I’ve been thinking about my goals and objectives for 2024 and I’ve decided to take a different, more creative approach. First, my weight. I currently weigh less than I did when I graduated from high school, sub-170 lbs or so. This represents a loss of over 40 lbs over the last two years and was an exercise I’ve gone through for various health reasons, for instance, to take some of the load off my back muscles in a probably futile effort to avoid back surgery. Another reason was to reduce inflammation through a change in diet; e.g. not eating much refined sugars, cutting down processed foods and the like – all the usual suspects. But whatever the reasons, I succeeded in getting my weight down finally and therefore I’ve already met my weight-goal for the first time in decades. See what I’m doing there? I’m listing something as a goal that I’ve already accomplished. Pretty cool, huh? But I’m not finished!
Another goal I have relates to pickleball; no surprise to many of you as I’ve been hung up on achieving SOME pickleball goal or other for nearly 15 years. Anyway, my goal THIS year is to become the finest male pickleball player over 78 yrs old playing in our new development here in Las Vegas. If you’ve been paying attention you’ve already broken the code; with my buddy Mike D. (age 81) out on injured reserve, I’ve already succeeded. Naturally I haven’t checked everyone else’s I.D.’s but I’d bet a decent cheeseburger that I’m the oldest active player here period, (irrespective of “finest” or not), with my closest contender being my amazingly pretty wife Irene, who herself has achieved the similarly unwanted goal of being the finest female pickleball player here over 78….albeit a 78 two weeks younger than mine. Anyway, that’s two for two.
My last goal is really one I never wanted to achieve. And that’s to become the oldest living member in my immediate family. Sadly this unwanted and too-thorny crown passed to me a few days before Christmas with the typically graceful exiting of my second-or-third-favorite-ever and then-oldest family member, Diane, her having shuffled off this mortal coil at 91 by the simple expedient of going to sleep and not waking up. Diane, I wanted you to carry on for a bit longer, but I will do my best to hold to the standards you achieved, and now that you are seated at His right hand, saint that you almost always were, please help me when you can, and say hello to my Aunt Joy and my mom, both of whom held our title for awhile and both of whom I miss desperately for a moment or two every single day.
Setting aside all my reservations implicit in the last paragraph, note the accomplishment. Once again I’ve achieved the goal; three for three.
By the way, you can do this, too, and you don’t even have to thank me. I know nearly all of you who subscribe, and you are all high accomplishers in your own fields. The trick is to pick things that you couldn’t help accomplishing and take credit for them. Please advise what they are; I’m here to listen. That’s another thing I do well, listening, although in this case I’m not making it a goal and taking it as an accomplishment. I’m hopeful of making it into at least another January or two and, as my mother said, “We have to leave something for the Rockefellers.” And three goals already accomplished in a single year? Good enough for government work.
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You are a very fortunate man to be able to play pickleball at your advanced age. I wasn’t quite 70 when my body’s ablity to play pickleball deserted me. I miss the competition, comradery and exercise. Besides those 3 issues, I mostly miss the connection to my community. Pickleball was the meeting point for so many relationships. Some relationships stayed casual but a significant number moved beyond that. There’s a difference in someone I’m friendly with and someone I am truly friends with. It’s a distinguishment between friendlies and friends. A lot of my pickleball aquaintances went from friendlies to became real friends. Without pickleball thse oportunites are gone. I truly miss that.
A.J.,
My goals are similar to yours. My May 2023 bike crash has made it nearly impossible to exercise. I’m used to riding a bicycle at least three days a week for 25 miles or more. I did all the yard and pool maintenance. Now I walk around the house as my back will allow – a mile or 2. So I have gained 15 pounds!! So goal number one is to lose the 15 pounds plus several more.
I have wanted to be able to ride my bicycle 100 miles in a day like I used to be able to do. Now that is out of the question. So goal number two is to be able to ride my bicycle again. Not with any big distance but enough to recover my level of cardiovascular fitness.