Tag Archives: Anthony Robbins

My 5-Bullet Friday

April and May in Review

April was a challenging month to say the least. Had to use much time and energy to deal with some issues. May was a much better month, but very busy on the positive side.

Challenges

My insurance company billed incorrectly for an ER visit last year. This led to the hospital trying to bill me for the difference, and before I could get it resolved they sent it to a collections agency. Many phone calls, letters, and much stress later, it now seems to be resolved. It only took a month and a half.
A family member had a work challenge that continues. I can’t divulge much, but suffice it to say that it has taken time and stress to get it resolved.
We had a neighborhood issue that required phone calls and letters to resolve, and we’re still monitoring the situation.
Patty contracted and got over a bronchial infection.
We had to resolve a wireless network issue in May.
The sun was in my eyes!

Writing

Short Fiction

Halloween’s Child Redux continues slowly, now clocking in at 3,500 words or 14 pages.
Wrote a 30 word bio for AnthoCon.
Here’s the official cover reveal for Wicked Tales, an anthology that includes my short SF/Horror story, “Sat Down Inside Her.”

Novels

The Tower (Paranormal Haunting/Woman in Jeopardy Crime Thriller) Now at 106 pages or 26,250 words. I’ve had to hunker back to move forward, requiring some fun research into Wing Chun Kung Fu as well as significant research into the nursing profession.
Year of the Demon (Conspiracy/Crime Thriller) I polish edited approximately twenty scenes, and I like how it’s all coming together. The actual editing is a tedious slog, however. This is the part I like the least. The only thing more tedious is the final proofread where I work thorough the book fixing typos and commas.

Non-Fiction

I began work on a non-fiction project that I may write under a pseudonym. I wrote 2,389 words or 9 pages.

Reading

Completed the Indy Author’s Pack.
Became a backer of Editor Rick Schober’s The Whole Shot: Interviews with Beat Poet Gregory Corso.
Purchased the Signed & Numbered Limited Edition novella (#18) of Baby’s Breath by Sydney Leigh.

Family

Called my Mom & Dad approx 1x per week.
Brought Patty to her dentist appointment and yearly physical.
Got haircuts.
Took care of Patty while she had a bronchial infection.
Visited my Mom & Dad in Webster for a Mother’s Day breakfast.
Spent a couple days at Mohegan Sun while my wife was in a seminar.
Made a 20th Wedding Anniversary trip to Kittery, ME. I figured some retail therapy was in order after dealing with me all these years.

Martial Arts

After Patty felt better we resumed the Filipino punching and kicking drills. We also worked in some basic boxing drills on focus mitts.
Purchased a new set of Hayabusa Ikusa focus mitts.
I practiced footwork drills.
Practiced sinawali stick drills.

Health

Lost 2 pounds of fat. I continue to move in the right direction, and now I’m at the lowest weight that I have been in years.
Resumed physical therapy leg exercises.
Worked with Tufts to resolve a billing issue.
Weened off of Protonix.

Financial

Leveraged taxes to a tax preparer.
Made tax payments.

Charity & Community Service

Relay for life.
Nepal Relief Efforts .

Cars

Went to the dealer for C service and to replace the driver’s side headlight on Patty’s car.
Washed my car including undercarriage.
Washed Patty’s car including undercarriage.

House

Spent a significant amount of time Spring cleaning our townhouse.
Cleaned and polished kitchen cabinets.
Fixed scuff on kitchen table with wood markers.
Fixed scuff on floor with wood markers.
Rearranged living room and reappropriated organizing furniture from other rooms to cut down on clutter.
Changed HVAC filter.
Cleaned foyer.
Pulled everything out of the spare room and cleaned.
Prepped HVAC Vents for summer.
Resolved neighborhood issues.

Fun

Julio’s liquors.
New York Deli in Westboro.
Researched trips for May.

May

We ate at Juniors NY Deli at Foxwoods and then went to see The Tenderloins/Tru TV Impractical Jokers at the Foxwoods Grand Theater. We had center balcony seats. Great seats and a great show.

Visited the new Cabelas in Berlin, MA.
Went to Mohegan Sun with Patty. We stayed in a Deluxe King Room, ate at Summer Shack. Then while Patty was in her seminar I had the breakfast Buffet, then a Starbucks iced Cold Brew with soy milk. Then I played some video poker and quit while I was ahead. The rest of the day I used the room as my writing retreat. After Patty got out of the seminar we had dinner at the buffet then played video poker and slots. The next day found me at the buffet. After Patty finished her seminar we played some more video poker. I won $10.00 in slot play, turned it into $36.00 and then cashed out. Haha! A win is a win! Then we poked around Brookstone, avoiding the sales girl. Another round of Starbucks and we were homeward bound.

Stayed overnight at the Coachman Inn in Kittery, ME. Shopped at the outlets and then had a nice dinner at Weathervane. The Inn provided breakfast the next morning. Then we shopped more and went to Kittery Trading Post. Back to Weathervane for lunch, and then some Starbucks Cold Brew to fortify us as we fought the Memorial Day traffic home.

Movies

Ender’s Game ** 1/2 I found this movie fun but it lacked an indefinable something.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ** After all the hype surrounding this film, I was left disappointed. I found it vapid and cliche.

Personal Development

To get myself back on track I began listening to the Anthony Robbins audio program Get the Edge again.
Completed the goal setting workshop to fine tune my life’s direction.

March in Review

4 Replies

The momentum continues… I guess this is turning into a newsletter of my life. I hope it’s inspiring you to keep a list of your challenges and accomplishments throughout the year. I promise you that goal setting will change your life.

Writing

Short fiction

I signed the contract for inclusion in the 3rd annual New England Horror Writers anthology. You’ll be able to find my horror science fiction story “Sat Down Inside Her” in that collection this summer.
Halloween’s Child Redux–the reimagining of this horror thriller short story has been slow going, but I’m already 3,500 words in. That’s 500 words over the original word count. I’m thinking this one could end up at 6k+ by the time it’s complete. A new title will, of course, go with this new version.
I also worked on the reimagining of another short story (I never list short story titles until they sell. This way editors won’t have any way of knowing how long my story has been in circulation once it lands in their slush pile. I’m tricky like that). I had already completed the new version of the story, but wasn’t happy with the ending. I found a way to strengthen the conclusion, but I have no idea where this will find a home.
I began reading the new issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction with an eye toward submission. We’ll see if I get any ideas.

Novels

Year of the Demon (Conspiracy/Crime Thriller): I’m slogging through the edits on this 90,000 word novel. I need to spend more time on this polish edit, and then go onto the next phase of the process.
The Tower (Paranormal Haunting/Woman in Jeopardy Crime Thriller): I’m now just under 25,000 words, approximately 97 pages.
Proxy Mate (Dystopian SF): I ended up putting this novella on hold this month. We’ll have to see what next month brings. I still feel pretty good about this one.

Reading

I finished The Vanishing Magic of Snow by Reb MacRath and deemed it a MacRathian Masterpiece. You can read my review here.
I’m still working through the Indie Author Power Pack. I’m 68% in and just finished Let’s get Digital.
I read and enjoyed Richard Chizmar’s The Box. The story is available to read through free pdf. Follow the link to give it a read.
My copy of Submerged (signed Limited Edition) by Tom Monteleone arrived. It’s a beautiful book. I hope there’s an e-version eventually. The book is so nice I’m afraid to crack it open.

Networking

I continued to keep up with my writer friends on social media.
I bought passes to Anthocon.
I made reservations at the hotel for the convention weekend.
I continued to work on editing a novella for a writer friend. I’ve been very slow getting to the edits.

Marketing

I researched using MailChimp for a mailing list. I read that mailing lists are the most underutilized marketing tool in a writer’s tool chest. I learned that to meet federal law I need to list my address in the signature of any emails I send out. This would mean getting a P.O box or mail drop if I want to ensure my privacy. I’m going to wait at this point, but I’ll keep it on the radar.

Family

Called my Mom & Dad twice a week on average this month.
Called my Aunt and wished her a happy birthday.
Donated to ONE Spirit in my sister’s name.
We got haircuts.
Put a St. Paddy’s Day card as a surprise in Patty’s lunch.
Sent a B-Day card to one of my nephews.

Martial Arts

Purchased Ron Balicki‘s Filipino boxing DVD set. I was really amazed at how much information he included in this set. I had the opportunity to watch a sample of the JKD video set and was very impressed with the production, the breadth of information, and the clarity of instruction on the DVD set. I decided to begin with Filipino Boxing, but I’m sure I’ll be picking up his 8 disk JKD instructors series in the near future.
Luckily, because of my 27+ years of experience in martial arts, along with a pervious teacher who integrated some Filipino martial arts and Jeet Kune Do Concepts into our training (he never mentioned it, but because of my research, I can see it now), and a small amount of Kali and Bruce Lee’s “Original” JKD training from seminars, I’ve been able to incorporate the drills and concepts into our home training.
We worked Filipino boxing (punching and kicking drills) 2x a week. We also began working on a joint locking flow drill. Patty has found this curriculum the most interesting of any martial arts we’ve practiced.
I continued to practice Kali sinawali.
I continued to practice the chain punching/straight blasts I learned from Sigung Taky Kuimura and his staff.
A Kali Guro invited us to stop up and train on a Tuesday night. It’s been a little difficult lately to make the time commitment, but it was very nice to be invited. Hopefully we’ll be able to stop up soon.

Fitness & Health

I lost just about two pounds of fat this month. Notice I said fat. I didn’t say water or muscle. That’s an important distinction. I’ve lost almost an inch off my belly and a half inch off my waist.
I’m still working to get out of the Biphasic sleeping pattern. I tend to go to sleep too late and wake up too early, requiring that I nap before doing anything that requires cognitive function. New habits need to be established in order to permanently change my schedule.
I grabbed a pair of Reebok Crossfit 2.0 cross training sneakers. I’ve been wearing them during all my workouts and martial arts training. They’ve been great on my feet and very good for my knees.
I continue using MyFitnessPal to log my calories. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Cars

The terrible roads and potholes caused a sidewall bubble in one of Patty’s tires. Fortunately and unfortunately she only had the tires for six month. On the fortunately side, the tires were new enough that we only had to buy one new tire.

Finances

We had purchased MONEY Master the Game by Anthony Robbins in ebook and I also had a chance to sample the audio from the first chapter. I belive that’s the only chapter that AR reads. I also found a great summary of the key points that was left in an Amazon review. Here’s the key points that I put in my notes.

Understand the power of compound interest and save/invest 10-20% of your income.
You can’t beat the market.
Fees kill your returns. Look at America’s Best 401(k) or Fees to see how your 401(k) fairs.
Hire an independent fiduciary adviser.
Use a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) and pay taxes now as much as possible, since they are likely to rise in the future.
Forget Target Date or actively managed mutual funds. Use index funds instead.
Know how much you need in order to retire (use the free app to find some rough numbers. Make sure to take inflation into account since the app doesn’t do that)
Come up with a solid asset allocation: a secure bucket (bonds, CDs, cash, etc) and a growth bucket (stocks, real estate, commodities, etc). Re-balance regularly. Take the Rutgers University risk tolerance quiz to find out how much risk you can stomach.

