2015 New Year’s Resolutions Revisited
With 2015 coming to a close, it’s time to reflect on the past year. This has been, in many ways, both a crazy and very successful year. My resolutions, however, have been somewhat of a mixed bag. Let’s see how I did.
- Survive
Check.
2. Lose weight (again)
Nope. To be honest, I’ve just been treading water. The biggest factors are things I’ve always struggled with: dietary choices and portion control. As a result, I think I need to go into 2016 with a more concrete plan.
3. Become more consistent with cardio
Overall, I’ll give this one a check. There certainty were times where I slacked, but I was running on a fairly consistent basis throughout football season (generally, a couple miles every Sunday). I do believe that I have to keep this up in 2016 and perhaps find other avenues of extending workouts into new areas — be it more rec sports, returning to Yoga, or whatever, I think I need to do more than just throw weight around.
4. Run a 5K
Check. Finding one was a bit of an ordeal, but I ultimately found and settled on a race. If we want to be technical about it, it wasn’t a 5k but actually a 5-mile run. I feel like that counts. To be honest, I did waaaay better than I thought I would on a course that was by no means the flat and easy route I was hoping for. I definitely plan on running (real) 5k’s in the future, especially if they offer cool gear like the turkey trot did.
5. Develop a New Skill
Several Checks here.
Firstly, as mentioned at my six month check-in, I started playing Lacrosse this year. I’m in what can probably be best described as an organized league of pick-up games. We randomly select teams based on who shows up, and we don’t really keep score. Even still, it’s a ton of fun to run around and compete even if the games are meaningless. There is, however, a more formal summer team that I hope to play some games for this summer. I tried to play in some of those games with my roommate last summer, but a combination of poor timing and bad weather forced me to miss out. Playing some real, outdoor games is definitely a priority in 2016.
Secondly, I’ve found myself interested in photography. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a real camera, and you could argue my phone-based Instagraming could hardly be considered a hobby these days, but it is something I really enjoy. I might get more serious about next year, but we shall see.
Thirdly, I continued to increase my cooking repertoire, making everything from Pittsburgh Rare Steaks on the cast iron to French onion soup to cornbread to smoked wings. As any one who knows me is well aware, I’m a big fan of eating. It’s both fun and delicious to try making your own complex meals, and it really gives you an appreciation for the work that goes into the food you get at your favorite restaurants. I definitely look forward to attempting to make even more food in 2016.
6. Stop Neglecting My Guitar
Fail. I find myself pigeonholed into only being able to play at certain times. For example, I don’t like playing at night out of respect to my neighbors (and roommate for that matter), I’m generally not home on the weekends, and there are times I could play but don’t feel the muse. I do feel inspired about playing and learning new songs, I just have to carve out the time. More planning here would probably do me wonders, especially during football season when my free time gets short.
7. Write more in 2015
Meh. Started off great, but ultimately ended up at about one post a month, and that was pretty front loaded in the year. Once football season hits, I find myself having less time for my hobbies, and writing is no different. I ended up posting at roughly the same rate a I did last year, so I don’t fail myself on this one, but I do want to increase my writing in the future.
8. Read the entirety of the Song of Ice and Fire Series (Game of Thrones)
Not even close. Since the end of the summer, I haven’t read a page. I do really want to, I’ve just felt overwhelmed with how busy I’ve been. Reading more (and not even just Game of Thrones) is definitely something I’m putting on my list in 2016.
9. Go on More Adventures
Check. Luckily, Kari and I had many adventures this year. Of note:
Nashville, TN: Hot Chicken, Broadway, USMNT game
Lexington, KY: Keeneland, Watching my first SEC football game
Las Vegas, NV: I gambled at Las Vegas Casinos and broke even. I consider that a success.
Columbus, OH: First ever MLS game, Saw Dead & Company Live
Pittsburgh, PA: Saw the Pens win (!!) a game at Consol Energy Center, explored Pittsburgh
Dayton(ish), OH: The Miamisburg Turkey Trot (nearly 10k people ran in that race. It was nuts), drink (and eat) at Valley Vineyards
10. Get a Passport
Fail. The process is harder than I thought it would be, but this has more to do with laziness than anything else. Sigh. This will likely be a repeat for 2016, but I plan on doing rather quickly.
Final Scorecard:
5 Checks
4 Fails
1 Meh
Past years:
