Another year down and another to go.
This is the fourth year that I’ve spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s writing down my accomplishments from the past twelve months and setting goals for next year. It’s a practice that I can no longer do without – it’s the best way I know of appreciating all that can happen in a year and putting some thought into what I want to happen in the next one.
My goals heading into 2021 were “simple maintenance,” as I put it on this site. I had been slowly building up strong habits in the areas I considered important – running, healthy eating, volunteering – and had developed some new habits during COVID, the biggest being my writing. So I went into the year looking to continue my progress in those areas by running 1,500 miles, writing 150,000 words, reading 52 books and volunteering 150 hours.
Why the focus on big numbers? By setting numerical goals, and holding myself to them, I figure I’ll have an easier time making things habits throughout the year. It’s impossible to read 52 books, or run 1,500 miles, in a month, but relatively easy to do so day by day. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it:
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
On that front, I did relatively well. I continued to run, although at different volumes throughout the year (225 miles in May vs. 92 miles in November), made further improvements to my diet and resumed a weekly volunteer schedule. Despite falling off a bit in my writing, and not hitting my 150,000 word goal, I stuck to the newsletter and started to fit my writing into a post-COVID schedule.
What I missed out on entirely was Bare Naked English, which was a major project I had planned at the start of the year. I’ve written about that elsewhere so I’ll leave it at that. I also pivoted to a new goal in April – the Red Hook 100 – and made it through my full training before deciding to call off the run itself. There’s nothing to add there either beyond what I’ve already written.
One new practice I started this year: a Happy Moments folder on my phone. Anytime I receive a message or picture that makes me smile, I store the photo in that folder. It’s been a great way to capture the joy that comes from doing things for others. As Kurt Vonnegut put it in a 2003 graduation speech at University of Wisconsin:
“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’”
Here’s a more detailed summary of my key accomplishments from the year:
Personal
I got married! I took a bunch of trips to visit friends and family and spent multiple weeks with my grandfather. I published over 80,000 words on this site and returned to a sustainable, daily journaling practice. I read 50 books. I continued to save and invest aggressively.
Career
I put off a promotion and moved into product management, which more closely aligns with my skills and career goals. I led a school recruiting team and began to formally mentor junior colleagues. I successfully negotiated a raise for the first time.
Athletic/Health
I ran over 1,500 miles for the third year in a row, and ran a marathon distance or greater five times. I finished my second century bike ride and started rowing a few times per week at the gym. I walked a ton: I averaged 9 miles per day on my feet, walked another Great Saunter with friends in October, and walked to work when I went in to the office. I was more thoughtful about what I ate most days, but still ate a lot of fast food and other delicious junk.
Volunteering
I got back into regular volunteering and tallied over 150 hours on the year, many of which were spent helping someone in my neighborhood. I started working at The Meatloaf Kitchen on a regular basis, which I’m excited to continue next year. I continued with Centro and Big Brothers Big Sisters despite disruptions from COVID. I increased the share of my income donated to charity over the year before.
What did I miss out on? A few big ones continue to elude me: finishing a 100 mile race, and getting paid for my writing. The 100 miler is within reach – it’s just a matter of choosing the right time to go for it – and I haven’t really tried to get paid for my writing, so that one’s still far off in the distance. But progress is progress, and the longer I continue writing in all forms, the closer I’ll be to making it a source of income, not just a hobby.
My goals for the coming year are a continuation of what I’ve been working on since I began these exercises. I will maintain my momentum across running (1,500 miles), reading (52 books), writing (100,000 words) and volunteering (200 hours), in addition to a few big milestones, like a sub-3 hour marathon next fall, a promotion at the end of the year and getting a dog with Anne. Peppered throughout are smaller, equally important things like growing my network each week and taking some trips with family.
I am extremely excited for the year to come, and hope you feel the same.
I’m always interested to hear what others are thinking for the coming year, so feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] with any ideas you’re thinking through!