Week 1 review

Pillowscape at the Affinia Shelburne Hotel in New York City

  

• How many items on the list were attempted? Three: 16, 18, 27.
• What did I do? Continued to read "Franny and Zooey," practiced yin yang and purchased a foam roller, watched three movies.
• What will I work on next? Get started on 29-31.

Finding lotus

Source

I have limited flexibility in my hips. For two years, I have practiced yoga, Pilates and regular stretching to solve this problem. Having tight hips can affect your posture and develop pain in the lower back and knees. These are common side effects that I have and I hope to alleviate them, too.

That's the purpose of No. 27: Execute lotus poses. The photo above is an illustration of this yoga pose. It's commonly associated with meditation (No. 29) and it's best done with open hips. Usually I have to sit cross-legged whenever I try to get into this pose, and sit on several blankets and cushions in order for my knees to be aligned with my hips. What's keeping me from doing this is my right hip. My right knee is about 1 foot above the ground when I sit down, which is not good. The left knee is about 8 inches off the ground.

For now I have invested in a foam roller and will probably have to schedule a few physical therapy sessions in order to open up the hips.

Reading material

16. Read and complete 10 books.

I don't read enough books, and when I do read one, I will stop reading it if it takes me more than a week to finish it. The object of number 16 is to finish what I've started -- at least finish one book I'm reading now and add new ones to the list.

I started "Franny and Zooey" by J.D. Salinger in mid-summer. Actually, I purchased the book in mid-summer, kept it in my purse for about two months, read 28 pages in September and 20 more in November. This is how most reading goals go. And this is actually a great, short book with 208 pages. I've read a 341-page book in one day, but I can't manage to finish this one. It's now on the top of my list.

Before I get started

I decided to come up with this list of goals to achieve before my 32nd birthday because I do much better when I have a deadline ahead of me. Turning 30 was one of the hardest times of my life. It was more than the actual number; it was a year when life smashed my face. I encountered more problems than what I faced in the last seven years, but I know that what lies in front of me is higher ground.

Through this list, I hope to become a better person, remember the importance of setting goals, and relish in what I have achieved. I am probably setting myself up for failure, but I shouldn't even think of that, either. No, this is a new year, much like a new year's resolution. It's just in a 32-part series