#2017Goals

This is the year of ambitious goals. Actually, every year begins with ambitious goals. If you're like me (and many others) January is your month to try and accomplish your lofty New Year's resolutions. Research shows that only 8% of people actually stick to their goals. The Loupe is here, today, to change that stat and set you up for success! Many goals require a plan (comprised of various small steps) that once completed arrive you at your objective. Wouldn't it be nice if someone or something helped you to achieve your goals, one step at a time, without you having to painstakingly plan it out on your own? In this week's Loupe, I will introduce you to my plan (made easy by others) to achieve some of my 2017 goals! 

Goal: Be Healthy

TakeCareOf
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Besides eating more healthy and exercising, your body may need a bit more. A perfect way to fill in the gaps and give you a boost are vitamins. But where do you start? There is so much misinformation (fake news) in the vitamin department that it is hard to trust anything or anyone. The last vitamin I took was a Flintstones Multivitamin when I was a lad. Either way, TakeCareOf is using innovative research to personalize a vitamin regimen for just you. When you register, the program asks you a series of questions about you and your health priorities. From this online interview, they establish a regimen of vitamins curated for you and your needs. My daily regimen is Vitamin C (The Citrus Savior), a Probiotic Blend (The Harmonious Gut), and Astaxanthin (The Coral King). They send a monthly supply of 30 individual packets with your pills .. the packet even has your name on it! You can also supplement their recommendations with your own vitamins of choice that they will add to your daily pack. There is no need to think about it ... just rip open your daily package, gulp some water, and you are on your way to being a healthier version of you! 

Goal: Get in Marathon Shape!

New York Road Runners Virtual Trainer
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I must disclose that I ran the New York Marathon in 2008. The reason I ran was that my wife ran it in 2007, and I found myself both proud and jealous! Further, she "encouraged" me to run the following year by suggesting that the training "wasn't for me!" That was all the "encouragement" I needed. Either way, I ran the marathon and had an amazing experience. The reality is that the day of the Marathon I was in the best shape of my adult (post college) life. My New Year's Goal is to get back into that shape despite the impact of being 7 years older.

While we all know the resource of the New York Road Runners Club for marathoners, did you know about the NYRR Virtual Trainer Program? Ditch (reduce?) your personal trainer and sign up for this! All you do is enter information about yourself, the race you plan on running, or your goals for running, and BAM ...  you get a plan. The plan is sent to you every morning, so you don't have to think about it. The emails also give helpful running and health tips --- we all could use a little help from our friends! 

Goal: Write a Book

Daily Page
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Something on my bucket list that always seems to get pushed to next year is writing a book. My list is ambitious, so it includes two books: one fiction and one non-fiction. This is the year that I set out to finally check this off the list. Therefore, I signed up for Daily Page to help execute my plan. Daily Page subscribes to the philosophy that to be a writer you just need to write. It sounds easy and obvious, but most people I know don't do it or make it a daily habit. This tool sends an email everyday with a new writing prompt. These prompts are useful for finding your style and voice. After you write, Daily Page logs the writing and tells you how much and how long you spent, and gives you encouragement. Further, you can purchase a set course, which include Storytelling 101, Screenwriting, and more. These courses will guide you through the components of unifying your work into a narrative. I hope by the end of the year, I will have something. Who knows, maybe I am or one of you is the next JK Rowling, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Roth or even George RR Martin. 

Goal: Fly to Outer Space

Zero G
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Space. The Final Frontier. Something you imagined doing when you were a kid. Something you knew you would never do when you were an adult. That can all change now thanks to fellow Louper Lisa S. who introduced me to Zero G. This company has modified a Boeing 727 into G-Force One! This plane is capable of recreating weightlessness by flying along a parabolic arc. Each arc allows flyers to experience weightlessness for 20-30 seconds, and they do about 15 of these. The experience mimics both Lunar gravity (one sixth your weight) and Martian gravity (one third your weight) by extending the length of the arc. These flights are available in a number of cities and don't come cheap ... about $5,000 a pop. I'm signed up for when they are in NYC on May 29th, who's in? 

Effortlessly meet your New Year's goals, maybe even cross off some Bucket List items, and consider TakeCareOf, NYRR Virtual Trainer, Daily Page, and Zero G Found!