Spoiler alert: not the way I’d planned…

Even though this year has been this year, I still wanted to take a look back and see how I did on my resolutions.

So here are the resolutions I made at the end of last year when I was so naively, foolishly optimistic that this would be a good year. Some are laughable, some I actually accomplished and some I just did not, and that is OKAY.

1. Write 12 hours per week I SURPASSED this. This mainly had to do with my losing my job, my home, and moving in with my in-laws who help with childcare. But I’ve steadily written 21 hours almost every week since quarantine started and I’m actually quite proud of this. My goal is to write 1,000 hours this year. I’m close! I don’t know if I’ll make it, because holiday season. But time shall tell!
2. Finish drafting my epistolary YA I did this, but I’ve decided it’s too quiet a book for the current market. Shelved for now.
3. Draft 2 new books I fully drafted one, partially-drafted THREE more because it’s been a confusing year with regards to my writing career, to put it mildly
4. Limit social media usage significantly (as in, never hit the 1-hour per day limit) HAHAHAHAHA this was a foolish goal in an election year
5. Yoga 4x/week Sometimes I hit this. More often it’s closer to 2x
6. Cardio 4x/week (commuting counts) LOL on the commuting part. BUT I actually run or walked several days per week all year, so I’m going to call this one mission accomplished
7. DRINK MORE WATER. 10 glasses/day No I still suck at this
8. Book a freelance writing job (or two, or three) Or 4! Accomplished.
9. Stay on budget (my new lower budget) Yes, done, helped by the fact that there was nowhere to go this year
10. Do 4 chores per week I lowered this to three, and accomplished it
11. Only buy secondhand clothes or domestic, artisan-made brands I didn’t buy any clothes, does that count?
12. Learn where to compost Composting in a pandemic was too hard. Once I have a house I shall do this
13. Find a new therapist Accomplished!
14. Buy a new TV console LOL I need a place to put it first
15. Start an email newsletter for this blog Nope
16. Do something joyful and seasonal and surprising every month. Yes! We did this! From walks to jumping in piles of leaves to building a snowman. In a way, this has been the most seasonal year of my life, in that I spent so much time outside I actually got to see the seasons changing. I absolutely loved that about this year.
17. See or talk to friends twice a week. LOL on the see but I have made more of an effort to reach out via text and Zoom
18. Read 52 books! No 🙁
19. Be a great mother and wife. I don’t know how to measure this. I tried?
20. Get back to pre-pregnancy weight. LOL nope
21. Hang more art on the walls I did this before we moved out! Then I took them all down and they’re now in storage…
22. Make photo albums of wedding, honeymoon, and years of life I made 2 of these. They’re a pain in the ass to make. I shall try and do more in spite of this fact.
23. Go to France HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
24. Stick to an anti-inflammatory diet during the week. No. I have little control over my meals right now living in someone else’s house. But someday….
25. Post to this blog once a month Haha. No
26. Work on posture Not really
27. Journal once a month for myself and my daughter I do this! Not once a month. But I do.
28. Learn how to make novel aesthetics I did this!
29. Become a writer mentor I did this!
30. Be weirdly friendly to strangers (be the change you want to see in the world, etc.). And maintain a childlike enthusiasm for new things If I saw any strangers I might have done this, but I didn’t. Childlike enthusiasm … I think that’s a side effect of having a child. So I’m going to say yes, I did this part.
31. Try new recipes from my cookbooks My cookbooks are in storage
32. Be more aware that bad feelings will pass I think I accomplished this EXCEPT I did have a lot more trouble with my anxiety, but I think I’ve addressed that
33. Breathe through my diaphragm I need to make more of a conscious effort to do this
34. Don’t be so hard on myself I think I was pretty kind to myself this year, all things considered
35. Go to the Met and Cloisters with my baby (I miss them) I STILL MISS THEM
36. Get a collapsible stroller in order to brave the city with my baby HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. (I did get a collapsible stroller, I just haven’t gone anywhere with it except on a pre-pandemic trip to Florida.)
37. Do a family photoshoot. I did this!
38. Get an author headshot I did not do this!
39. Be a better listener I didn’t have many people to listen to this year…
40. Do an overnight trip with my husband, without the baby We did this! At our aunt’s empty beach house. We did not go anywhere except for a walk down the street, but we had a nice time
41. Do a “me-time” meal, or even just a coffee, at least once a month I did this pre-pandemic, so I’m calling this a win
42. Monthly massages LOL
43. Try volunteering somewhere local LOL
44. Read all the books on my owned TBR. ALL OF THEM. LOL
45. Get my baby in swim lessons LOL
46. Ask my parents more questions We spend a lot more time with my parents this year, actually, as we’re in the same “bubble” so I’m calling this a win
47. Speak more slowly and with more confidence Maybe I would have had the chance to do this had I had strangers to speak to
48. Make an official author website (part of this one or a different one? Time will tell) I didn’t do this. I need to.
49. Make Board Game Night (or afternoon) a thing again I didn’t do this. I need to, at least with my bubble
50. Do a little journaling each day, the way I used to I started to do this!
51. Try using Scrivener for writing I do this now!
52. Use my library card! LOL no more library to go to 🙁
53. Be a friend to myself Hmmm. I need to try this more
54. And … dare I say it? Do a yoga headstand without needing the wall! No I cannot do this yet.

OK, so some things I understandably did not accomplish, while others I should have accomplished and didn’t, while still others I actually did do. I think next year I’m going to be slightly less ambitious.

How about you? I already have goals in mind for next year, which I am going to write down in the foolishly optimistic way I always do. Stay tuned!

Photo by Yuvraj Singh on Unsplash