Naturally, I keep my finances close to my vest and don’t share much online. That doesn’t mean I’m not working on this category, though.

House

Continued general cleaning and maintenance.
Wrote up a project plan for next month’s Spring cleaning.

Whisky Tasting and Mixology

Patty and I have never been big drinkers but we’re having fun exploring the world of liquor and wine. We purchased a double walled cocktail shaker and a jigger and I’ve been playing the part of mixologist, whipping up whiskey sours and matadors.
I tried a sample bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta 12. It’s aged in sherry casks. This whisky isn’t very complex, but has a nice mouth burn and is very enjoyable on a cold night.
I tasted Glen Garioch 1797 founder’s Reserve. I got sucked in by advertised characteristic. They claim sweet vanilla, butterscotch, fresh green fruits, sweet buttercream, and citrus. It tastes like cough syrup and leather to me. Actually, it tastes like Talisker 10 without the peat. I can only stomach it in very small drams.
We visited Julio’s Liquors in Westboro. They have a great selection.

Personal Development

I revisited the Anthony Robbins Time of Your Life/RPM audio program.

Began reading The Winning Mind Set by Jim Brault and Kevin Seaman. Kevin Seaman was gracious enough to sign and inscribe a copy for me. My first impression is that it’s a very nice personal development workbook. Much of its contents are grounded in NLP and cognitive behavioral psychology. Great stuff! I think it will make a great refresher. And since both of the writers are also martial artists, I think I’ll enjoy many of their illustrative examples. I plan to work through each section and see where it takes me.

Movies

Non-Stop *** Better than I expected. Implausible ending.

Magic Moments

We came home to a small (what we believe to be a) screech owl perched on the light by our garage. The owl’s eyes were but slits in the daylight, but he still watched us as we made our way inside. Once we closed the door, he puffed his body out for warmth and went to sleep. As soon as the sun set he took flight to destinations unknown. I take the owl’s visit as a good omen of positive change to come. Here’s a photo of our unlikely visitor. Owl

That’s about it for March. See you in April…hopefully sooner.

February in Review

2 Replies

In an attempt to keep up the momentum with this blog, I’ve decided to give you another update. This one will list out what I worked on during the month of February. It hasn’t been bad for a short month.

Writing

Short Fiction

I received and approved the galley proof edits of my SF/Horror story “Sat Down Inside Her” that will appear in the 3rd annual New England Horror Writer’s anthology. Also, provided an updated bio for the book.
I began work on a reimagining of an unsold 3k short story formerly known as Halloween’s Child. Having learned a lot about crafting a salable story since I wrote the original version in 2011, I was hit with a bit of inspiration on how I might make it viable. I’ve already tacked on a new opening scene and smoothed out the writing. Much like my novel WOLVES OF VENGEANCE, this story combines horror with the thriller genre. And I’m definitely expanding the thriller component. The horror thriller is kinda becoming my thing.

Novels

Year of the Demon (Conspiracy/Crime Thriller): I continued working on the 3rd draft of this 90,000 word novel. As I really dig in and polish the work I realize how much I’ve learned since I began writing this draft. The polishing stage is always the most frustrating and the most rewarding. So much needs to be fixed and rearranged, but it’s always fulfilling when the work is near to its final form.
The Tower (Paranormal Haunting/Woman in Jeopardy Crime Thriller): I’m now approximately 20,250 or 81 pages into the first draft of this novel. So far, it feels like the best thing I’ve ever written. And yes, this novel would be considered a horror or supernatural thriller.
Proxy Mate (Dystopian SF): I haven’t made a lot of progress on this novella. My process is to work on multiple stories at a time. If I get stuck on one I just let it sit while I work on something else. I also tend to move back and forth between stories during my writing time. I’ve found I’m more productive this way, but some stories fall by the wayside. I’m sure I’ll get back to it in the month of March. As it stands, I’m 11,250 words or 45 pages into this novella.
Wolves of Vengeance (Multi-Genre Supernatural Thriller): Wolves received a very nice review this month. Take a look if you have a chance: http://davoortwilbo.blogspot.com/2015/02/david-north-martinos-wolves-of-vengeance.html

Reading

I finished A Different Kind of Slumber by Doug Rinaldi. You can find my review here.
I’m still working on the Indie Writer’s Pack. I’m 50% in and reading Let’s get Digital.
I started The Vanishing Magic of Snow by Reb MacRath and am 30% of the way in and loving it.

Networking

Continued editing a novella for a writer friend.
Helped a writer friend with research.
Kept up with writer friends on social media.

Family

Called my Mom & Dad twice a week on average this month.
Called my Aunt and Uncle to thank them for a gift.
Burned CDs for my Mom & Aunt.
Visited my Mom & Dad for breakfast.
Celebrated my birthday (Just like Jack Benny, I’ve had another 39th birthday).
Gave Patty roses for Valentine’s Day.
Sent my nephew a copy of the Signed Limited Edition Hardcover of The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks for his birthday.

Martial arts

Another month where I unfortunately didn’t make any seminars.

Five rounds of shadow boxing 2-3 times a week with Patty.
Practiced Kali sinawali solo and with Patty.
Practiced Ukemi skills.

Fitness & Health

Lost two pounds of fat this month. Slow and steady–I’ll take it.
I’ve been in a biphasic sleeping pattern. Next month I need to change my schedule to allow for more sleep time during the night.
Had a Field of Vision Test. The test came out perfectly. I have no glaucoma damage.
Had an appointment with my glaucoma specialist. He changed my eye drops to a lower dosage of medication, and moved me over from a generic to a brand name. He gave me a discount card to reduce the cost of the medication.

Sales

We sold our Wii that had been sitting in the entertainment center gathering dust.

