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Ben wanted a lollipop and Laura and I were OK with that.  But, we didn’t want him to have it in front of Jack.  We explained that to Ben.  He stopped, thought about it for a second and then responded, “Can I sit next to him and have it?”

So far, I’ve completed a book, been to bed early almost every night and have gotten up early every morning but one (because I had a hockey game the night before). I’ve even made it to the gym before work a few mornings.

Overall, the resolutions are working out well. I’ve been really tired in the early evenings but I think I just need to get used to it.

This year I’ve made three resolutions.  There’s no better way to stay on top of them than to share them with the world, so here they are:

• Read more – Specifically, the goal is to read one book every three weeks, which works out to 17 1/3 books.  So, the bottom line goal will be 17 books.  My book reading has really dropped off since the kids were born and I miss it.  There’s been a lot of “screen time” reading (or watching) but books have taken a back seat.  That needs to change.  First book will be Carl Hiaasen’s Nature Girl.
• Go to bed earlier - Every “school night”, I want to be in bed by 11:00 PM.  That may sound late to some folks, but I’ve been a 12:00-1:00 AM (or later) kind of guy for years.  Often, I’ve stayed up WAY too late and it’s made it harder to function at full speed the next day.  This doesn’t mean I necessarily need to be asleep, but in bed reading (see above) would be fine.  I’ll be more likely to fall asleep when horizontal rather than sitting at the computer.
• Get up earlier – My goal is to wake up at 5:30 AM on “school days”.  One thing that I need to start doing better and more consistenly is preparing for my day at the office.  I’ve reached a level where I don’t have the flexibility to wing it quite as much as I have in the past.  By getting up earlier and wrapping up the morning rituals, I’m hoping to find myself with 30-45 minutes of quiet time to identify my 3 “MITs” or most important tasks.  The goal for the workday is to then be sure to complete those tasks.

All three goals are related.  If I get in bed earlier, I’m sure to read more and will probably wake up earlier, as well.  Waking up earlier lets me establish my MITs.  But getting all that work done will make it more likely I’ll be tired and ready to go to bed.  Wish me luck!!