As I'm reading some of the books on the right-hand side of my blog, there seems to be a common theme: People who write down their goals are more likely to reach them. Very few people actually write them down or articulate them clearly. I've already stated my goals for the year, but I realize I need to state my long term goals as well.

In 2 years: I will no longer live in New York State. I will be a teacher in a new place. I will have paid off my car and my two credit cards. I will no longer be single.

In 5 years: My debt snowball will continue to shrink. I will be a full-time teacher with tenure and I will be a leader among my peers. I will be married or engaged to be married to a beautiful and loving woman who shares my hopes and dreams.

In 10 years: My debt will be completely gone. I will have saved up enough to put 20% down on a new house. I will have several beautiful children and they will be learning how to live a life with God.

In 35 years: I will retire with at least 4 million dollars, and at that point I will begin a foundation to give it all away.

I have been putting off writing on my blog for some time- almost a month! I actually have a few false-starts saved up here but I never really got around to them. It's been crazy busy over here, but that's more of an excuse than a reason.

I've been working an enormous amount of overtime, some 12-14 hours each week since school ended. I'm really saving up for the Fall and I'm hoping it'll be enough. This has been my main focus of late but I've learned that I need to balance things out better.

I've started losing weight again. After adjusting my diet and continuing to work out every day, I can really see the difference. The new exercises have made me more flexible too.

I am no longer using the CPAP machine. I find that I'm just as rested after 6 hours of sleep without the machine as I am with the machine, so I no longer see the benefit of using it. Speaking of sleep...

I've finally realized just how important sleep is! For several months I have been going back and forth with skimping on sleep and then sleeping properly and it's caused me to get depressed almost once a week. Depression really screws with your brain and I don't like it. I've made it a priority to focus on getting proper sleep each and every night, especially now that I'm doing so much overtime.

I'm going to start focusing on what I need to get done for school in the Fall. There's a list of things and some of them are exams. Not looking forward to it, but these things have to be done.

I want to say thank you for all my supporters out there. Sometimes it feels like I'm going at this alone, but I know I have an unofficial fan club cheering me on!

It has been a crazy few weeks! I've been so wrapped up in the minutia of my life that I haven't had time to much writing. Now that I have some time to catch up, I have some news to report.

I recieved my grades for this semester, both of them were A's. Both classes were wrapped up easily, but it was the education class that ended with the most controversy. As a "final exam," the professor gave us a written test that had nothing to do with assessing my knowledge that I had obtained in the class but rather assessing the teaching capability of my professor. Since this violates so many college policies, most of us felt uncomfortable filling this out, much less counting as part of our final grade. As a compromise the professor said it was okay if we filled it out and placed it in an envelope, to be sealed and only opened if and only if we wanted the points to count towards our grade. Several of my classmates didn't think it was much a big deal but I was happy to see that nearly half the class asked for envelopes. They were sealed and they were sent along with the official class assessments(the ones that the professor is not allowed to see until next semester and after grades are closed) to the department head.

I made my views on this class very clear. I learned nearly everything about teaching methods during my observations in the schools and not in the classroom. The best thing about the classroom were my fellow classmates, as the professor pushed my fellow students and I into a strong comradery that some day we would look back at this class like veteran survivors in an old war.

Shortly after I handed in all my necessary work, I recieved an email from the professor that with out the final I would have a grade of A-, but with the final I could have A. I stated that the A- was acceptable and that was that. I was so glad to have finished the class and I will hopefully never ever ever ever ever have to have her as a professor again.

With that chapter closed, I've been looking forward to the summer with a few trips in mind, but I will be mostly preparing for my final semester at Buffalo State and student teaching. With that in mind I have been working a great deal of overtime and it's working very well for me. I should reach my financial goal by the end of August if all goes to plan. I still plan on getting a second job once the overtime runs out.

I've plateaued on my weight loss again. I don't know if I've reached a point where the abdominoplasty is all that's left or if I'm just not doing something right. I've been counting calories like a savant, I've been trying to exercise as best I can, but I'm not seeing the results I used to. I've talked to several people at the gym and at work and they said that plateauing will happen, I just need to stay steady, so that's what I've done. I've changed my diet only a little this time to incorporate more protien and less carbohydrates. I haven't had rice or bread and I'm slowly phasing out potatoes. Popcorn is still a part of my diet but the intake is low.

