Personal: December Update of My 2021 Goals

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It’s been nearly 12 months since I drafted a list of 14 goals for 2021. I’ll say goodbye to my 2021 goals with a short commentary on what I feel I can cross off (or not) as I reflect on last year and prepare my 2022 goals.

  1. Eat more vegetables. Yes. Done. Crossed off!
  2. Travel. Nope. Who knew in January 2021 that the world would be (mostly) shut down for the year.
  3. Save money. Sort of. I was on a good track and then a purchase (ahem…a house) has required me to review my finances, budget, and tracking systems.
  4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes. Done. Crossed off!
  5. Crochet a blanket. Nope. Still many stitches to go!
  6. Reduce social media consumption. Sort of. I don’t really know how I should track this, but I feel that I have reduced my social media consumption.
  7. Renovate my bathroom. Eliminated this goal when we bought our new home. Now we have a new list of house projects!
  8. Play games. Yes! So many games were played (but mostly Bananagrams) in 2021.
  9. Edit my magazine subscriptions. Yes. Done. Crossed off!
  10. Read more. Yes. Done. Crossed off!
  11. Blog. Yes. Done. Crossed off!
  12. Embrace cross country skiing. Nope. Not really. I went out only a couple of times in 2021.
  13. Cross stitch. I eliminated this when I realized I should finish crocheting my blanket before I start a new craft.
  14. Have fun! Yes. Though I struggled through several months in 2021 (stress, stress, stress), there were so many happy days and moments in 2021 that reminded me of how grateful I am to live the life that I do. I am in a happy place now, and I am thankful that I have laughed and had fun in both my personal and professional lives.

Personal: November Update of My 2021 Goals

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Oh my goodness…one month to complete all my goals. One month to finish crocheting a blanket. I’m not quite sure I’ll get there! Here’s an update of my 2021 goals.

  1. Eat more vegetables. Yes. I have been eating more salads each week, and a few veggie soups, too.
  2. Travel. Does Langdon Hall in Cambridge count? I think so!
  3. Save money. Yes. My new spreadsheet is working well and savings continue (even though it’s challenging with Christmas expenses)!
  4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes. This goal has been an easy one to maintain in 2021.
  5. Crochet a blanket. Nope.
  6. Reduce social media consumption. Yes. I think I have. I feel like I’ve reduced my mindless scrolling.
  7. Play games. Saturday crosswords continued this month, but I haven’t yet learned how to play Backgammon.
  8. Edit my magazine subscriptions. I accomplished this goal a while ago. I’m crossing it off the list!
  9. Read more. Yes. Yes. This month I’ve been reading Amor Towles’ The Lincoln Highway and Joshua Eyler’s How Humans Learn.
  10. Blog. Yes…I’ve been blogging three days a week! Can I cross this off the list now?
  11. Bike ride regularly. I’m deleting this from my goal list because it’s too cold for my liking to ride now.
  12. Have fun! November was quite fun. We had a mini getaway at Langdon Hall, we spent an overnight at my beau’s family cottage, and we decorated for Christmas!

Previous updates: January, February, March, April, May & June, September, October.

Personal: October Update of My 2021 Goals

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Wow. October has come and gone. That was fast! Here’s an update of my 2021 goals.

  1. Eat more vegetables. Yes. I have been eating more salads each week, and a few veggie soups, too.
  2. Travel. Sigh. Nope.
  3. Save money. My budget spreadsheet is new and improved thanks to some brainstorming with a friend about Excel formulas and pivot tables (thanks JM!). Saving continues!
  4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes. I keep things moving around here. I have a pile of books for friends to sort through and to move into Little Libraries. I have brought yet another carload of items to the thrift store.
  5. Crochet a blanket. Nope. Not done quite yet!
  6. Reduce social media consumption. I feel like I have reduced consumption, but maybe it’s just my imagination.
  7. Play games. Oh yes! Bananagrams and Saturday crosswords continue. I want to get into Backgammon in November.
  8. Edit my magazine subscriptions. Done. I feel like I accomplished this goal several months ago. My magazine subscription list has been reduced, and anything I don’t get, I end up borrowing from the library.
  9. Read more. Yes! I have been reading. I finished Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I skimmed through The Clarity Cleanse by Habib Sadeghi. I am ready to start Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway now.
  10. Blog. Yes…I’ve been blogging three days a week!
  11. Bike ride regularly. I’m deleting this from my goal list because it’s too cold for my liking to ride now.
  12. Have fun! We’ve had a very fun October, including a memorable last-minute impromptu music night which brought together a great group of people – and amazing music!

Previous updates: January, February, March, April, May & June, September.

Personal: September Update of My 2021 Goals

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Obviously, I haven’t checked in with you – or myself – about my 2021 goals. Mid-way through September seems like a good time to review them – and revise them!

  1. Eat more vegetables. I’m keeping steady with this goal. I don’t eat salad every day, but I do eat vegetables regularly.
  2. Travel. Sigh. Should I just remove this from my list? I did spend a week in Ottawa in August, so I guess I did make a bit of progress with this one!
  3. Save money. Ha ha ha. Funny considering a big move in June! The good news is though that expense tracking continues! It was a useful practice for me on my own, and it continues to be useful as a couple.
  4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes. I have passed on so many things over the last few months. It’s been great for me and appreciated by the recipients (I think!).
  5. Crochet a blanket. Hmm…this project was put on pause as we went through the house drama. I have just a few months to finish it before winter arrives.
  6. Reduce social media consumption. I think I’ve reduced consumption without really thinking about it. Mostly, I think, I’ve reduced consumption because it’s been summer, and I’ve wanted to be outside with people instead of online.
  7. Play games. Oh yes! Bananagram tournaments galore! We played with three new people over the last couple of months, so that’s been fun! And, oh yes, that good ol’ pickle ball. I played that this summer. Once.
  8. Edit my magazine subscriptions. I’ve done well with this goal in 2021. I especially appreciate my subscription to Veranda.
  9. Read more. Yes! I have been reading. I finished Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour (really really really enjoyed it!) and I’m just starting Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I never did finish listening to Barack Obama’s A Promised Land. I’ve also read a couple academic books: Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning edited by Susan D. Blum and Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It by James M. Lang.
  10. Blog. I’ll keep this on my goal list, but I recognize that I haven’t been reaching it.
  11. Bike ride regularly. Because of the move, I didn’t bike for much of the summer. I rode it only once in August.
  12. Cross stitch. I’m deleting this from my goal list until I’ve made more progress with my crocheted blanket.
  13. Have fun! In between some stressful days and weeks, I have been having fun. I had an awesome birthday party with a handful of friends in our new house, we took a road trip to Ottawa, we hosted friends here in Waterloo, I have enjoyed morning walks in the park (and recovered from the dog attack way back in June!), and I’ve baked new things (like peach torte from Ina Garten’s new cookbook which was gifted to me!). Let the fun continue!

Previous updates: January, February, March, April, May & June.