House

I cleaned out and organized the entertainment center.
I unplugged any electronics we haven’t been using to save on the electric bill.
General cleaning and maintenance.

Whisky Tasting

I tried Glenfiddich 12 this month. I find it has a smoother taste, less complex, more candied, more like a bourbon, and less mouth burn/heat. I like it best of all the whisky I’ve tried.

Movies Watched

Not a big month for movies. Busy, busy, busy!

After Earth: ** mediocre, muddled, miscast.

That’s it for February. March is already coming on full force and swinging for the rafters. More soon…

Year In Review 2014

Leave a reply

Each year I create a list of goals for every area in my life. Throughout the year I work on these goals, track my progress and my challenges. Then, to keep myself honest, I commit to posting a list of some of my top accomplishments and challenges, and some of my smaller ones as well.

I challenge you to create a list of goals, keep track of them during the year, and then celebrate and post your accomplishments at year end. If you do, please let me know. I’d love to look at your list.

Writing Career

This year I spent most of my time writing long fiction. I’ll expound on the consequences to my short fictions sales in that section. I finished the 2nd draft of an 90,000 word crime thriller, Year of the Demon, continued my Amazon experiment by marketing Wolves of Vengeance, and began writing a ghost/suspense thriller and a science fiction thriller. I’m considering all my publishing options with Year of the Demon, and hope to be ready to forge ahead, on whatever that decision may be, by the end of 1st quarter 2015.

Novels/Novellas

YEAR OF THE DEMON (Crime Thriller)

Completed the second draft of Year of the Demon.
Prepped manuscript for 1st readers.
Secured first readers (beta readers)
Allowed manuscript to “cool” to allow enough distance from the material to look at it as objectively as possible.
Read through the whole manuscript to get a feel for the structure.
Received first 50 pages of edits with only minor mechanical issues to be corrected.

WOLVES OF VENGEANCE (Supernatural Thriller)

I returned to marketing Wolves of Vengeance after reallocating that time to complete Year of the Demon. I changed the fiction categories the book is listed in on Amazon, changed the books description, joined Kindle Unlimited and even ran a free promotion. I also received a few more nice reviews. All of these actions helped to return the book to the public eye and it began selling more and getting more borrows.

Updated and refined Wolves of Vengeance book description.
Received this blurb from one of my writing heroes: “Wolves of Vengeance by David North-Martino. A paranormal wolf novel with real teeth, plus theme, strong plotting, rich characterization…and style to spare. If you like horror, check it out. The fact that it’s an ebook should be all the proof you need that traditional publishing’s in a bad way. North-Martino’s a writer to watch for.”-Reb MacRath, Author of Red Champagne.
The 0.99 cent sale ended and price returned to normal.
Signed up for Kindle Select/Unlimited
Researched promotional opportunities.
Set up Kindle free promotion for Halloween Eve and Halloween.
Advertised Free promotion and Unlimited status on social media
Submitted and paid for Ebook Booster
Updated Kboard’s book post
gave away 98 books for free peaking at #3,077 in free Kindle, #3 in free Psychic Suspense and #12 in free Horror Suspense.
Dipped back to 1 million (paid) then to #100,642 (paid) #53 in paid psychic suspense (3rd page) #26 in Suspense Horror. #404 of 2,673 results.
Had my first Kindle Unlimited borrows.
Changed fiction categories and noticed and upswing in sales.
Created a Bitly link for Wolves.

THE TOWER (Ghost/Suspense Thriller) Working Title

Began first draft of The Tower. In a burst of inspiration I wrote 16 pages in 6 hours completing most of the first chapter in one sitting.
Began research for the novel. I tend to do research while I’m writing.
The manuscript is currently just over the 10,000 word mark.

PROXY MATE (Distopian Science Fiction)

Began first draft of Proxy Mate.
Began research.
The manuscript is currently just under the 9,000 word mark.

Short Stories

All the momentum I created during 2011 and 2012 culminated in 2013 being a banner year for short fiction sales. Fortunately and unfortunately, everything purchased in 2013 was also published that same year. This left me with a lag in my momentum at a time when I wanted to spend more time on novels. I decided to put the majority of my time working on long fiction, but did squeeze in some time to write, rework, and submit stories for publication. I also ended up on the shortlist of one anthology, but won’t know if I have an acceptance until early next year. I’m competing with a group of highly talented writers who always bring their A-game. So, we will see what happens.

Wrote 2 new short stories and reworked others to hopefully make them salable.
Submitted six stories to various markets. This was about half of what I planned, but I decided to spend more time writing long fiction.
Received payment for “The Interloper.” This story appears in: ANTHOLOGY: YEAR TWO: INNER DEMONS OUT
Created a list of upcoming submission deadlines for magazine and anthology markets.
Won a free book from the fine people at Villapede Press: DOUBLE FEATURE 1
Cellar Door received a nice review from Hellnotes: CELLAR DOOR REVIEWS
Invited by editor, after receiving high marks from associate editors, to submit to new anthology.
Ended up on the shortlist for an anthology that is scheduled to be published next year.

Networking

Wrote reviews and gave ratings for novels that I enjoyed.
Shared and exchanged Web links with other authors.
Kept up with author friends on social media.
Read and critiqued the beginning of a novel for an author friend.

Marketing

Invited to write answers to the Usual Questions for Festivale Online Magazine (Interestingly enough, after I stated that I wanted to spend more time on mainstream thrillers, I ended up begining a ghost/suspense novel and a science fiction novella). THE USUAL QUESTIONS
Updated WordPress to a professional URL.

