Reflection: My Goals For 2019
Last week I shared a few of my goals for 2018 and how I fared on them, so I thought it might be cool to get a few of my goals for 2019 written down as well. One marked difference for me in 2019 is that I am laying out fewer goals. I feel like my goal-setting routine and regimen is a work in progress, and I tend to think this should be the case for anyone. Hopefully, each year as we set, achieve, and/or miss goals, we are able to fine tune what a realistic forward-looking goal should be for the next 365 days. Also, I am finding that my goals tend to be an outflow of my values and what I hold as important in my life. As a result, the goals listed are starting points for me, and are not meant to be exhaustive. Also, since having Sylvia, I think I have adjusted the time horizon for my goals, or at least the outcomes of my goals. I find myself thinking about the environment I want her to have growing up. I also think about my goals not just in terms of what I want to happen right now, but also in terms of where I would like these goals to take me 20 years from now.
Here we go…
Blog again. I say this because writing two blog posts during 2018 does not really seem “active” flow. I have been continuing the practice of maintaining a journal, but it is not the same as blogging. Conservatively, I’d like to write something at least once a month. Moving from two to twelve is a pretty steep increase. Why blog? I feel like the practice of blogging and writing online is good for my soul, it helps me remember and reflect, and I hope that what I write is of some encouragement to others as well.
Practice simplicity. This practice takes many forms, but I’d like to continue the process of getting rid of clothing, books, and objects that have been collected over a lifetime. I’d like to continue efforts to lower our footprint, and make our house more of a home. Wherever we can, I’d like to continue the practice of lowering our footprint, whether that be through driving fewer miles, or lowering our use of utilities. One move we made in the past was to switch to Arcadia Power and our electric bill is now based on 100% wind energy certificates. I’d also like to maintain a practice of meditation, silence, and prayer in my mornings.
Improve my fitness/health. I’m planning to run my seventh Marine Corps Marathon this year, and for me that is a bit hard to fathom. Back in 2013, I don’t think I had ever run more than eight or nine miles at once in my entire life, but I’m living proof that a person can go from zero to marathon in about six months. In addition to running and walking, I want to take additional steps to improve my diet. I have made adjustments each year to decrease junk food intake, but Jamie and I had the privilege of taking a six week plant-based nutrition course online last year through eCornell. I learned a ton through it that has made me more thoughtful about the foods I eat, but I’d like to continue to cultivate eating more greens and getting more fiber in my diet at the very least. Being on the road, and eating many meals with groups tends to limit one’s options, but rather than giving up entirely, I’m tending to look for healthier options more often. This is still a work in progress for me though. I’m also working to incorporate more calesthenics and bodyweight training into my fitness routines. Lastly, last year Jamie and I bought “cruiser” style bicycles after having a fun time riding with Sylvia in the Netherlands. I think we’d like to get out on those bikes a couple times each week in 2019 if we can.
So, that’s a few broad buckets of goals for me for 2019. These are not necessarily starting “new” things as much as they are maintaining and improving upon cultivated habits from the past few years. Maybe as the year progresses, I’ll identify a few more specific goals and milestones to be shooting for in 2019. Honestly, I prefer specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented and timely (SMART) goals, but for now, my bigger goal is to maintain and grow in these arenas. Perhaps in a future post I’ll be sharing a few of those SMART goals in relation to what I’ve laid out above.
Do you have some goals you are working toward in 2019? May they become reality as the year progresses, and may each of us be bringing our best selves forward into each new day!