is a senior in college…. I’d rather be learning piano or knitting, but really this is a necessary chore.”
Beauvais, Audrey – Write. “Soon I will leave fiction behind and finish the non-fiction book I parked a couple of years ago'”
Bergero, Lynn – Finish her historical novel “Iras of the Empire,” which is “about a woman’s power struggle in 1st century Caesarea, Meroe, and Ephesus.”
Bergeron, Cathy – Declutter closets, drawers, and crawl spaces. “I also have piles of paperwork to go through on my desk.”
Brown, Georgia – Play mandolin
Burlingham, Bob – “To write and finish a short story that will be the bow – the finish, the frosting – on a unfinished first draft novel and a 18-month long #twitternovel.”
Cashman, Laurie – Read poetry
Chessick, Barry – Play guitar
ClarkBaker, Linda – “Learn to play the cello well enough to play a duet with my granddaughter and her upright bass. “
Copper, Rick — Finish third novel.
Courtney, Lisa — Play ukulele / Practice 60s Go-Go Dancing / Organize smartphone photos.”
Cowart, Barbara – Learn to knit
Dobbins, Mary – Fill out the journal titled “The Story of A Lifetime.” “It’s a book full of questions for me to answer about my family and lifetime experiences. I’ve never entered anything in it. I know my children would like to have my/family history in that journal. … I think I have enough to keep it going for the year. I am 68. I have lots of material
Donnelly, Joanne – Yoga
Donnersberger, Eileen. Knit. “When my son decided to buy his first condo several years ago, I started to knit an afghan as a house warming gift to him. He just bought his second condo and the afghan is still in progress. In fact, it’s only about a quarter done. (I will finish) the afghan by next Christmas.”
Fennema, Monet — Draw and paint with water colors.
Fischer, Maureen — walking/decluttering/singing (3 goals!)
Griffin-Irons Dionna – Write a memoir.
Hanlon, Marcia – “Sort and dispose of my deceased mom’s stuff. It has been 10 years.”
Hinman, Barrie — Study herbal medicine using “an ambitious online series of courses I have already paid for.”
Hirsch, Harry— Organize paperwork “for end-of-life… I am 79 and in good health and have a flock of materials to put together
Hirsch, Libby – Organize family photos
Heuer, Bob –Write a proposal for a book “About my life in baseball–i.e. my bachelorhood-era quest to uncover the story of baseball’s Latinos and fatherhood experiences with my sons playing the game of baseball. “
Hutt, Richard – Play classical guitar
Jackson, Tom – “Straighten up & organize the record room, so I can have access to my whole collection and actually walk in the room.”
Kaufman, Ruth — Exercise.
Jensema, Joan – Meditate
Long, Kathy – Train a dog / play piano
Kir-Stimon, Margit — Write. “I have been writing short vignettes about experiences where i have come to different perspectives on the situation – some funny, some sorrowful, some universal, some unique. Many of them revolve around mother/daughter situations where I am either one or the other.”
Lauf, Erica “Write three children’s stories I have been toying with for a few years.”
Liu, Lisa “Empty my inbox (currently at 9239 UNREAD messages)”
Lucas, Toni – Play piano
Maly, Eric – Write a memoir about his elaborate courtship of his current partner and mother of his son.
Mattson, Marc – Complete a novel
McDonald, Lisa – Clean basement
McNerney, Lisa – “I plan to declutter the years of things around this house. I’ve been in this location for more than two decades, and without the pressure of moving, things just keep coming in at a much faster rate than they go out. So, starting with one cabinet, one closet, one bookshelf at a time, for 10 minutes a day, I’m going to bring some fresh air space into this place in 2015.”
Mench, Dorothy — Sort through boxes and storage spaces, “gifting, donating or discarding anything I don’t need and cannot use.”
Michels, Dianne – Play banjo
Mighion, Kristine — Tidy office and organize financial portfolio.
Nash, Susan — Meditate
Newton, Peggy – Play piano. “Now over 80 and have a old piano not used for years.”
Novak, Mila – Reduce personal book collection from 60 boxes to 15, and display those 15 boxes’ worth of book on shelves.
Mayor, Austin — Play guitar and “perform a song that I’ve written in public by the end of 2015.”
Miller, Mark — “As an architect I have been sketching to create a new form of memorial park, called a `Spirit Park,’ over the years, so there would be a place that i felt provided …love and support to my kids even after I leave this physical dimension. …(I have) decided to focus on a “phase one” which will be an online version of the concept of a spirit park. … I hope over the next two months to complete the business plan, have some mock ups of the website, and do a bunch of market research getting feedback and reactions from folks in the different market segments i identified, to complete the business plan, and polish the steps for going forward with this feedback.”
Mouw Paul –.To write and send short “notes of encouragement to friends, acquaintances, or people who could use a kind or helpful word.”
Rowe, Anthony – Write short stories
Sinclair, Donald – Writing (unspecified)
Sova, Laura “to do 10 minutes less of primping/makeup/hygiene … As I get older, it started to increase and the decrease will be refreshing. It’s also a little political act in response to our society’s pressure on women to buy dozens and dozens of products.”
Kooistra, Linnea – Play piano “with the hope of mastering scales which I never did well, and playing duets with my son by next Christmas.”
Reisenbuckler, Carol — Study French
SanFillipo, Eileen Smith – “I am going to spend 5 minutes each morning repeating over and over `I am creative.’ As I `receive` ideas, I will jot them down in a notebook. Every evening I will spend 5 minutes repeating `I am thankful for my creativity.’
Shereos, Wenda – “Read classic books ten minutes a day. Books I thought I would have read years ago but have ended up in the `someday’ category. My first book is Herman Melville’s `Moby Dick.’
Soledad, Judah — Complete novel, working title “Girl Boys”