Reading

Reading is probably the most important thing any writer can do to improve their craft. The impulse to write usually comes from a love of reading. That’s certainly where mine came from. I don’t like to make a list of the books I read a year because, compared to some, my list would be pathetically small. I tend to read slowly. My pace has slowed considerably since I began writing because now I’m trying to read like a writer and absorb the nuances within the fiction, and learn how different writers aproach their craft. Still, I feel that the depth of the reading is as important and how much reading is accomplished.

Author Hank Schwaeble challenged me, and many other writers, to read some fiction classics this year. We were supposed to pick out some that we hadn’t read from Time Magazine’s All-Time 100 Novels. I only got to one that I had picked out: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre. I really enjoyed that book, and can see how it has influenced American thriller writers. I will read more on that list as time allows.

Family/Friends

Called my parents on average once per week.
Attended a belated holiday gathering with my family in January.
Celebrated our birthdays.
Took down tree in January.
Called my Aunt Margie to wish her a Happy New Year.
Lit a candle for my Sister on the anniversary of her death.
Attended a wake for a friend’s father.
Mailed cards to nieces and nephews.
Celebrated 19 years of marriage.
Sent Cousin Thorny a card for his 90th birthday.
Visited my family for Mother’s Day.
Attended my God-daughter’s graduation party.
Exhanged emails with my friend and former Professor.
Helped my parents with the logistics of picking up their new car.
Attended Patty’s Dad’s BBQ a couple of days after Independence Day.
Attended a seafood boil at a friends house. Videos of me dancing and playing the spoons.
Had a writing friend offer to introduce me to one of my martial arts heroes.
Visited my Mom & Dad for lunch at Cedars Steak House.
Celebrated the anniverary of our first date.
Enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner for two at home.
Visited Mom & Dad for an after Thanksgiving breakfast.
Reminisced with a high school friend about another school we attended together.
Celebrated Christmas and my Father-In-Law’s 80th birthday.
Enjoyed an after holiday breakfast with my parents.
Made a Valentine’s video for my FB friends. Hahaha!

Martial Arts

Last year I trained mostly solo and worked with some private students as I assessed the direction I wanted to take my own training. This year I made it a point to bring my training in a new direction. I decided to add some Filipino Kali (stick and knife training) and Jeet Kune Do to my training. I had the opportunity to work with full and associate instructors of Guro Dan Innosanto and attended a seminar with legendary Sigung Taky Kimura. I trained with some old martial friends, and made some amazing new ones. Although I will continue to practice what I’ve learned in my previous arts, I now know what direction my training will go for at least the next five years.

Celebrated 27 years of martial arts training.
Researched Krav Maga and combatives curriculums.
Purchases a Krav Maga curriculum workbook.
Switched Patty to a Krav style curriculum for our fighting & fitness training until Patty injured her knee outside of training.
Continued my solo training.
Created a new training log book to reflect my new goals.
Renewed our membership at the range.
Challenge: I nursed a shoulder injury.
Contacted my friend Tony and arranged to meet him and his wife at a Kali seminar.
Purchased a Jeet Kune Do book.
Attended a Kali seminar with Instructor Raffi Derderian Academy of Martial Arts and began my introduction to filipino stick and knife trianing. Reconected with my friend Tony and his wife, received training from an amazing instructor, trained with a great partner who helped me with the new material, and met some all around great people from the Metrowest Academy of Jiu Jitsu . I highly recommend both of these schools.
Bought rattan sticks and foam covered training sticks.
Began working on what I learned at the seminar including Heaven Six, Heaven and Earth, and other sinawali and sambrata.
Taught Patty some of these basics so that we could train together.
Learned basic JKD/Wing Chung Pak Sao and Lop Sao and others.
After an interesting synchronicity, I reconnected to my traditional TKD (Tang Soo Do) training.
Posted my 1992 black belt test on youtube.
Research Shotokan Kata to compare and contrast with Tang Soo Do.
Returned to modified P90X training
Focused on Naihanchi Sam Dan
Made three Youtube martial arts videos for fun: Kali, Karate punching, and boxing workout.
Attended Raffi’s New England Martial Arts Camp for the Taky Kimura seminar. I met tons of great people and leaned lots. Practiced Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do, Jung Ki Hapkido with Master LaCava, Kali with Sifu Kevin Seaman (he also taught BJJ), studied various styles of Kung Fu with Sifu Mark Cardona. I wasn’t able to attend Coach Jeff Burger‘s Muay Thai class, but I did have the privilege of working with him briefly. I highly recommend all of these instructors. If you live nearby, check them out.
Trained at the range regularly.
Challange: I tore my MCL in my knee had had to put training on hold for a period of time.

Health

For fun I played PS3 Move for extra physical activity.
I cut down on Zyrtec and Flonase.
Began eye pressure at 14-15.
Began using Pataday for allergies.
Changed dentist and went to appointments for cleaning.
Got a flu shot.
Had my sunglasses repaired.
Visted my doctor for a mild MCL tear. Stopped training while it healed and preforemed leg lifts with weights to strengthen knee
Began a series of new eye drops as my eye pressure increased to 19.
Had side effects from new eye drop medication and got checked out at the ER.
Went for an appointment with an opthalmologist and glaucoma specialist. Made appointments for next year for a follow up.
Began reducing sodium in our diets.

Cars

Had cars inspected.
Ordered new driver’s license online and recieved it.
Detailed interior of cars.
Oil change and bushings for my car.
Oil change and replaced censor on airbag light on Patty’s car. Heat Shield adjusted for free. It was creating engine grininding noises. Some rattle caused by the exhaust, but we were told it wasn’t worth fixing and posed no safety problem.
Updated my registration.
Washed cars.
Had cars serviced for recalls.
Bought new tires for Patty’s car.
Someone hit my bumper and left four white scratches that I still need to paint.
Bought a new battery for Patty’s car after it died overnight and wouldn’t take a charge.

Financial

Had taxes prepared.
Patty won a product gift basket from Serene-Scape.

Received a Tax form from Amazon with my royalty statement for book sales.
Patty met with the company’s 401k advisor and reallocated funds.
Reduced our phone data plan.
Dental bill paid in full by insurance company.
Saved money by fixing our toilet myself. I’m not mechanical. So, this is a big deal.
Had to dispute charges a couple times with credit cards because of fraud.
Patty had her eye glass lenses replaced under warrantee.
Began reading Anthony Robbin’s Wealth Book

Charity/Community Service

Gave to assorted charities.
Gave charity in my sister’s name.
Made a video for ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Contacted by ABC News to use footage. Not sure if it aired. We also donated.
Sent letters to my representatives.
Voted in elections.

Things

We accomplished many thing goals, but I’m not going to list them publicly.
Upgraded to iPhone 5c from iPhone 4s.

House

Tested a brita filter but it didn’t work well with our sink.
Took down the tree.
Cleaned the house regularly.
Cleaned out the fabric softner well and dispenser after I realized that it had grown mold.
Replaced floater in toilet.
Replaced tourcher lamp in living room.
Installed new 10 year smoke detector in upstairs hall.
Association removed hedges.
Association provided a dumpster which helped with spring cleaning.

Fun & Travel

Vacationed at Niagara Falls in Upstate New York by way of Syracuse

Stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Syracuse.
Cantina Lerado at Destiny USA, Syracuse. Fresh guacamole made right at our table with diced tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro. Casa Rita, Dos Equis Amber, and steak fajitas.
The Seneca Hotel & Casino, Niagara. Room with a view of Canada and fireworks.
Played Video Poker.
Received $40.00 in free slot play.
Thunderfalls Buffett.
Fireworks: watched from the window Sunday and Wednesday night at 10 pm.
Hard Rock Café, Niagara.
Smokin Joes Native Center.
Three Sister’s Café.
Niagara Falls.
Horseshoe Falls.
Top of the Falls Restaurant.
Cave of the Winds and Hurricane Deck.
Hilton Garden Inn Suite, Syracuse included a large whirlpool tub.
Tully’s Good Times Restaurant Syracuse.
Went to Chipolite for the first time.
Watched Independence day fireworks on TV, and out of our home window.

Had frozen yogurt at Menchies.
Watched Rhonda Rousey win by TKO with a knee to the liver (liver shot)!
Watched UFC: Rousey wins in 16 seconds.
Tried ice cream at Chevy’s in Woonsocket.
Went to a friend’s seafood boil in RI.
Went to the new Showcase XPlus Cinema, watched The Expendables III, and got a free T-shirt.
Watched Guardians of the Galaxy at the IMAX.
Ate at the Blue Fin Lounge for the first time.

That’s about it for 2014. On to 2015… Happy New Year!

2012 Goals Accomplished…Now onto 2013!

2 Replies

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward…That’s how winning is done!”–Rocky Balboa

This was a challenging year. My sister died and her death pretty much shut me down for half the year. The sensation was not unlike getting knocked for a loop in a boxing match and then running on instinct for the rest of the round, doing everything you can to keep your wobbly legs underneath you. Then, with the weather better, we held the memorial and relived it all over again. And never mind the holidays. My sister was born on Thanksgiving and that didn’t make the end of the year any easier

Then, an all around great guy and master martial artist, John Frigon died after a long illness. He seemed so healthy and full of life the last time I saw him, but the illness took him hard and quick.

I had some health issues as well this year. But I made it through with the help of family and friends and trying to keep my mind on my work. I learned a lot this year and think I was able to accomplish quite a bit considering the circumstances.

Professional:

Writing Career (The Pen)

Novels:

Wolves of Vengeance: I wrote character arc outlines and rewrote each character arc, adding scenes and deleting scenes where necessary. Patty went through and proofread the manuscript. I would have liked to have WOV completed by year-end, but I’m happy with the progress.

Year of the Demon: I began a reimagining of this novel, a martial arts thriller that I began in 2006 but eventually abandoned. I finally understood what I needed to do to make the story work. I completed the first draft of this novel.

Short Stories:

I submitted 10 short stories to magazine and anthology markets.

I wrote 5 short stories this year.

I sold 3 short stories this year. That’s a personal best!

The Extinct Anthology earned out its advance, and I began receiving royalty checks. A big thank you to everyone who either bought a copy or helped us move up in Amazon’s rankings by grabbing a free copy. Extinct cracked the top 100 free books in contemporary fiction. We’re also sporting a new cover.

The Epitaphs Anthology became a Bram Stoker Award finalist.

My short story “The Mesomorphic Woman” was accepted into the Daughter’s of Icarus anthology to be published by Pink Narcissus Press in 2013. I signed the contract and cashed the check. Now, I’m just waiting for a publication date.

My short story “The Hours of Sleep” was accepted into You Can’t Kill Me, I’m Already Dead: A Vampire Anthology published by Zombie Works Publications. I signed the contract. This anthology is available now as a trade paperback. I’ve been told that an ebook is in the works.

http://www.amazon.com/You-cant-kill-already-dead/dp/1481170627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356967380&sr=8-1&keywords=You+can%27t+kill+me%2C+I%27m+already+dead

My short story “Phantom Chasers” was accepted into the From Beyond the Grave Anthology to be published by Grinning Skull Press. I’m looking forward to publication sometime in 2013.

Networking

Paid HWA dues.

I attended a New England Horror Writers (NEHW) meeting held at Ritual in Worcester. Fun was had by all!

An author asked me to blurb her book and I was happy to oblige.

