So here’s the deal.

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I am, however, a list/chart/graph maker and I constantly have a list of goals that I’m working on, so I never felt the need to make resolutions. And we all know the statistics that most people don’t keep them. But this year something was stirred up in me. And it’s all thanks to my Xbox 360.

For those of you who don’t play, Xbox and Microsoft have come up with a little something they like to call achievements to go with every game that comes out. Now instead of just beating the game or getting a high score, you can get Gamer Points for achieving certain tasks or parts of a game. For instance, in LEGO Star Wars (amazing game for Lego and Star Wars fans), you can get 20 Achievement Points for starting a cantina fight with 50 casualties…Brilliant!

Now what can you do with these points? Absolutely nothing. They bring mere bragging rights to your friends, or perhaps evidence that you truly are a world-class gamer. However, for us list-checker-offers in the world, achievements are hard to ignore.  They may not get you anywhere, but man they’re entertaining.

Thus my list…and this blog.

I decided to make my own achievements list. Again, the points are meaningless, and serve no purpose other than to motivate me to a specific goal. Unlike resolutions, where I am resolving to change a characteristic of me, I’ve set milestones that will force me to change those attributes. I’m definitely seeing this as a list for the entire year, and there are items on there that will surely take all year to complete *cough* run a marathon.

I’ll give you more on individual items in time and as they come up.  For now…here’s the list:

2009 Achievements
50 of 1000 2 of 24 Achievements
	Resolved Start a resolutions list.	25 Acquired 12/29/2008
	You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere Maintain a starting weight of 210 lbs or below.	25 Acquired 12/27/2008
	Half Way There Weigh 205 pounds – 20 pounds total weight loss.	40 Locked
	Tenth of a Ton Weigh 200 pounds – 25 pounds total weight loss.	40 Locked
	Break the Barrier Weigh 195 pounds – 30 pounds total weight loss.	40 Locked
	Almost There Weigh 190 pounds – 35 pounds total weight loss.	40 Locked
	Biggest Loser Weigh 185 pounds – 40 pounds total weight loss.	65 Locked
	Brad Pitt Award Maintain a healthy BMI for one month.	100 Locked
	I can quit anytime Give up caffeine for 40 days.	40 Locked
	No Dentures Here Floss for 40 straight days.	40 Locked
	This is gonna hurt tomorrow Do 100 pushups in a row.	25 Locked
	Arnold Award Bench press 200 pounds.	50 Locked
	Fun Run Run in a 5k event.	25 Locked
	Long Run Run in a 10k event.	50 Locked
	Hold My Calls Run a marathon.	100 Locked
	Security Blanket Save previous year’s amount for taxes.	75 Locked
	Pink Slip Pay off car.	50 Locked
	119:11 Memorize a chapter of scripture.	50 Locked
	License to Work Start a job as a project manager.	25 Locked
	Paperback King Read 12 Books.	25 Locked
	Rock Legend Learn a song on electric guitar.	25 Locked
	Handyman Build a workbench for garage.	25 Locked
	Forget Me Not Review this list in December 2009.	20 Locked
50 of 1000 2 of 24 Achievements