I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions as such, but every year when I write my Retrospective post, I write down what I think are manageable goals for the following year. I think exercise and healthier eating are on them every year, and I feel like I’m sort of just kidding myself with how seriously I tend to take that one, which is probably the most important one that’s always on my list. My weight has at least been hovering around the same place for nearly the whole last year and since I am still under the weight I was at my heaviest by a decent amount and have managed to keep myself diabetes-free for 3 years I’ll take it as, if not a win, a Pyrrhic victory of sorts, anyway.
That’s not to say there isn’t vast room for improvement in that area. There is. It’s on my mind all the time, actually. I am rather better about eating healthier most of the time, but have been much worse about exercise since I had my gall bladder out, for a couple of reasons that I’m not going to go into now. But I am trying to find ways to get better about both all the time. They are both such a struggle though, and they consume far too much of my mental guilt space.
I finished my blog book for 2019 today and sent it to print. Only 6 days into the new year! I have the formatting down to a science and am the speediest cutter-and-paster on the planet. One of my (oft-repeated) goals for 2019 was to be more regular about posting here and I finally managed to do it. My 2018 blog book was only 114 pages, and 2017’s was only longer by a couple more. But for 2019, it is 156 pages; a substantial jump (despite the fact that I had only 1 post in November).
I thought I’d look back and see what my track record has been for my manageable goals. I’ve been writing retrospective posts at the end of every year since 2007. My first list of manageable goals, which was for 2008, was
- Start art again!
- Travel to Prague
- Lose another 25 pounds
I only managed to fulfill one of those completely but it wasn’t until many, many years later in 2015 that it actually happened (visiting Prague). The other two have proven elusive.
These have been my goals every year since and my success rate, minus the ones that repeat every year about walking more, losing weight, eating healthier, etc.:
- FOR 2009
- Get the family to the States
Nope - Renovate the kid’s department
It’s been done 3x since this item first appeared! - Try to work Squam Art Workshops into the business trip to Boston
Finally managed it in 2011
- Get the family to the States
- FOR 2010
- Get the family to the States for summer vacation
YES - Keep the better balance found between work, family & activities
Ummm, I’ll give this a maybe
- Get the family to the States for summer vacation
- FOR 2011
- Trip to Germany in late summer
Nope, went to Iceland in the summer instead, but we did go down to Germany for a weekend at the beginning of December for my nephew’s Christening - Garden renovation
Several times since this item first appeared!
- Trip to Germany in late summer
- FOR 2012
- Midsummer with my entire first family in northern Germany!
YES! - Possible family vacation to Greece
Nope, sadly never happened - Thorough clutter cleaning in the whole house
Ongoing since this item first appeared
- Midsummer with my entire first family in northern Germany!
- FOR 2013
- Possible family houseboat vacation in England
Yes! Longboats for a week! - Getting a new bed and a new washing machine
No on the bed, yes on the washing machine
- Possible family houseboat vacation in England
- FOR 2014
- Continue the no-soda plan until end of June reevaluation time
Yep, did it for a whole year - Get through the project list
I assume so, haha - BIG Birthday Trip to SOMEPLACE in August
Yes! We spent a fantastic week in Toronto!
- Continue the no-soda plan until end of June reevaluation time
- FOR 2015
- Trip to somewhere WARM for Karin
Yes! Croatia for a week! - Fireplace and great room renovation
Nope. Neither one has happened
- Trip to somewhere WARM for Karin
- FOR 2016
- Trip to the US for the big celebration year
Yes! - Get Martin into driving school so he can get his license
Sadly, nope, he still hasn’t progressed on this one - Kitchen renovation or fireplace addition
Nope. Neither one has happened - Start singing and crafting again
Singing: yes, crafting: no
- Trip to the US for the big celebration year
- FOR 2017
- Encourage Martin in job hunting and college applications
Yes! Both worked! - Get both kids into driving school
Nope - Find and buy a new bed
Yep! Finally! - Be more regular about posting here!
Nope, in fact, worse than before
- Encourage Martin in job hunting and college applications
- FOR 2018
- Get Karin into driving school and push her about getting her driver’s license!
Yes to both! She got it! - Replace the sofabed/couch in the playroom
Nope, not yet… - Do some major decluttering
Ongoing… - Christmas in the US
Yes! - Get Martin’s Klimt project prints framed
Nope, not yet… - Be more regular about posting here!
Haha! NOPE, even worse than 2017!
- Get Karin into driving school and push her about getting her driver’s license!
- FOR 2019
- Replace the sofabed/couch in the playroom
Yes! Replaced with Anders’ mom’s couch & chair - Do some major decluttering
YES! Still ongoing, though… - Get Martin’s Klimt project prints framed
Yes! Finally! - Be more regular about posting here!
Yes! Did much better this time!
- Replace the sofabed/couch in the playroom
I know this is of little interest to anyone but myself, but I find it kind of motivating and a good way to encourage some of the “bigger” things that I want to accomplish during the year, without managing to scare myself off with the term “resolution”. And I also think it’s just fine to put something on the list again for the next year if I didn’t manage to make it happen during the year that passed.
Now to get serious again about those elusive weight loss, exercise and eating healthier goals!