2019 Goals

[wildeabandon]

This is very much a draft, so any comments or suggestions of things I might want to add much appreciated. I feel as though there should be a section for spiritual stuff, but I'm not quite sure what to put in it, and since I'm going on retreat next week I'm hoping to come out of that with more clarity.

Meta

• Find a to-do list app that works for me and doesn't end up sprawling into multiple apps and text files and inboxes


• Update DW monthly with progress against these goals and a plan for the following month


• Do NOT take on any new project, hobbies, or major commitments until after the wedding!

Finance

• Spend less than I did in 2016 in my discretionary budget categories*


• Review spending against budget each month


• Earn at least 8% more in 19/20 than in 18/19 (I'm going to do this by tax year because it makes the comparison much easier)

Faith & Church

• Make saying the examen a regular habit


• Carve out a decent length of time for private prayer at least twice a week


• Talk to people after Mass before tidying/counting. Particularly make a point of talking to people who are new, or whom you know less well


• Revive St John's singers for Easter and Patronal

Health

• Run 1000 miles


• Run 40 parkruns


• Do 50 consecutive push-ups (stretch goal 100)


• Do 15 consecutive chin-ups (stretch goal 20 pull-ups)


• Get a clean bill of health from my dental hygienist

Hobbies

• Take (and pass!) Grade 5 piano


• 5 minutes of music practice on 95% of days


• At least half an hour of music practice on 60% of days


• Write at least one dreamwidth entry each week (excluding the progress updates against these goals)


• Host at least 4 readthroughs


• Cook at least 26 new recipes


• See at least 12 plays


• Visit Cambridge at least 4 times


• Host at least 6 dinner parties

What am I missing? Or have I gone completely overboard? What are your goals for 2019?

*As it turns out, I did actually spend 6% less in 2018 than I did in 2017, so it is moving in the right direction, but still 34% more than in 2016. 2017 was very spendy!

Comments

[sfred]

My goals are much fuzzier than these: swim more; start learning the fiddle; keep playing the piano. I don't think yours sound ridiculous. I look forward to seeing you here more! x

[atreic]

Get married? (Also, that may have some impact on your Spend Less goals?)

:-)

[wildeabandon]

Heh - I'd like to think that I don't need to set that as a goal to make sure that I do it :) And I'm not counting wedding spending as part of the YoY comparison.

[feanelwa]

You're so healthy and happy now! Is there a non-patronising way to say I'm proud of you? If there is, consider it said.

My goals are:
-Drink enough water using the phone app I got
-Do my best at everything else.

[wildeabandon]

Heh - I don't think it's an inherently patronising thing to say unless it's intended to be. Thank you - I'm pretty proud of me too :)

Good luck!

[ludy]

i'm impressed by you having metrics for these things - my goals are much more fuzzy (and thus hard to work out if i've achieved them or not): to continue to heal from FootLump surgery and deal with any future prodding that turns out to be necessary, to work on Project: Get A Social Life and the ongoing "be more good and less nice"...

[ludy]

also you are Awesome and i wish you all the best in 2019

[wildeabandon]

I definitely find the metrics are useful in terms of actually getting me to do the thing. If I can give myself stickers as I go along even better :)

Thank you for the kind words, and good luck with your goals!

[hairyears]

I will copy a couple of those!

This year won't be the year I take up a musical instrument - too much going on elsewhere.

But I might set aside time for regular voice training: there's a music teacher living somewhere very, very near to me.

As a matter of self-care, this will be the year that I systematically set aside the time for the physical and mental exercises, and the regular practice, that move me on from 'treading water' onto making real progress towards fifth Dan.

If you're considering one of the less aggressive martial arts, I can offer some recommendations: but you do need to set aside an evening a week.

[wildeabandon]

I think that some form of music making is a really good thing to do - I didn't realise how much I was missing it until I took it up again in the last few years, and it's really enriched my life.

Good luck with making Aikido progress. I have historically been absolutely terrible at martial arts, and there are quite a few other hobbies which I'd love to take up if I have time for it, so it's not likely to be on the horizon in the foreseeable future, but if it ever does so I'll remember to have a chat with you. You have however, reminded me of one important goal that I left off the list, and will shortly be adding to the meta section - Do not take on any new projects, hobbies, or commitments until after the wedding!

[hairyears]

Do not take on any new projects, hobbies, or commitments until after the wedding!

Some time in late August, I will ask you how that's going...

[lovingboth]

For the to do list, Google Keep works for me. What I want is a diary app that's as good as the one on the Psion series 3* series...