2015 Goals in Retrospect

      I am my own worst critic. You may think really nasty things about me on the other side of your computer screen-you may just read my blog so you can feel better about yourself. But nothing that you say probably comes close to the horrid things I tell myself about myself. That isn’t very productive, though, and while it is a hard habit to break, I am working to try to remember that I have value as a person, and I do actually make goals and accomplish them. Part of the problem, though, is that I don’t keep very good track of what I have done, and my frail memory fails me. But I know that I did things I set out to do in 2015, and by golly, I am going to write them down for posterity (or just old age!)

In 2015 I:

1. Read out loud more. I read the kids all the “Chronicles of Narnia” books, after finishing a biography of C.S. Lewis. We also read “Dangerous Journey”, and a biography of John Bunyan. We read a bunch more, but I am glad that we got those pairings down.

2. Completed T-25. I am a sucker for a Shaun T workout, and finishing T-25 (several times) is something I am proud of, even if it isn’t the hardest one I’ve ever done.

3. Blogged for 30 consecutive days. And it was all about gratitude! I am pretty pleased with that one.

4. Started therapy. It is a long story, and one I am not comfortable sharing yet. I struggle with anxiety and lots of other things, and I have wanted/needed to get some help for a while. I finally took the plunge, and it was terrifying. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing some results in 2016.

5. Took a weekend trip away with Joel. We went to Seattle for his birthday in July and it was really wonderful.

6. Put more art in my house. I have always longed to have more unique pieces. Mass produced has its place, but I wanted a little more personal touch. I bought a piece I love this summer, and a friend of my sister’s made me another really cool piece. And my niece made me an awesome original for Christmas that I am so excited about!

7. Bought more red for my wardrobe. Weird, right? But for years I have had a dearth of this color in my closet. And I worked to remedy that this year, and I have been really pleased with the results!

8. Planned and executed a community service project. With my sister, Katy’s, help (she was really the catalyst) we put together a gift-making workshop for kids at a transitional living facility. It was so great to have that opportunity.

9. Kept a plant alive! For a whole year! Buoyed by my success I was emboldened to purchase a *second* plant and I am happy to say my basil is thriving beautifully alongside the original Norfolk pine. I even re-planted the pine with success. Woohoo!

10. Finished reading the Bible in a different translation. I have probably read the Bible through 10 times or more, but it has always been in NIV. I find that varying translations stimulates my thinking, so this year I did NKJV. It brought back my childhood!

11. Replaced our futon. It was a long year without a sofa, and I have been appreciating our new one. So. Much.

12. Started Jocelyn in dance lessons. I put this on *my* list because it falls into the category of “adulting” that I hate the most. But I did it anyway.

13. Tried more new restaurants. I probably tried more new/local places in the last year than I have in my whole life. And I have loved it.

14. Learned some more creative hairstyles. I’ve never been one to be happy with wearing my hair the same way every day, but this year I really expanded my repertoire.

15. Started recycling. I was very excited to discover that we had recycling containers onsite in our complex. It has been a little bit of extra work, but I am glad we can do it.

     I think I will stop there, since it is “2015”. If I have time this week, I may share some of my hopes and plans for 2016. I don’t do “resolutions” since I don’t like to make promises that I am not certain I can keep, but I do definitely have goals, and I would love to put them out there for some accountability and also to see what I have accomplished next December! What are some of the things you are pleased to have done this year?