Last year around this time, I began a now-annual tradition of examining my progress against a list of goals for the year, and setting new ones. Call them resolutions, or lifestyle changes, or self-examination; whatever they are, they have proven hugely helpful to me as I navigate big changes in my life these last few years. So here are my reflections on how I stacked up to my goals for 2019, and the things I hope to change for the better in 2020.
Looking Back
Here is how I did in 2019:
10. Recommit to reading.
Off to a good start, because I definitely did this! I may not have finished with an impressive number of books read by the end of the year, but that can mostly be attributed to having had a child in August that slowed down my pace considerably. I did, however, renew my library card after many years of inactivity – and I even used it! I also finally dipped my toe into audiobooks, having listened exclusively to podcasts for many years. This helped me to make more productive use of driving and other menial time, and I discovered some excellent books through the medium! I really tried to focus on making diverse, healthy reading choices throughout this year, which I have documented through a series of posts here. In all, I am thrilled with my year of reading in 2019, and aim to build on those successes in 2020.
9. Write something every day.
I didn’t keep a checklist or a calendar, and I know for certain that there were many days that I didn’t write much beyond a text or an email, but I did do a lot more writing this year than last. I wrote a massive new program at work, wrote more poetry, made some progress on my Great Unfinished Novel, and began work on a number of stories and projects which I am excited to keep exploring. I began writing a great many things this year but finished very few – something to grow on perhaps.
8. Get up early.
A byproduct of having had a child is that, beginning in August when she was born, getting up early has not been optional. But even prior to that, I made a genuine effort to avoid sleeping in. The next step, and one I want to carry forward, is to learn to make productive use of those first hours of the day. I am not angling to be a high-performance CEO, who has read an entire book and gone to the gym by 4 a.m., but I do want to be more adept at getting “up and at ‘em”
7. Create for myself, not a market.
Honestly, I don’t know how well I did here. I find it very difficult to write purely for the joy of the exercise, without any thought of whether someone may enjoy reading what I have written or who that audience might be. I have set aside ideas which I think are interesting, simply because it seems a waste of time to write something which no one would be interested in publishing. Then, of course, I feel guilty for wanting more than to create simply for the joy of creating, and the cycle continues. I am working on it, but I am not there yet.
6. Do fewer things with more care.
I don’t know whether I have actually managed to reduce the number of things demanding my attention this year over years past, but I know that I made a conscious effort to say “no” to commitments to which I knew I could not give the complete attention they would need.
5. Check in.
This is one goal that I fell far short of this year. I had hoped to develop the habit of checking in with friends and family unprompted, to offer a listening ear to those in need and demonstrate the importance of those relationships through the simple act of keeping in touch. Looking back, I can’t think of more than a handful of times I did that all year, which is disappointing.
4. Invest as much time into Canadian issues as I do American politics.
There was never going to be a better opportunity to achieve this goal than in a year full of political scandal and a fiery general election, and yet I still fell far short once again. Part of the reason for this is that I am intensely dialed into US politics, listening to daily podcasts and following along actively throughout most days; but part is also that I am not nearly an active enough participant in my own country’s issues and affairs. I will continue to try to strike a better balance.
3. Celebrate the successes of others.
I am only reminded that this was a stated goal for this year as I reread it now – I must admit that I had completely forgotten it. Nevertheless, I hope that those with whom I work and spend my days feel that I shared in the joys of their accomplishments this year. I can’t think of a time when I resented someone for an achievement, so I suppose that counts?
2. Be present.
I have definitely made progress in this direction, and in my goals for the coming year (listed below) I am setting out some strong and measurable parameters to continue to cut away distractions. This will always be a work-in-progress in today’s oversaturated media environment, but the first step is to be conscious of the things that pull my focus away from what is important.
1. Figure out fatherhood.
Every day with my child is a new adventure, and I will never be perfect – but each day I set out with the goal of being the best father I can be. I can do no more and no less.
Looking Ahead
Having looked back, it is time to take what I have learned and look ahead. Here are the things I hope to accomplish, and the objectives to which I hope to hold myself, in 2020:
10. Delete Facebook.
9. Eat less meat.
8. Reduce phone screen time from 10% to less than 5%.
7. Spend no money on books – read what I already own, or use the library.
6. No sugary drinks.
5. No video games Monday-Thursday.
4. Go to the doctor.
3. Finish a major writing project.
2. Rid myself of gamification.
1. Prioritize family time.
An Awfully Big Adventure 