Fun, frugal and fitness challenges for February

Wow – January is already over. It disappeared overnight. If you are like me, you are already behind schedule on your annual goals. It is easy to get discouraged quickly and give up on goals. Most people do. I refuse to quit this early in the year. Instead I am going to run a short series of experiments this month to jump start my progress and increase my pace.

A staggering 92 percent of people that set New Year’s goals never actually achieve them.

Research by the University of Scranton.

First priority – frugality this month

2019 will bring several changes to my financial situation. Some will help, others will not. Let’s start with the good news. I will stop paying alimony to your mother later this year. That change alone will give me much more financial freedom. I am looking forward to that day and plan to celebrate accordingly. It will also be my father’s birthday – double bonus day.

The year(s) of college overlap begin

I am super excited that both of you will be in college this fall. I am not quite as excited to pay two college tuition bills. As you know, my goal is for both of you to earn your degrees without incurring any debt. Too many young people start their professional careers saddled with large student loan payments. I want to avoid that scenario if at all possible.

I will spend less money this month

This experiment is pretty simple. I will spend less money this month. I will not spend money on stupid stuff, and save more. I am pretty good at not spending money on luxury items. I am not good at controlling myself when it comes to buying things that I like, especially items that are delivered. If you are like me – sometimes you buy things on Amazon just because you can. That needs to stop this month.

I will tidy up this month

I need to get better at being frugal now so that I have more money to pay for college this fall. This month I plan on spending less and saving more. I will eat out less. I spend way too much money eating and drinking in restaurants and pubs. I will also sift through all that I own using Marie Kondo’s methods. Owning less means spending less. This experiment is the most important one for February. It will be really interesting to see how difficult it is, and how successful I am.

Second priority – get back into shape

I am overweight again by about 10-15 pounds. There are a few good reasons and one decent excuse. The excuse – I have not been able to run much the past few months due to an injury. The reasons don’t really matter much. Bottom line – I have been drinking and eating too much. That needs to stop. This month I plan on losing 10 pounds to get back under my target weight. I also will complete a burpee challenge, and schedule a few long overdue doctors’ appointments. Like many men, I am not good at taking care of myself. Now that I am over 50 years old, I need to do a better job of seeing my doctor on a regular basis, and completing recommended procedures.

Third priority – keep having fun

Not all experiments need to be serious. This month I plan on having some fun. First, I am going to regrow my beard. Last time I had it was November. I don’t like my beard that much. Too many gray hair in it nowadays. But, it does serve a practical purpose. The weather has been cold this winter. The beard will help keep me warm, especially my face when the wind is howling. I also plan on spending quality time with family and friends. Lastly, I hope to attend at least one concert this month. Switchfoot is back on tour. They are one of my favorite bands and put on one helluva a show. It will be great to see them again.

What experiments are you trying this month?

What about you. Are you trying to accomplish big goals this year? Are you making ample progress one month into the year? If not, then consider executing your own experiments to jump start your goals. What could you do during the month of February to get back on track towards success? Don’t give up. It is too early to raise the white flag.