Paying it Forward:

I had a couple of young writers reach out to me looking for advice. I’m still in the beginning of my career, but I tried to give them some advice and point them in the right direction.

Martial Arts (The Sword)

Progress:

Took the opportunity to train in Jung Ki Kwan Hapkido with Master Phil and Master John.

Took the opportunity to train at Britt’s Tae Kwon Do.

Trained with martial arts friends.

Expanded my library of martial arts books and videos.

Added Bas Rutten’s MMA style interval training to my repertoire.

Celebrated 25 years of training in the martial arts.

Earned my next black belt ranking in Tang Soo Do from Master Rhee.

I was internationally recognized as an advanced Japanese Jujutsu black belt

Promoted my first black belt student.

Promoted another private student to brown belt.

Tragedy: Sadly Jung Ki Master John Frigon passed away after a long illness. He will be missed.

Personal:

Family

Tragedy:

My sister Danielle Shoshanna Martino died in January. She will be forever remembered and missed.

I helped my parents clean out my sister’s apartment along with my Brother and sister-in-law.

Went through a mourning period.

Said kaddish and lit a candle in memory of my sister for 7 days.

Gave charity in memory of my sister.

Increased visits and phone calls to my Mom & Dad during the first half of the year.

Attended my Sister’s memorial in NH and visited with my Dad’s side of the family.

Celebrated Patty’s birthday.

Celebrated my birthday.

Visited and went out to eat with Mom, Dad and Godmother for Mother’s Day.

Attended my nephew’s H.S. Graduation Party.

Attended Father’s Day BBQ at In-laws.

Celebrated my Mother’s birthday at Foxwoods.

Summer BBQ at In-laws.

Visited my nephew Michael’s new apartment and helped move in some furniture.

Thanksgiving with my Family at Foxwoods.

Christmas with in-laws..

Health

Challenges and setbacks:

Between martial arts and other exercise training I reinjured my shoulder, injured my hand, wrist and forearm, strained my back and neck, and twisted my knee. I also lacerated my thumb, and had to get a tetanus shot. I had a cist on the back of my neck that caused some pain but ultimately didn’t have to be removed (my brother had the same thing so it must run in the family). To top it all off I had a small cavity that needed to be filled and I came down with the flu.

My eye doctor put me on a glaucoma preventive eye drop. Glaucoma runs in my family and this should keep me from getting the disease.

Progress

Lost 5 pounds of fat, reduced 3 inches on my waist, and gained muscle.

Bought a pair of prescription sun glasses.

Yearly physical went perfectly except that I needed to lose some weight.

Began using Bas Rutten MMA CD’s for interval training.

Began a P90X program to get myself back in peak condition and heal injuries.

Cars

Progress:

Completed all regular maintenance.

Paid off Patty’s car in the beginning of the year and received title.

Paid off my car at the end of the year and received title.

Challenge: My car was hit at Foxwoods. It took me half the day to deal with the accident and then many hours to get it repaired. In the end my car was fixed and my insurance covered everything.

House

Had a new AC system installed.

Charity and Community Service.

United Way Lantern Society Member.

Gave to assorted Charities.

Voted in all elections.

Donated cans to RI food bank through Boy Scouts of America.

Joined The Gun Owner’s Action League (GOAL).

Exercised my Second Amendment rights.

Planning

Began using Opus Domini for daily and weekly planning in conjunction with Anthony Robbins RPM.

Travel/Fun

Portsmouth, NH.

Ossippee, NH

Kittery, ME

Hyannis, MA.

Mohegan Sun, CT: Big Bubbas’s BBQ, Connecticut Sun Basketball Game.

Foxwoods, CT.

East Hartford, CT.

NYC Trip: Traveled by bus. China Town, Little Italy, Times Square.

Boston: stayed at the Hilton river view room and worked on novel, Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Prudential Tower, Harvard Bridge.

IMAX: Avengers, Promethus, The Dark Knight Rising.

Cinema De Lux Director’s Hall: The Expendables 2.

Rented Solomon Kane On Demand before it came to the theater.

Memorial Day Parade and Fireworks.

Attended Patty’s 25^th Anniversary for her company. As usual I made a spectacle of myself with my trademark dancing.

Went to see my friend Jim play drums in his band The Jazz Hawks.

Spiritual

I began praying again at night and saying affirmations in the morning.

Performed kaddish for the dead and lit candles for my sister.

I had a spiritual awakening and returned to my spiritual roots.

Had a series of experiences along with stories of others that proved to me beyond shadow of a doubt that some part of us survives death.

That’s about all I can remember for 2012. It’s been a challenging and productive year. I have some major goals I’d like to complete in 2013. Here’s hoping that next year will be better in every way imaginable.

2011 Goals Accomplished…Now onto 2012!

8 Replies

2011 Goals Accomplished…Now onto 2012!

Every year I create a list of goals for every area in my life. Throughout the year I work on these goals and track my progress. Then, to keep myself honest, I commit to posting a list of some of my top accomplishments and some of the smaller ones as well. What a great year! 2011 has been my best year for accomplishments since 2006! I finally feel like I have some momentum.

Education:

Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts, (UMASS) Lowell with a BLA degree with concentrations in English and psychology.

Final Classes:

Introduction to the Internet—Grade: A

Statistics—Grade: B

Writing Career:

Sales:

Sold “The Language of Ice” short story to the Extinct Doesn’t Mean Forever Anthology: http://www.amazon.com/Extinct-Doesnt-Mean-Forever-ebook/dp/B004SUOWMU/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

What this gave me besides a check and publishing credit:

Accepted into my first e-book anthology.
My Editor (Phoenix Sullivan) gave me a fantastic line edit that changed the way I revise my stories.
The sale allowed me to get an author’s page on Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords, and Goodreads. http://www.amazon.com/David-North-Martino/e/B004TIM8WC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_9
Had my first press release sent out from Dare to Dream Press.
My publisher also uploaded TLOI as a short story single. http://www.amazon.com/The-Language-of-Ice-ebook/dp/B005FG17QK/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
My story included with a group of fantastic international writers.
I made friends with some incredible writers.
Attended the virtual launch party.

