Self-Development Check-In: How Did You Do?
By Alex Fayle

• Someday Lesson: Once you truly commit to your dreams, getting started and finishing get much easier.

At the end of August in my newsletter and again at beginning of September here on the blog, I asked: what would you commit to changing in September?

For me, some switch flipped internally and September turned into one of the most productive months I’ve ever had. I finished the draft of a novel that I started last November for National Novel Writing Month then moved forward only sporadically throughout the year. I finished an outline on the next novel and started that writing on average 1100 words a day. I got back into running and today reached 17km in 1 hour and 50 minutes.

And I finished my next ebook, I’ll Get Around To It Someday.

I don’t know exactly what happened but after taking most of August off, I was filled with not just the desire but the need to get going on my writing and my fitness. And now it’s a habit I don’t want to break.

In response to my question, via email and in comments on my blog, 26 people stepped forward and told me their self-development goals and 2 others told me about recent successes and challenges they faced.

I had stated that one lucky person would receive a copy of Someday My Dream Will Come In, my first dream-discovering ebook, but after reading about everyone’s desires, I decided that most of you don’t need that book – you know what you want – you just need help getting there.

And maybe because I’m on an adrenaline high from my 17km run this morning, but I’ve also decided to do something a little crazy.

Instead of giving away just one copy of my forthcoming ebook, I’m going to give a copy to every single person who stepped forward in September. That’s right. Just by stepping up and committing in writing to a single self-development goal, you are going to receive a copy of I’ll Get Around To It Someday, a workbook that looks at the roots of procrastination and helps you figure out ways to kill the procrastination habit.

So, as soon as the book is back from the designer, I’ll be sending it out to you – before anyone else gets a copy.

In the meantime, while you’re waiting for the ebook to arrive, take a look at the 26 self-development goals and then take a moment to update all of us on the status of your goal.

1. I am a dancer and started to teach last autumn, but it’s been going slow. I know what I could do to get more people, more gigs, more classes going but I somehow can’t get around to it. So this is my Someday I want to get rid of. Start sendind regular newsletter to my students, invite more people to try out my classes, create the flyers I have in my mind, put together the website. I am starting right now, and at the end of September I want to have a regular performance in my city, two running classes, scheduled some workshops and made valuable contacts. The website will be up and running, the flyers distributed to all dance-related places.

2. I’d like to firmly incorporate 60 minutes of cardio (running, biking or walking) four times a week into my life. I procrastinate a lot on this but feel so good when I actually do it. I’d really like to make it a firm habit as it makes me feel really good and of course is a plus for living a healthy lifestyle.

3. the Someday I want to get rid of is what I call the “HOW” – the question that keeps me from reaching my goal of getting a major project finished. I know what I want to create, I know how useful it will be and that there is a market for it, I have created a mock-up … and then I say, “Yes, but HOW …” and I derail myself.

4. I have been procrastinating on completing an insurance claim from
a couple of years ago when my laptop was stolen from my trunk
as I was having dinner with friends in SF. I haven’t made the police
report, so that will be step #1.

5. My one someday that I’d like to get rid of is to learn how to do a handstand.

6. By the end of September I will have my vegetable garden prepared for Spring planting which is a big task directly related to by desire to pursue self sufficiency and eat my own produce. But even bigger than that on 28 September I will fly from Australia to Europe and after visiting a few places in Italy and Switzerland first I will fulfill a life long ambition to go to Paris. So when you check back with me I’ll probably still be on holidays and will very cheerfully, say yes I’ve done it!!!!

7. This month I will submit at least one article (I intend to write and submit more than one) to be published.

8. I’ve been meaning to work on focusing more at work - less time spent surfing the Internet and taking breaks and more time getting work done. I think it’s a kind of creeping problem because I don’t realize how much I do it until my deadlines all catch up with me. Then I get stressed and I want to take more breaks to relieve the stress. So I will spend September leaving my Internet closed for most of the morning. I will avoid certain sites (news and blogs) and make an effort to check them at home either before or after work.

