2023-01-10 My New Year Goals

For whatever reason, starting a new year makes it easy to sit back, review the past, and make new year resolutions. Must be the counters resetting, or the little break people typically get from work, even if it’s just for a few days of hope and wine infused rest, that makes us think big.

I historically have put no trust at all in myself being able to keep resolutions. I have reasons for that, but that’s for another time.

This year however, I’m going to give it a go with goals.

I figured out there is a difference between a resolution and a goal (yeah, I know, ten points to Gryffindor).

A resolution is a good intention: “Starting today, I will eat clean”.

A goal is a plan and an outcome: “In 2023, I will plan and cook from scratch at least 70% of my meals”.

Goals are easier to drive towards, because they’re less ambiguous. Ambiguity is hard.

Other things I need for having a chance at this are:

• A plan. More of that soon, but not today. For now, trust I have a plan.
• Accountability. This is my first accountability post. I hope some of you will engage with me, and hold me accountable.
• Flexibility. I fully realize I suck at keeping a 100% score. I have found myself giving up on stuff because I failed at a single checkpoint in the past. So, I’m going to call any goal successful as long as I’m achieving 80% of it or more.

And all of this was just to explain why I’m throwing at you some random goals that are just for me. Here they are.

• Write daily
  • Publish a blog post every working day of the year, starting on January 9 (yesterday) and finishing on December 22. Publish a link to the post on social media as appropriate.
  • Success criteria: for 80% of weekdays that aren’t public holidays in Italy, have a post published, and at least one link back from a social media account.
  • Why is it important: writing is great, and I used to do a lot of it when I was younger. Writing daily will improve my writing skills, help clarify my thoughts, and share some hopefully interesting views and opinions with you.
• Run a 10k
  • Train consistently from zero to 10km, and complete an official 10k race in 2023.
  • Success Criteria: run at leas’t one 10k race in one hour, get the finisher medal.
  • Why is it important: I’m getting old and the level of un-fit I am is kind of scary. I have historical baggage on exercise feeling shit to me. I would like to change that.
• Read 12 books
  • Read at least one book each month. Alternate fiction and non-fiction. Publish a review and notes on my site.
  • Success Criteria: Every month, read a whole book. On even months, the book will be fiction. On odd months, the book will be non-fiction. Publish at the end of each month a review of the book, as well as any learning.
  • Why is it important: I end up having zero time for reading. I think I read one fiction book last year, and maybe 4 or 5 non-fiction ones. It’s important to me to increase that, and balance more fiction in.

That’s it. As you can see, I’m keeping it small and simple. That will increment my chances, I guess. Do you have any resolution, or goal, yourself? Any advice for me?