Sold “Malfeasance” short story to Epitaphs: The Journal of the New England Horror Writers (an anthology). http://www.amazon.com/Epitaphs-Journal-England-Horror-Writers/dp/0982727593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325263737&sr=8-1

What it gave me besides a check and a publishing credit:

Accepted into my first print anthology.
A physical book with my name on the back cover.
My story included with a group of fantastic New England Writers including an award winning best-selling author and an award winning internationally best-selling author.
A physical book to place on the bookcase I inherited from my grandmother.
The privilege and honor to represent the New England Horror Writers.
My 2^nd anthology credit of the year.
My editor (Tracy Carbone) gave me advice that has changed the way I write my stories
I gave my first reading at Anthocon in Portsmouth, NH.
I participated in my first signing at Anthocon in Portsmouth, NH.

I reconnected with writing friends and made a ton of new writing friends.

I also sent out short stories to 9 markets this year.

Wrote 4 short stories this year and am halfway though another one.

Conventions:

Attended NECON.

Attended AnthoCon.

Novels:

Wolves of Vengeance:

Completed edit using notes and suggestions from author extraordinaire Ray Garton.

Decided to remove 40k words to tighten story and go back to basics. Completed what will hopefully be the last major overhaul draft.

Continued using Scrivener to write and structure novels.

Wrote synopsis for two more novels.

Other:

Used Duotrope.com to research short story markets and keep up with the needs of publishers.

Donated to Duotrope.com

Paid Horror Writer’s Association (HWA) dues.

Martial Arts

Celebrated 24 years of martial arts training.

Taught private lessons in Tang Soo Do.

Learned Naihanchi Cho Dan and Ye Dan forms (Master Phil Critiqued forms).

I earned my Ee Dan black belt rank grade in Tang Soo Do from Grandmaster Rhee (9thDan).

I had a student use the self-defense techniques I taught her to defend herself against a knife wielding potential serial killer and survive with only superficial wounds. Her victory is also mine. And I couldn’t be prouder.

Trained at Gould’s TKD (Tae Kwon Do/ Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan).

Trained with Master Phil in Jung Ki Kwan Hapkido.

Attended a tactical firearms training given by a State Trooper.

PNM Books:

Sold GPS to upgrade.

Sold iPad.

Financial

Held family financial meetings.

Continued leveraging taxes to tax preparer.

Etc.

Cars

Completed all regular maintenance and replaced headlamps in both vehicles.

Family

My Grandnephew Caolan Thomas was born!

Supported my Dad by attending the Vet’s BBQ.

Visited Parents at Foxwoods.

Bought Patty flowers for Valentines Day.

Contacted my parents by phone each week.

Out to dinner with In-Laws to Outback.

Supported my wife with her diet.

Attended Sarah’s (niece) welcome home party from Kosovo.

John (nephew) returned from Afghanistan!

Called Mom for mother’s day.

Celebrated 16 years of marriage and 19 years together.

Attend Father’s Day BBQ at in laws.

Had breakfast at Foxwoods for Mother’s birthday.

Met my Grandnephew.

Had my niece and nephew up and had pizza with them.

Put Grandmother’s picture up on bookcase that I inherited.

Visited Mom, Dad, Uncle Freddy, and visited Danielle’s new apartment.

Had Thanksgiving at In-Laws.

Christmas at the In-Laws.

Health

Lost approximately 12 lbs of fat (regained about 5 lbs because of injury and holidays).

Joined Planet Fitness and used treadmill and/or elliptical at least 2x per week.

Began a running/elliptical program.

Dental Cleanings—no cavities.

Tried another medication but decided to go back on Protonix for now.

Had a great physical: all systems normal.

Eye appointment: eyes have stayed the same.

Went to physical therapy to fix my shoulder and was discharged to independent training.

Friends:

Met up with Jason S. at Vet’s Bike and BBQ.

Trained in TKD and Hapkido with my friend Master Phil.

Used social media to keep up with friends.

Home

Outfitted the patio with a table and a grill.

Had the HVAC fan fixed.

Changed rugs in upstairs bathroom.

Changed toilet seats in upstairs and downstairs bathroom.

Cleaned out kitchen cabinets.

Cleaned scuffs off walls.

Fixed flag holder and put up flag.

Had HVAC heating coil fixed.

Continued cleaning garage and study.

Got a quote for a new water heater and furnace.

Had front storm door handle fixed.

Had new water heater, furnace, and thermostat installed.

Charity

United Way Keel Club of Leadership.

Soldiers’ Angels.

Received Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn plaque for soldier support.

Food to local food pantry.

Donated clothing to charity.

Etc.

Travel

Seminar in Burlington, MA. Stayed in a Hyatt Suite.

Foxwoods, CT

Mohegan Sun, CT

AnthoCon in Portsmouth, NH

Fun

Joined Red Sox Nation.

Attended Earth, Wind & Fire concert at Mohegan sun.

Watched the Bruins win the Stanley Cup on the big screen!

Attended Motley Crue with Poison and New York Dolls at Mohegan.

Autumnfest 2011—Woonsocket

Computer

Joined Dropbox.com

Joined Twitter

Joined Flicker

Got an evernote account

Planning

Continued using the Anthony Robbins Rapid Planning Method (RPM). I’ve been using this planning system since 2001.

That’s all for 2011…now onto 2012!

Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dnorthmartino