A Climber of Trees (Private)

"Failure is an option, but fear is not." -- James Cameron, film director, 2010.

Write a letter to my future self: could be very scary -- this is one I'm not going to do at this time, but may reconsider. Get out of the comfort zone: the social thing has to be the most important zone for me; I'm comfortable in a routine that avoids people and insulates me against contact and real friends. I need to spend less time with college students and more time with classmates and perhaps pipers Put someone up to a challenge -- perhaps a weight loss challenge with Dorian, or some cycling challenge with Martinez. Identify your blind spots -- following the discussion in the first post, a brief list of things that annoy me: Children in public, especially unsupervised, while parents are oblivious in their own worlds litter obese people eating to eat public profanity lateness ... this isn't working; these are just gripes, and I don't think this is showing much about my blind spots Ask for feedback -- will. I will ask students for feedback this week and will...

42 Practical Ways to Improvement I'm going to attempt this entry without the drama or self-defeating attitudes or false humility. 1. Read a book every day -- well, not now. Too busy with reading to read books. 2. Learn a new language -- probably should focus on learning an old language, so what can I do to strengthen my French? Write to Joanne en francais Read a news RSS en francais Seek out one article en francais on topics I'm researching anyway, to practice the vocabulary and see it in practice. 3. Pick up a new hobby -- like bag-piping? Check. So far, one out of three, possibly two out of three. So far, pretty good. 4. Take up a new course. No time. Too busy taking courses. 5. Create an inspirational room. This is a good one. The living room is/can be inspirational. Will need to ensure that occupants understand this. So, perhaps three of five, even four of five. I must be improving without knowing it. 6. Overcome fears -- like what? This needs a prompt in of itse...