Today, January 1, 2011, is the 24th consecutive New Year’s Day I’ve celebrated in prison. With 8,544 similar days behind me, my passion for pursuing projects that contribute to society in positive ways has never been more intense. Although I don’t know how many more days, weeks, months, or years of federal prison await me, I know that I will power through every one of them with dignity, integrity, and commitment to living each remaining day of my life in gratitude for the many miraculous blessings that come my way.

I’m beginning 2011 with an absolute commitment to achieving several clearly-defined goals that I describe below. All of the goals are in harmony with the values by which I commit to live. I urge my family, my friends, and everyone in my support network to hold me accountable.

What I write below is part of my Straight-A Guide to living a deliberate life. I will write in more detail about the Straight-A Guide in other areas of MichaelSantos.net, the Web site my wife, Carole, maintains on my behalf. By adhering to that Straight-A Guide closely, I will emerge from the 45-year federal prison term that I began serving in 1987 as a man in full, ready to contribute in positive ways to the world. My spirit and my dignity will be intact.

Such an outcome will not materialize by accident. Rather, the outcome requires deliberate choices every day. It requires daily accountability. I use the Straight-A Guide to stay on course, ensuring that I navigate my way through what others may call adversity; over decades that adversity has become normal and the only life I know.

Please join this pursuit of living an optimal life. To the extent that we empower ourselves with choices, I’m convinced that living a fulfilling life lies within our grasp, regardless of where we are, regardless of what we’re encountering.

I renew my commitment to live as the best man I can be, to live as the best American I can be, to live as the best husband I can be. I owe this commitment to the many people who love and support me. Someday I will walk out from these restrictive boundaries of federal prison. When I do, I want to feel worthy of the courage so many have shown by considering me for the man I strive to become rather than for the bad decision I made during the recklessness of my early 20s.

To stay on course through every day of 2011, I commit to the following seven value categories that I list in alphabetical order:

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Discipline

I will begin every morning by thanking God for my blessings. I will begin my work every morning before 3:00 a.m. I will work in measurable ways toward each of my value categories every day. Through my discipline, I will create my own meaning in life, regardless of what atmospherics or outside forces influence my surroundings. No excuses, no anger, just progress.

Fitness

I will run 3,300 miles during the year 2011. I will achieve that goal by running every day of the year, averaging between 63 and 65 miles each week. I will do 86,000 pushups during the year. I will reach that goal by averaging between 1,500 and 2,000 pushups every week. I will exercise at least 600 hours during the year. I will achieve that goal by averaging 12 hours of exercise each week through running, pushups, and cardio-machine training.

Godliness

I will strengthen my faith and connection to God through prayers of gratitude several times every day. I will begin every morning by reading a daily inspirational. I resume my commitment to reading the Bible every day. I begin this year with the Book of Lamentations and I will read at least one chapter every day before I sleep. I will say the Our Father prayer, along with a prayer of gratitude each evening.

Industriousness

I will write at least two new manuscripts in 2011. I will contribute new content to MichaelSantos.net every day of the year. I strive to help others understand federal prisons, the people they hold, and strategies for growing through confinement to emerge successfully. I will write new content regularly for the Michael G. Santos Foundation in order to help offenders and at-risk adolescents prepare for contributing, law-abiding lives; I also strive to help more prisoners prepare for reentry as productive citizens through my contributions to the foundation. I invite others to track my progress daily.

Integrity

I will lead my life as an open book, in total transparency while continuing to pursue meaning in my life. To that end, I will write a daily blog to chronicle my journey through federal prison. Besides that commitment, in 2011 I also will publish each week-at-a-glance that shows how I work. I will live honestly, with courage as I move purposely, deliberately through each day. I invite every reader to hold me accountable with regard to my commitment of keeping harmony with all that I think, all that I say, and all that I do.

Marriage

Marriage: I will express my love, respect, admiration, and appreciation for my wife, Carole, every day. Through the commitment I make to each value category, I strive to live as the best possible husband I can be, honoring her with my actions.

Network

I will work to build a stronger network of support as measured by those who follow my work in social media channels. I aspire to build a base of 10,000 people who “like” my work on Facebook. Through my work I aspire to earn their expression of support.

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My commitment to living in accordance with each of the above-listed value categories is how I choose to identify myself. The clearly-defined, specific goals that I will achieve in 2011 demonstrate my commitment to each. Again, I urge others to hold me strictly accountable. If you support my work, I ask that you help expand my presence in the social network by clicking “like” on my Facebook page.

Thank you for your continued support as I work my way through the final months of my imprisonment.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Santos

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