I am writing this, mostly because when I posted 5 words for 2013 early this year, my friend Sheila McCann asked for an update and I said I will share it.

This is also self serving in a way because it helps me keep score and figure out areas where I slipped. This will in turn motivate me to take care of these going forward – if I think they are still important in bigger scheme of things.

So here is the report card on how I fared on the theme that chose for myself in 2013.

My 5 words in 2013 were (Be) strong, learn,laugh, give, and do.

Strong (Mind + Body)

I was able to work on the mind part. I meditated on a regular basis. Not so much on the body.

Action in 2014: This is an important long term goal for me. So I aim to take care of it in 2014.

Learn (by reading and writing)

Read: I read books, articles almost every day but not as much as I thought I will. Even when I read, I did not take notes which is one of the best ways to apply what you learn. This is not needed for fiction but I hardly read fiction so note taking is important for me.

A good thing that happened this year was that I was able to do a deep dive and read with focus some really high quality writing.

Action for 2014: Take notes. Apply what I learn. Also maintain a reading list. I aim to share both my notes and reading list for you to take a look at.

Write:  On writing front I did well. In 2013 I was able to finish one manifesto length project (100+ pages) and one book length project (400+ pages) and a lot more. I have not kept count but I easily wrote more than 100,000 words in 2013.

Action in 2014: I plan to keep track of numbers and share with you. I also plan to experiment more with my writing than I did in 2013. I plan to share a detailed note on this topic with you – with an intent to help you do better at your writing pursuits.

Laugh

I laughed a lot in 2013, surely more than I did in 2012. The best part – I made those around me laugh.

Give

I did ok in this department. I hosted two product giveaways and made an offer to write on a reader’s blog. Wrote back on emails on a regular basis to almost everyone who reached out.

Action in 2014: I will continue this and try to do better. Already started a related (kick-start 2014) experiment with a close group of friends. This will run during January 2014.

Do

I did well here. This year was all about action. I was disciplined and moved ahead with important projects. I procrastinated but not so often that I need to worry about it.

I was totally in groove during 2nd half of the year. Finished my parallel path experiment (PPE). This PPE resulted in my series of post on startups and wanna be entrepreneurs. Interestingly, many friends and readers joined in and started  their own PPEs and moved closers to their goals. During August – September I finished a multi-city digital marketing workshop tour. During October – November, started work with a new and dear client and finished a significant writing project.

In December – I got together with my closest buddies and started on a bonding trip. I also spent time thinking about and taking action for the growth of loved ones.

ScoreCard: 70/100. I am happy with what I achieved and aim to take care of areas where I slipped going forward.

Now it’s your turn. What did you do about your plans? Share briefly in comments or write your own post about it.

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