I've also embarked on a new goal. I find myself obtaining my goals when I can visualize them and I've found that I need to visualize my weight-losss goal if I'm going to reach it. With that in mind, I'm determined to get abs. I know several of you are laughing, but I've learned that the best way to get me to do something is to tell me that it's impossible for me to do it. I've been telling myself that I'll never have a tone body and now I've decided that that's a lie- I can certainly reach this goal. My workout has changed slightly to incorporate abdominal exercises and after two weeks I'm noticing small results. I'm going to keep going and not lose sight of that goal.

One of the ladies at the gym told me that to get abs it takes dual focus: the exercises and nutrition. She was shocked to know I eat less than 1500 calories a day and sometimes as low as 1000. She told me to keep it above 1200 calories with three servings of fruit a day. Sometimes that can be a challenge! On the fitness side, I've added the abdominal exercises to my routine and it's helping. Additionally, I've been looking for exercises I can do at work. I'm already going for walks during my breaks and I've learned a few exercises to do at my desk. It's amazing how easily I've incorporated fitness into a job where I sit at a desk all day! Not only that but the exercises are helping me get through the 11 hour shifts.

I'm so excited. I can see what I'm going to look like when I reach my goal. My shoulders are almost wider than my waist. I'm succeeding in school, I'm doing really well financially, and have all my close friends and family to thank because they continue to encourage me and give me direction. Thank you God for such wonderful people in my life!

Today I learned an unsettling fact. Well it wasn't anything I already knew, but today it hit home. My friend and supervisor at work reminded me that my place of employment does not have any part-time employees and has not had any for several years. Such as it is, I will likely not be able to work part time in the fall while I am doing my student teaching.

I knew in the back of mind of this potentiality, but I guess I wasn't ready to accept it. I could put off the thought and keep hoping that my employment could continue until December. This is likely not to be... so my mind has quickly turned to figuring out how to prevent crisis and prepare.

I've already begun a fair emergency fund in preparation but now that I look at it, it's pretty meager. I have to figure out several things as a get ready for unemployment. For starters, I will still be employed right up until August when my student teaching starts. After that, I'll have to cover the months of September through December(and perhaps further). I don't know how my saved vacation time will play into that. My company is currently letting us work overtime so I plan on taking advantage of that as often as possible.

I also need to finally getting around to selling stuff that I've been meaning to sell for a long time. My xbox 360, my 36" TV, and a ton of anime stuff. This isn't going to be easy, and frankly I'm scare of being unemployed, but these are things I need to do. I'm going to draw close to my friends and family and look for support, but I think I have a good foundation in which I can stand on.

Keep a look out here if you're interested in some decent stuff for a good price.

I have just about two weeks left in the semester and for the first time I do not have to rush to get work done at the end. I have been proactive in both of my classes and even my professors has complimented on getting the work done early. The only thing that remains is my unit plan and a journal to hand in for my Teaching methods class, and I have a final exam for American Government which consists of two short essay questions. I couldn't have it any easier and it's all because I did most of the work as soon as it was assigned.

I'd like think that I'm proud of myself, but my pride is tempered by a fear. I've been inspired to succeed academically as well as financially and spiritually. I owe much to that inspiration and sometimes I become afraid of losing it. Nonetheless, I work hard and I hope it becomes a permanent part of my life so I can continue to be inspired and work hard. I feel that I have an important job to do in this world and I need to be ready in mind and body.

I have a quick update on the weight-loss: I'm down to 292lbs.

1. I took my car in for an oil change as well as some minor repairs. I found out that I'm going to need new brakes soon and likely two new front tires- $600. Thankfully, my emergency fund will cover it.
2. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning. I was told that the crown I needed for my molar would have to be done soon. $500 after insurance. Thankfully, my emergency fund will cover it.
3. I've been picking up overtime at work and it's getting better to do. The bigger paychecks are helping a lot.
4. I've started to tithe- not quite a full 10% but very close. I feel strange about it but I don't miss the money. I think its something I'm going to keep doing.
5. This summer I'm determined to get a second job. I'm looking at tutoring and as long as I get the hours I think it'll be just fine. If I end up having to leave my full-time job, it'll be a good job to take over.

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This update is largely about my academics, but I figured I had some cool stuff happen that I thought I'd share.
1. I continue to succeed with my political science class. So far, all A's. The class is not very challenging and I like that it's completely online.
2. I just finished my Nature of Science paper. I've done pretty good at getting it done and I move onto the next project- the unit plan. Our professor is so incompetent we're only just now getting to it.
3. I met with the cooperating teacher for my student teaching next semester once again. Apparently my concerns were because she was a little scared of the prospect but after talking with her again she is very enthusiastic and she's hoping it is a positive experience. Me too
4. I'm definitely going to stay proactive on the student teaching front. I want to get my lesson plans done ahead of time so I'll be working on them over the summer. should be pretty interesting.
5. Finally got my state tax return, it took nearly 2 months! I can't wait to escape this state. On that note, I also set my federal tax withholding correctly so I should get more money in the paycheck instead of giving our Dear Leader an interest-free loan.
6. I showed Melissa her finances, clear as day and I think she realized that something has to change. I hope it sticks!
7. I'm back on the weight-loss train again! back down to 296lbs.

1. Saw the doctor, told me I don't need the blood pressure medicine anymore. Also set up a referral to get the mole on the side of my head removed. He was very happy that I've lost 15lbs in 3 months.
2. I observed at one of the schools I'm set to student teach in and it was interesting to say the least. I get the feeling that the teacher might not be very interested in me student teaching with her. I'm going to observe again just to be sure.
3. Political Science class continues to be easy, continues to show high quality.
4. I've got the LAST (liberal arts exam) this Saturday and I need to get fingerprinted soon. If you think all these extra seminars and exams are cheap, they're not. I'll be spending an additional $1000 or so on all the certifications I need to go through.
5. Easter was awesome, though I gained a few pounds back. I just need to stick to my guns again and continue to lose the weight. Looking forward to it!

Wow has it really been nearly two weeks since the last update? Man has time flown.

1. I'm kicking it up a notch on school. I have quite a few things to get done and this week is my spring break. I'm planning having my major paper finished by the end of the week as well as two side-projects. I really don't care about the side-projects as they are pointless and a waste of time for this class, but since the teacher wants it, she's going to get it. On those two things a friend of mine once said, "if there's time to do it, there's time to do it half-assed."
2. I now have my school placements. Both of the schools are rural/small school but since my adviser is having a hard time finding schools I think I have to take what I can get. Both teachers seem eager to take me and I hope its a very positive experience. I'm kinda nervous but I am going to set up observation times with them so that I can get a good idea of how their classes run.
3. I made the most delicious stuffed shells from my friends recipe. I'll post that below- the only change I made was adding a little bit of scallions to the mix.
4. Easter is upon us and I trend more to prayer than ever before. There are a lot of things on my mind and I pray to God for clarity. When it comes to listening to God I feel like a stupid monkey and he needs to be pretty loud and obvious with me.
5. As the good weather starts to show up I've taken to walking in the local parks again. There isn't much to see right now except that the canal here is nearly drained. I've managed to spot about 5 or 6 bikes tossed into the canal, along with a dozen tires, a shopping cart and an old-fashioned typewriter. It's fairly brown and muddy, but there are signs of life.
6. A couple days ago I started looking at abdominoplasty, the skin removal surgery. After reading a couple testimonies, it looks like I should probably wait until my weight-loss stops for two months before I start looking further into it. Two months ago I was 12lbs heavier so I'm still dropping.

So far, so good. Things have been pretty crazy around here and I'm hoping for it to settle down for a little bit(fat chance of that I guess).

1. School proceeds as well as can be expected but I've learned a few things about my Teaching Methods class. I won't really learn any methods in the class after all. I've decided to get my learning elsewhere and just complete the required coursework for the grade. It's rough realization but it's one I had to make. There are steps I can take because I purchased a product(Teaching certification program) that isn't up to standard.
2. Saw Alice In Wonderland again. What a fantastic movie! I recommend it, it was well worth the price of admission- for me it was worth twice the price.
3. My weight-loss continues, and I'm finally making a few friends at the gym too. Most people are often very serious but it's refreshing to see people smile at the gym.
4. My teaching certification progress is also proceeding fairly well. I just had a few seminars and they were interesting but brief. My next test is the Liberal Arts test which from what everyone tells me is a breeze. We'll see. I'm also writing a teaching resumé- Wow it's opened my eyes and my adviser told me not to sell myself short. Gonna have to set my modesty aside for this one!
5. The extra overtime has paid off handsomely, and my finances are well under control. I need to find a decent savings account- I'd like to go with a Federal Credit Union but I don't know of any place that gives good ratings for them. I'll have to dig around.

1. Alice in Wonderland was fantastic. I thought the plot and characters were superbly done. I saw it in 3D and unfortunately it did not add much to it- I believe that if you watch it in regular 2D, you won't miss much.
2. Speaking of Alice- I made this necklace for someone and she really enjoyed it. I got the bottle from Etsy.com, but switched the necklace and added the key. It was exceptionally well-received
3. I am officially under 300lbs. There may not be a big difference between 301 and 299, but at least in my mind it was a goal and I reached it.
4. I finished The Millionaire Next Door - tons of fascinating insights. Did you know that the average millionaire reaches their million-dollar net worth between the ages of 48 and 55? And that the average income is about $88,000 a year when they reach it? My future goal is to reach $4 million net worth by the time I retire- and I can do it too- and so can you.
5. I'm starting to get concerned about my education class. The professor isn't improving and I'm afraid I'm going to be swamped with work at the very end again. At the very least my classroom observations are going fantastic and I'm learning many new insights.

Well there goes my plan to update every Tuesday... but I had several miniature updates in between. Time to get back on track!

My workout is going pretty well. I've talked to several people and they told me that my previous plan was definitely strength-training. That's all well and good if I want to gain muscle mass. My current plan is to lose weight so my plan was going to cause me to gain weight instead of lose it. I've switched to a different regiment- I weightlift only moderate amounts, doing many reps, and I've also switched to a new machine- the eliptical. It's taking some getting used to, but I'm getting the hang of it. I hope to get 3-4 miles on it every day. Right now I'm trying to find time to work out at all! That being said, there is a special milestone that I'm approaching: I have about 4 more pounds to lose and I will be under 300lbs and... officially weigh as much as I did in my senior year in High School. This is special because I can say I'm as healthy as I was back then. The very idea that I have managed to wipe the last 12 years of steady weight gain away is awesome.

In addition to my work schedule being bumped earlier two hours, I've also been picking up overtime. It's all part of my plan to save up money for this fall. I'm confident I'll still have a job here working part time, but I still want to be prepared.

There are some wonderful developments with my social/love life and I wish I could share them here but for certain folks who read this blog. All I can say is that my free time is spent wisely with other people and not completely in a single player video game.

I've finished reading "The Beast" by R.L. Stine, a gift from Candi. It was very cute and not really scarey(maybe for the audience it is) but I'm glad she gave it to me and I'll cherish it. I'm also just about to finish The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I picked up The Millionaire Next Door audiobook so I'll soon be devouring that too.

I've changed my philosophy with the workout routine and it's allowed me to get more done in less time. Today was a continuation of that philosophy as I tried something new with the treadmill portion of my workout. I can now get the two miles done in 30 minutes! It's not easy, but I found that if I alternate between 3.5mph and 5.0mph, I can do it. When I'm done I'm all sweaty and achey but damn it feels good.
Additionally, I no longer count the number of repetitions when I weightlift. I now keep doing reps until it hurts really bad because I learned something new- when you lift past the point of pain, you make little breaks in the fibers of your muscle. Your body will heal them up and make them stronger the next time. It's working out really well!