One a week, 52 a year: My new, long-term goal.

I’ll admit I’m not the best goal setter. I get new long term goals all the time. Way too often. I wouldn’t say I "forget" about them. I just don’t exactly make it a priority.

Well, here’s my latest one, and I really hope it lasts. Because it doesn’t sound too hard.

Rent and watch a movie - preferably one of those "critically-acclaimed" famous ones, or at least those that have "stood the test of time," as my mother would say - once a week, every week.

It doesn’t sound that hard. Two or three hours every Sunday, I figure.

So what is this point of this seemingly meaningless goal?

1) I want to actually make a goal. And accomplish it. Not a "to-do" kind of thing. A long term thing.

2) This goal isn’t hard. It’s not like, running three times a week. I hate running. I have no place to run other than those horrible-for-your-knees sidewalks. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Well, I happen to love watching movies. It’s enjoyable. It’s easy. You can multi-task and do other things like file papers, eat, while you’re watching. I own a DVD player. I live very, very close to a Blockbuster AND a library. No excuses. Other than time. But then again, there’s never enough time.

3) I haven’t watched very many movies. But I love movies. Not only that, I want to understand what makes Oscar movies… Oscar movies. I want to watch all those famous old movies so that when I read the paper and movie critics refer to them I know what they’re talking about. Instead of watching parodies of them on SNL and the Simpsons, I want to watch the real thing.

4) See if I can actually commit to something.

I started last week with The Queen, from I think one or two years ago, starring Helen Mirren. I’ll spare you my review. This weekend, I watched The English Patient. Loved it.

If this can last at least three months, I’ll be tremendously pleased with myself. Goes to show how hard committing to something is if there’s no one else pushing you to it.