Okay, so first, let’s look at the end of 2018 post I’d made. I didn’t set any specific resolutions, but there were some things that I wanted to do.

2019 – how/what I did

  • Getting into shape. I managed to run the entire year, although I mostly stopped in the middle of winter here. I ended the year with 127 runs, and exactly 500.1 miles run. I track everything on Strava. I didn’t start running with the goal of doing races, but in 2019, I did 4 of them. I did 2 10Ks, an 8 mile trail race (with my brother), and a 15K trail race. My very first trail run was in October, and I discovered how much I love running on trails. I had a not-so-great incident where I ran out of water and was getting lost, and it could have been worse. I just have to be more careful. I do intermittent fasting somewhat.. it’s a little loose, but I skip breakfast, other than coffee without any cream or sweetener (which is a new thing I got used to).
  • Reading more. I definitely did well. I started using GoodReads to track what I was reading, and ended 2019 with 53 books read. I only set a goal of 40, and blew past that. The very best reads of the year were (and new favorites).. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Parable of the Sower, and The Three-Body Problem trilogy (I’m still reeling from this hard sci-fi, this is some of the best stuff I’ve read in my life. If you like sci-fi, you should read this).
  • Less movies. I think I somewhat succeeded at this, because my list of movies and shows to watch has continued to grow. I do try to watch things that I really want to watch, but I don’t just watch whatever.
  • Bought a gaming PC — oops. I wasn’t going to, but then I did. I’ve only turned it on twice though, so I’m not really gaming at all. There are some fun games out there, a bunch that I own, but I’m glad that I’m reading instead.
  • Help Grace with school. Grace had a great experience in 1st grade, although the organization at home, along with homework, schedules, etc kind of came off the wheels in October.
  • Be a good dad/husband. Not sure how well I did here. I have made a consistent effort to spend time playing with the kiddos every single day after work. With the nice weather, this is easier, since they love to run outside in our yard. I’ve tried to be patient, and also less of a crank.
  • Minimalism. I have this in mind, but we still buy junk. I try to get rid of stuff, but don’t make much progress. Still have way too much stuff. At least I think about minimalism when I’m buying stuff?

2020 – how/what I want to do

  • Running. I want to keep running. I like how I feel after I run, but I especially like running on trails. I hope to do some races this year, although not sure how that is going to look with all the political turmoil in Chile right now. Lots of events have been cancelled/postponed, so it’s hard to know what will be available. Planning on doing at least one trail race in October with my brother.
  • Spend time with kids. I’ve doing some of this every day, but I want it to be prominent on my list, so that I make it a priority.
  • Read more. I’m setting a goal of 40 books to read (same as last year). The number of books read doesn’t really matter, but having a goal does help me keep reading. Also the number of books I’ll be able to read in my lifetime is a finite number, so I should keep reading? I always try to make sure that the majority of my reading is nonfiction, although I like to read good fiction.
  • Better personal organization. This would including helping Grace once school starts in March, but also cleaning/organizing my own study, and setting an example for her and James. Straightening up my room would help me be a more productive person. I would stick minimalism in this category.
  • Cooking. I don’t really like taking the time to cook, and that is something that I want to change in 2020. I want to want to cook, at least some of the time, and make an effort with meals.
  • Writing. I didn’t do any writing last year, and I feel the clock ticking. I want to work on developing a writing habit, and try to do some writing every day, although I’m not sure right now what I’d even write about.
  • Website project. I don’t even have any good ideas right now, but I would really like to get some extra income generated, as well as I would enjoy the challenge and experience of developing and running a small biz.
  • Continue studies. Yeah, I still haven’t gotten my degree. Easy to blame my kids, but I need to set aside the time to do it. Re-enroll, get FAFSA, and get those studies out of the way. I only need 7-8 more courses before I’d be done.

James has been yelling in his room, because he’s bored and wants to hang out. So I’m going to start 2020 by spending some time with him.. and maybe later I’ll make some progress on my room.