This Was the Year, Except When it Wasn't: A Summary

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.  

Anyway, thanks for checking in and holding me accountable.  Cheers to 2015!  

-K.