Strive for adequacy
I have a new resolution for this year: meet the minimum standard for Marine Corps. The criterion listed at about.com seems a bit more lenient than others I have seen before, but, well, it would be a good start to be able to run 3 miles in 28 minutes, do 50 crunches in 2 minutes, and do 3 pull-ups. At the moment, I am at the bottom rung of mediocrity: less than 3 miles in 30 minutes, too tired after 20-some crunches, and I don’t ever remember being able to do a pull-up in my life.
As far as personal development goes, if I could accomplish adequacy here and do my other resolution (um, learn how to use and obtain a gun, probably a handgun), I would have had the best year so far in my life.
Professionally speaking, of course, that’s a different matter, but I’m working on that.
Update: Um, I forgot to mention: I am mainly motivated by this book. I know, it has nothing to do with exercise (and given that it’s published under a pseudonym, I am not sure if I … trust everything in the book), but it was … very inspiring.