At the end of each year,
sometime between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Donnie and I sit down and
recount the year month-by-month. We list the highs—the
memorable things—and talk about how to build on those for the upcoming
year. I started this list of 31 things with
that conversation in mind. I wanted to make sure that 2014 was a full year and
that I would wrap it up with more life points in the bank than when I had
started.
(Maybe I also should have
set a goal about points in the actual bank, but yeahhhh, next time!)
Also—and I know this is
not a common thing to say—I had lots of time on my hands. No kids, a relatively stress-free
eight-to-five. For so long, I had been in grad school and/or working two jobs,
so I didn’t really know to treat free time. God forbid it go to waste.
But really, how often do
you have a year that you can devote fully to self-improvement without any
distractions? If that is your 2015, grip it hard!
So in summary, here are
the things from this year that will stick:
1. Run a half-marathon: This one
ended up not being about racing as much as the pleasure of a weekly long
run. It only takes an extra forty-five
minutes or so (on top of a regular run), but the sense of accomplishment lasts
all week. Unfortunately, so does the desire to eat all of the cottage cheese in
sight (even the non-organic kind, eww).
6. Study yoga: I don’t
want to get weird here, but the peace and awareness this brought were truly
unexpected. It's also super fun.
7. Update my style: This is
still a work in progress, but I’m beginning to appreciate the value of
cultivating a decent wardrobe.
8. Go to the dentist every six
months: Ugh, why would you not?
11. Join Toastmasters: I had to
drop out for now because the time didn’t work with my new job, but this is
something I know I can always pick back up. It’s stimulating—like listening to
TED talks—and confidence-boosting. Working on a speech is like writing a little
essay, which is sort of fun. If you’re a total nerd. Or even a partial
nerd.
15. Join a bookclub: Love,
love, love, love, love our bookclub. I look forward to it all month. Gives me people
to have serious conversations with and something to read at night other than
Twitter.
21. Eat at Boca: Boca was
good, but this item is more about eating out and trying new restaurants than
eating at one particular place. It’s
about the importance of being attuned to local culture, and about supporting
small businesses. A few other restaurants that I tried for the first time this
year and LOVED were Emanu, M, Sotto, A Tavola, Zula, Salazar, Kaze, Swad, Riverside
Korean, Elephant Walk, Mazunte, Meatball Kitchen, 50 West, the Sleepy Bee. Getting ready
to make my “must eat” list for 2015.
22. Entertain: I learned
that it’s nice to have people you care about in your home.
29. Build a stand-up desk: It hurt at
first, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is so easy to do, look at
the one I cobbled together at my new job:
30. Give up Diet Coke: My dad had
been telling me for fifteen years that the stuff is worse for you than
cigarettes. I don’t know that I would go that far, but I certainly don’t miss
it. Except with cupcakes.
31. Give up cable: Don’t miss
this either. There are plenty of stupid videos to watch on the Internet. Like
the one of people opening puppies for Christmas. Soooo stupid, but I watched it
twice and cried both times.
Here are the things I
didn’t execute:
18. Take Donnie to Kings Island: Forget it,
not going to happen.
17. See live jazz at Schwartz Point: I still
want to do this! Not sure why I couldn’t pull it off.
28. Finish A Peoples History of the
United States: No excuse, really. High school kids read this in two weeks. Just ask Donnie, who did just that and has
reminded me of it several times.
The other things on the
list were either one-offs that were fun (taking a Cincinnati Tour, visiting
Krohn Conversatory) or things that I tried but couldn’t really get into (baking
bread, attending our Community Council meetings). Based on a four-point scale
that I created (one point for “researched but didn’t execute” and four points
for “became habit/mastered it”) I’m ending the year with an 87.10%. Not bad if you think about this as a drawn
out New Year’s Resolution that I posted on the Internet.
And in the end, these things didn't make me a better person, or even a different person. Together, they just made me a version of myself that runs a little further and does a little more yoga and doesn't wash it all down with a Diet Coke. Turns out the important thing was always having something to work towards.
And in the end, these things didn't make me a better person, or even a different person. Together, they just made me a version of myself that runs a little further and does a little more yoga and doesn't wash it all down with a Diet Coke. Turns out the important thing was always having something to work towards.
Anyway, thanks for
checking in and holding me accountable.
Cheers to 2015!
-K.
-K.
