La Bene Vita

TGIF with only three full weeks to go!

Launch one new Potbelly song per week.
Pending. Today is my last day to try, because tomorrow I get pre-empted for the OSU/Michigan game... which gives my manager an extra day to get my damn microphone fixed.

Post at WordPress at least once per month.
Pending... and I need to start noticing the date.

Launch one new Praise Band song per month.
Goal met.

Write one new original song per month.
In progress.

Write new lyrics once per day through November.
Fail.

Earn at least $60 per pay period at Textbroker.
Goal met!
Current Balance: $31,64, with $28.70 pending client acceptance. Due date: 11/20/09.

I'm starting off my next pay period with a direct order.

Earn at least $25 per month at Helium.
Goal met!
Current Balance: $40.00. Due date: 11/24/09.

Resign from Abbott by 6/1/10.
In progress. The manager from BD's Mongolian Barbecue stopped into Potbelly for lunch yesterday. He really liked my playing, left me a tip, and asked for a business card. He's been wanting to set up a musician in his store for dinner. I didn't have any business cards - gotta get on that - but I gave him my contact information. Between Textbroker Direct Orders and potential music clients, I might end up with full-time employment without teaching lessons. I'm watching the frequency of client interactions increase exponentially, and I can just project out that by this time next year, I might be declining business.

Wow.

On the Abbott front, next week is a 2.5-day week in the form of Thanksgiving. The next three weeks are regular work weeks, and then a 3-day Christmas week, and then a 5-day vacation, and then it's January. If all goes according to plan, I'll be taking vacation days every week at that point until it's time to leave, which means these upcoming three full weeks are the last I'll ever spend at Abbott.

Wow.

Folks, if you want to escape the rat race, you actually can. You just need four things:

(1) something you enjoy doing that can earn you some money,
(2) the ability to live on said money if it's less than you're used to earning,
(3) a plan, and
(4) the drive to see your plan through to completion.

And maybe (5) a goal-tracking blog.

Achieve a weight of 145.0 by Thanksgiving.
Trying-ish.

Weight: 153.0

Meals:
7:30am ZonePerfect Indulgence bar (3) and coffee (1)
9:30am Nuts (1) and coffee (1)
10:30am Coffee (1)
1:45pm Skinny roast beef sandwich (7)
3:00pm Chai (1)
5:15pm Apple ZonePerfect bar (3)
7:30pm Fiber PopTart (3)
9:45pm The other PopTart (3)
10:45pm Veggies (0) and nuts (5)

Current real estate goal: Organize garage.
No activity.

Read a book in print for fifteen minutes every day.
Fail.

Business: Location. Start looking into real estate opportunities.
No activity.

Business: Music Instruction Books.
No activity.