Zen Habits is born

I'm excited. OK, and nervous too.

With this blog, but a drop in the ocean of blogs, I will chart my progress with my life goals. I will post what I learned, from research and from experience. I will share the secrets of success to building good habits that lead to accomplishing any goal to which you set your mind.

My credentials? Well, here are a few:

* In a week and a half, I will be running my first marathon, just a year after I first started running (I couldn't run a mile a year ago).
* I just celebrated my one-year anniversary of quitting smoking. This was my first life change in the last year, and the changes kept on coming all year.
* I've also successfully become a vegan.
* I'm now an early riser (between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. daily).
* I've lost more than 20 pounds, and counting.
* I've become very organized (I'm a disciple of GTD, a clean desk and an empty inbox).
* I've simplified many parts of my life.
* I am writing my first novel.
* I am eliminating my debt (a work in progress).
* I'm halfway to my goal of saving for a $1,000 emergency fund.

But I'm not an expert yet. I am learning as I'm going, and in addition to continuing my success with the above goals, I am planning on tackling the following:

* Completing my first triathlon by summer (and learning to cycle and swim in the process).
* Commuting to work by bike.
* Achieving a flat stomach.
* Becoming a more positive parent.
* Practicing patience.
* Meditating.
* Getting into law school (applying in 2007, to start law school in 2008).
* Further simplification of my life.

I'm also a writer, with two jobs, six children, a beautiful wife, and a very busy life. My kids have soccer, honor choir, academic challenge bowl, doctors appointments, parent-teacher meetings, school performances, PTO meetings, other classes (such as aikido or dance), and more, so I will be posting about how to deal with such a busy life and achieving your goals at the same time.