9. This month I would like to return to the habit of being more physically active on a regular basis. I have agreed with a friend to sign up for yoga and dance classes, but have not signed up as of yet… I have a spinning bike in my basement that is free for me to use…

10. I’m caught in a vicious cycle. Every five weeks I’m faced with little work and few quality leads. This has been going on since May. I find myself booked solid with projects for a month and then nothing. My someday challenge is designing my day (or at least one day each week) to identify and contact quality leads.

11. Create a budget and stick to it. I’ve been a student for the past 4 years (on and off) and my finances were always rocky. Sometimes I needed to borrow money to last until the end of the month, or I’d have to take out way more than expected of my college savings in the middle of the year. I have 3 more years of school to go, and have decided to set up a budget and stick to it. This will make my life a lot easier, and I will be able to stop worrying about money so much, and so asking for money all the time. I have a feeling that September will be a tough month adjusting to that though.

12. I’m going to develop my novel-writing skills this month and focus on my Happiness Project group.

13. I’m going to try to find the passion in what I do. I have the luxury of a secure job, but no interest, no passion. I want to love what I do…to feel as though I’m making a difference, no matter how small and menial the task I’m accomplishing. I’m not exactly sure how to do this, but with conscious effort, perhaps it will manifest.

14. I am going to commit to turning my online writing/blogging passion into a real income. I will explore new avenues to develop my desire to do so, and will not let fear of the unknown hold me back from pursuing my dream.

15. This month I’m going to try to stay on top of my writing and build up my blog. I’m not sure how yet, but I’ve got a month to figure it out.

16. This took a lot of thought, but basically stop changing my mind about the direction of my blog. I want to write and keep at it. Given that I initially started blogging in April 2008 and then gave it away for a while. Then came back towards the end of 2008. However in August I deleted my ID and decided to start from scratch. I intend to write about what I want to write and see what happens from there. I still want to be writing on this blog in 12 months time. But want to set at the end of September as an initial goal.

17. I just finished a contract of limited duration and this time I want to find a job I truly have a passion for. After 12 years in customer service (behind a desk) I want to step out and do something new but I am still trying to convince myself I am ready for it.

18. I am going to take your challenge and commit to taking time out for me, whether it’s to read a novel, or get together with a friend, or go out shopping for something new to wear to these upcoming events, because it’s when we’re really busy that we need those me-breaks more than ever.

19. I want a clean office. I want to get rid of the clutter. I want to file the papers that need to be instead of just sticking them in a pile to file later. I want to recycle the magazines I’m holding onto that I’ll never read again (or never in the first place!). I want to feel calm and serenity when I sit down to work and write each day.

20. I will commit to putting a draft plan together around my book idea. I’ve been wanting to do it for so long and keep saying “tomorrow.” But if I have a whole month, I know I can do it!

21. I recently started working through Chris Guillebeau’s Social Web guide. I commit to having worked through the entire thing by the end of September.

22. I need to get rid of clutter. I’ve been taking a look at what it is costing me in energy and I’m sick of it. My office space is ok, but outside of that…. sigh….

23. This month I’m going to start exercising again - it’s not a huge thing, because I actually exercised a lot last year, but since I became ill I wasn’t able to (coeliac disease). This month I will try to get back into a routine and hopefully my illness won’t interfere too much! The plan is to exercise every second day starting with only a little bit and to increase the sets over the next few weeks and see how much I can handle with my illness.

24. I intend to raise my self discipline by a certain value I have measured. I intend to do this by one act of self discipline that stretches me slightly more than I would normally stretch myself. Self discipline is one area which I have identified as a grey area in my life which prevents me from carrying on commitedly with changes in other areas.

25. I am thinking of applying for a job in a bio supermarket which would mean I would become a shop attendant. In one way, it’s something I would like to do because it’s an extension of how I’m trying to live, more eco, more conscious, more energy efficient but on the other hand I seem to be afraid of what people will think of me.. you know, she had a good job and now she works in a supermarket…

26. Personally, this month I have been inspired to lead a healthier lifestyle. I joined a gym and commit to 4 mornings a week. Today I worked with a personal trainer. Although I am not a morning person, I have found that getting up earlier to work out has become a routine similar to brushing my teeth. I have much more energy, feel better about myself, am happier, sleep better, and make healthier food choices.

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