Every year, I usually give myself one impossible goal to reach, usually in order to really kick myself into gear where I wouldn't if I just said "I'll be more diligent this year". I never reach my goal, but I do make great progress in doing so, and best of all, it gives something concrete to aspire towards instead of "I'll waste less time", which is vague and can easily be ignored. This year I'll have these impossible goals, and make them even crazier: 1.Learn Attic Greek in 6 months. Last year I said I was going to learn Latin and um, didn't. Perhaps since I didn't give myself an ETA I procrastinated. "Oh, I'll do that next month"-ing until there were no months left. 2.Learn to play the piano well enough to play this: http://youtu.be/WqmOp_rKRqo I've had a keyboard for the longest time just doing nothing on my damned desk, taking up space, saying: "You know, I'd be a lot more useful if you knew how to use me better". Well, I'll be insane and not only learn how to use you, I'll learn you enough to play one of (According to renowned concert pianist Sviatoslav Richter) the hardest piano pieces ever. My ETA? Until my birthday, or about 9 months. Will I be able to do it? I am always optimistic even with odds like THAT, which is like a .00000001% chance of me doing so, and that percent is taking in the far off possibility that I am a prodigy and never realized it. Along the way, I hope to learn some really awesome, easier pieces that totally weren't my true goal... Nope, not at all. 3. Be able to do 100 push-ups in one row. My ETA? In two weeks. I almost did this last year. I was up to 75 push-ups at a time and I was going to get 100, until I got lazy and certain stuff got in the way. Right now, it seems 40 is the amount I can do before wanting to quit. I know I'll be hurting tomorrow just from those 40 alone (Plus another 10 I did just to get it to 50). 4. I will enter a loving relationship with the woman of my dreams... Oh, this is the toughest... My ETA? For the rest of my life! I think I'll be able to do all the previous 3 before even getting close to doing this...
1. 6 months is pretty ambitious. We are 2 days in to 2013, have you learned any Greek? 2. That is a beautiful piece and it says it was recorded live. Wonderful playing. I know that you are a classical music fan and wish you well with this one. 3. I like this goal. I too should make a push-up goal. Such an easy thing to do anywhere. There's no excuse for me to not do strength training so long as the push up and sit up exist. 4. You can do it!
1. Yes! I have a book from 1898 on Greek Grammar that I purchased at some estate sale sitting on my desk and I have this place on reddit bookmarked: http://www.reddit.com/r/IntroAncientGreek/?count=75&afte... I know all the alphabet and the first declension already for nouns (And thanks to my failed Latin studies, I think I know exactly how they work), as well as the pronunciations and a couple of words. Today I plan on going all the way to Lesson VII on reddit (and more, if time will allow) and whatever amount of pages on the Greek grammar book. I also have Anki, a spaced-repetition flashcard program aiding me in memorizing the words! I'm already firing on all cylinders! 2. Thankfully I already know how to read music pretty well as I have some minor experience playing the flute and trumpet (Which I hope to pick up both again one day as well). The hardest part is getting my fingers to play with that smoothness that you see when other people play the piano... As a beginner, how they just dance along the keys and manage to make everything sound beautiful just looks impossible. 3. You should! It's actually easy once you get the routine down and get past the initial hurt. Actually I was planning on adding sit-ups as well, but imo those are much easier. I was able to do 100 of those once and am content with doing about 20 to 50 crunches however many times I want. 4. I can't help but be optimistic. I try being depressed, but after a few days I just stop and go back to being optimistic, even when I should still be legitimately depressed. It must be in my nature, I guess; I'm sure I can do it!