Finishing up my 19 for 2019

I did two things I haven’t done before with regard to my yearly list of goals: a) I changed some of the goals mid-year to align with things that became more important to me as the year went one (in the past, I have doggedly stuck to my original list); and b) I completed my entire list.

Previously, I have felt like it was cheating to change the goals even though the things that are important in January do not necessarily remain important as things evolve throughout the year. Instead of beating myself up about this, I changed tack for 2019 and I actually decided to change how I thought about changing goal; instead of it being ‘cheating’, I actually decided to acknowledge what I had accomplished this year, even if some of these accomplishments did not align with my New Year goals.

My completed list reads as follows:

Finish the outline of my novel – so happy to have this done but it also has left me feeling a bit conflicted about how the story has turned out. I either need to rethink the outline, forge ahead regardless or work on something new for a while.
Start a gratitude journal – I started it but I have not kept it regularly. I am using Day One for this and I will be setting reminders so that I can do it more regularly.
Make a plan to tackle my health worries – I feel a lot more on top of this and although it’s not all resolved, I feel so much better for having made the first steps.
Research supply teaching roles – I researched and I sent in my application but before I could even start, I got my new role.
Make a plan for growing my Usborne book venture – I made plans, and those plans were to stop. I really loved getting my hands on lots of books and putting lovely books into the hands of my friends and family but ultimately, I didn’t want to put in the time at weekends to make it work.
Complete a Writers’ HQ course – I finished the Plotstormers course which was amazing.
Complete Tsh Oxendreider’s Like Your Life course – this was an interesting one. I think when I finished it, I was in such a weird place (unemployed and unsure) that I am not sure it was as effective as I had hoped but I still got a lot out of it.
Complete a Project Life album – I completed 2017 and still want to do 2016 (as the physical product by Project Life has been discontinued, I need to decide what to do going forward with memory-keeping. Despite how much I enjoy getting the family’s memory into these albums, I have really not been in the right place this year to even take decent photos, let alone put together the kinds of detailed albums I have done previously.
Bake a new type of bread using my new bread maker – I made ciabatta and it was delicious!
See the Red Sox play at Fenway Park – while we were in MA this summer, we watched the Red Sox (unfortunately lose) to the LA Angels. We had a blast.
Learn a new piece on the piano – we moved my piano out the playroom and into my office so I am playing it more and more. I love Coppelia by Leo Delibes having danced to it as a small child. It was fun to learn how to play it.
Find a piano teacher for Evelina – my former colleague’s wife is a piano teacher and it’s going so well! Evelina really enjoys playing the piano so I am hoping this continues for years to come!
Have an adventure with Austin – we managed to climb Guy’s Tower at Warwick Castle for the first time (for Austin)
Visit a new place – our summer holiday in the USA gave us several new places to visit, even though we have been to MA before (Martha’s Vineyard, Rockport)
Do a fun run (even if I walk most of it) – this one is a bit tenuous but I did take part (walking for 99% of it) in the school Race for Life
Quit my job – I didn’t put this on my list at the beginning of the year because it is not something you want to advertise before you pull the trigger. It was scary but it was also the right thing to do. I miss my work friends so badly but I know I have done what is right more me.
Create a writing blog – as part of my drive to write more, I started a new blog (yeah, yeah, I know) Damn Hard Writing)
Go to see Hamilton in the West End – again I wouldn’t have put this on my list at the beginning of the year but it has been on my bucket list since it opened in the West End. I got tickets from Rich for my birthday and it was sensational. I still think about it. I want to see it again!
Read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – I replaced my original reading goal (of reading 50 books which I might actually still achieve since I am on book 47 right now) with reading this particular book as it has been on my shelf for a while and I knew I would love it, especially after reading his book Four Seasons in Rome. I was right.