A year ago I posted a to-do list of five items I wanted to work on in 2011. They weren’t resolutions, simply some priorities and goals. 52 weeks later, I thought I’d look back and see how I did.
Don’t procrastinate
Fail. For example, every day I come home and see the peeling paint on my front door. It’s been on my to-do list for a couple of years. I didn’t get around to it in 2011. And that’s just the front door – you should see the rest of the house.
Call a friend at least once a week.
Fail. I think I might have called a friend once a season (that’s four times, for my arithmetically-challenged readers). For some reason I can’t seem to find 20 minutes a week to reach out and touch someone.
Write letters and cards.
Fail. I recall sending one card in 2011 (not including the 250-ish Christmas cards I sent for work). Definitely some room for improvement.
Try one new recipe a week.
Fail. I think I averaged a recipe a month. I can’t remember a single one that stood out and has become part of my regular rotation. Sigh.
Read at least one book a month.
Close, but still a fail. I almost squeaked by on this one. Last year’s reading list consisted of:
52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust (William Alexander)
War (Sebastian Junger)
The Toughest Show on Earth. My Rise and Reign at the Metropolitan Opera (Joseph Volpe)
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (Mary Roach)
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (Mary Roach)
The Best Laid Plans (Terry Fallis)
A Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin)
A Clash of Kings (George R.R. Martin)
A Storm of Swords (George R.R. Martin)
A Feast for Crows (George R.R. Martin)
In my defence, those Game of Thrones books are long – each one is like reading three normal books. If I had chosen to read something more concise and less maddeningly expansive, I would have easily reached one of my five goals for the year.
On the plus side, my failure to achieve any of my goals for 2011 means I don’t have to waste much time coming up with new goals for 2012. I’m simply going to recycle last year’s list and see if I can improve on my dismal performance.
There is one new goal to add to the list. This is the year I turn 40. When I turned 39, I decided I should greet the next decade in the best shape of my life. I figured this shouldn’t be that hard, as I’ve never really been in shape to begin with. Of course, nearly five months have gone by and I’ve ridden the exercise bike a total of three times, so I’m off to a good start.
