2016 New Year’s Resolutions Revisited
With 2016 in the books, it’s time for New Year’s Resolutions. Even more important than creating new ones, however, is revisiting the goals I made a year ago. Without any kind of reflection or evaluation, there’s no reason to even make resolutions in the first place. Let’s see how I did:
- Survive
Check. This was a bigger accomplishment than most years.
2. Read more in 2016
This started off really strong, then collapsed miserably in the Fall. I’m going to put this as a check, because I read three books and that’s two more than I read in 2015, but I could have done a lot better.
3. Perform at two (or more) open mic nights in 2016
Nope. I didn’t perform at a single one. There are some legitimate reasons for this. I made a couple attempts, but I came to learn my preferred venue stopped doing open mic nights and the other local place had super competitive scheduling requiring you to commit weeks in advance. It was kind of frustrating, and I gave up way too easily. Recently, I found a bar within walking distance of my new place that hosts open mic nights on Monday nights, so I’m hoping to do one in the not-too-distant future.
4. Lose Weight (I mean it this time)
…Nope. I’ve honestly just lost and gained the same five to ten pounds multiple times this year. Unfortunately, when I “lose” weight, I’ve just been going back to square one. Sigh. I’m not sure what to do about this one.
5. Get a Passport
Check. Not only did I get it, but I got to use it for the first time. Looking forward to using it more in the future.
6. Make and Complete a Summer Bucket List
Nope. Although I made a Summer Bucket List, I was very unsuccessful at completing it. I had a very busy summer; I traveled to Europe with my family, went to Michigan for a week, and ended my summer with a cabin trip before starting two-a-days and school. In retrospect, I really tried to jam a lot into last summer and it just wasn’t realistic considering everything I already had on the books.
7. Buy a dehydrator and make my own Jerky
Check. I haven’t made a batch recently, but I made a whole lot of jerky this year. I tried different flavors and seasoning combinations and even some different meats. I love jerky but it definitely got expensive buying it all the time. This turned out to be an awesome and fun investment.
8. Write More in 2016
Nope. I hit my post wall in August, as I typically do. I tend to write a lot early in the year but the posts stop coming once football season hits. I really hope I can break that trend in 2017.
9. Develop a new skill (excluding making jerky)
Nope. Honestly, I experienced a lot of new things this year, but I didn’t really learn any new skills. I explored a foreign country, saw a lot of concerts, played in my first full-field, organized lacrosse tournament, traveled through a large swath of Michigan, and moved in with my girlfriend. All that being said, I don’t think I developed a new skill I didn’t previously have. Although I feel like I did a lot of new things this year, I don’t feel like I accomplished this one.
10. Go Camping For Real
Nope. I never camped as a child, so as I started seriously looking in it, I started to realize that it was going to be a lot more complicated than I initially thought. Sure, I could have bought a garbage tent and slept in park just to check this off, but I want to do it right. Personally, I’d love to go off to the wilderness somewhere with Kari and the dog and spend some time genuinely roughing it. I need to purchase a bunch of gear, and I have to figure out how/when I can fit it into the budget. Hopefully it’s something I can do next year, but we shall see.
I certainty didn’t do a great job with my resolutions last year. However, unlike most people, I don’t consider 2016 a failure. I got to experience a lot of new things, hang out with great people, and just generally had a very fun and enjoyable year. As I find myself gaining more responsibilities, it does get hard to do all the things I want to. I think I have to be more realistic with what I can actually accomplish in 2017. That being said, I always want to push myself to do more and to experience new things. I look forward to see what this year will bring.
Score:
Checks: 4
Nopes: 6
Past years:
