Putting yourself out there

Some friends of mine are participating in NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to write a novel (50,000 words) in a month, specifically the month of November. I thought very seriously about participating (I tried last year, but failed to finish), then realized that between the new job, moving cities, and trying to exercise every day I didn't have time to write a novel, even a crappy one.

I came to that realization when I read this blog entry by a friend of mine about NaNoWriMo. She talks about peer feedback and expectations as a motivating force to finish an important, difficult task (in this case, writing a novel). Upon reading that I realized two things: (1) I prioritize exercise over NaNoWriMo (even though it would be fun) and I don't have time to do both in November, and (2) a little peer feedback and expectation may help me in my goals too!

Poof: Operation Active. Eh, dorky name, I know. I tried to keep it short and not diet/weight loss related, as it's more about staying in shape and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

(Of course, I now eat dessert every day at work, but that's why I exercise every day, right? Right!)

Subsequent posts on my friend's NaNoWriMo blog make me realize that people go about accomplishing large goals in very similar ways, regardless of what the goals are. She talks about planning ahead (plot). About trying to write at least some every day. She talks about tools for charting her progress and providing a useful feedback mechanism. Sounds pretty similar to what I'm doing, and what most people do, to realize weight and/or fitness goals.

So, I'm putting myself out there. By being a critical audience you will help me stay on track. At least, that's the idea. In the end, we write novels and lift heavy weights for ourselves.