2018 Accomplishments & 2019 Goals

“What you do everyday matters more than what you do every once in a while.”

Happy (belated) New Year! 2018 is behind us and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the fresh start that is 2019. Though the first of the new year is an arbitrary date, I always try to take advantage of its psychological power and the built-in torque.

In retrospect, 2018 fell short of expectations. My health issues thwarted fitness, finances and friendship goals, and I spent much of the year feeling sick and tired. Yet, I’ve spent the last two weeks dissecting those 365 days and can walk away feeling proud of my efforts, and even some notable accomplishments.

Each year, I choose a word to serve as my theme for the next twelve months. My word for 2018 was FREE. At face value, I would look back on the year and name it helplessness, which is nearly the opposite of freedom. Yet, 2018 was the year I walked away from a business opportunity that was doomed to fail, quit a toxic job, let go of friends who took my chronic fatigue personally, ditched doctors who didn’t listen to me, and trusted to my body when it asked my to slow down. It was not a year of loss, but of clearing space. It was, in fact, a year of becoming FREE.

I’m not much a fan of new years resolutions, as the phrase implies one’s current state of affairs is unsatisfactory and drastic change is the only path to happiness. Instead, I choose to set goals. In my mind, setting objectives is an acknowledgement of where I am now, a clear definition of where I wish to go, and a tentative plan of how to get there. It feels far more tangible and empowering than a resolution.

The word I’ve chosen as my theme for 2019 is PROSPERITY. After a year of ill-health, abusive working conditions, expensive medical treatments and a sense of lack, I strive to feel healthy, successful in my career, satisfied in my relationships, and financially secure enough to practice generosity.

If you had to choose a word or a theme for the coming year, what would you choose? What are your biggest hope, goal, or resolution for the coming year? What can you do to break down that goal into achievable milestones? What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about setting and achieving goals?

Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of my 2018 accomplishments and 2019 targets by life area–my non-exhaustive, ever-evolving list of things to do if I’m feeling bored and unmotivated.

2018 Accomplishments & 2019 Goals

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Self-Growth

Accomplishments

• Read 5 books
• Started this blog and wrote nearly 200 posts
• Completed training for my local Community Emergency Response Team
• Listened to podcasts everyday on my commute
• Deleted Facebook in March and haven’t looked back

Goals

• Complete Yoga Teacher Training (for five years, I’ve been one practicum away from certification)
• Read at least 12 books
• Write at least 100 blog posts on this site
• Participate in NaNoWriMo
• Learn at three new skills (or visit old interests)

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Health & Well-being

Accomplishments

• Narrowed down my health issues to endocrine imbalance and resulting autoimmune dysfunction
• Learned how to cook a vegan, gluten-free, low-FODMAP diet for my hubby
• Ate diet based almost entirely on local, organic, in-season produce from the farmer’s market
• Maintained 100% non-GMO household (food, household cleaners, etc.)

Goals

• Get the hubby’s gut fixed, so I can cook with garlic and onions again
• Work with an Integrative Doctor to restore balance in my body–follow any suggestions she prescribes
• Be able to work out again without collapsing
• Reach the point where I can exercise daily again–whether long walks, hiking, yoga, resistance, HIIT, or otherwise–and feel great afterwards!
• Reincorporate wild-caught Alaskan salmon into my diet 3-4 times per week for the good omegas and protein
• Get back to 18% body fat, a place where I feel strong and proud
• Research and experiment with the Paleo and Anti-inflammatory diets to discern what will best support my body at this time
• Practice self-care…not necessarily bubble baths and face masks, but–for me–nature, kind self-talk, and “me time”

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Career & Purpose

Accomplishments

• Left highly toxic workplace
• Accepted new job in a more positive environment, with amazing people and room for growth
• Brought in $1,000+ from occasional freelance writing gigs
• Took several free online courses in human centered design and engineering, discovering one’s purpose, and developing grit

Goals

• Receive promotion to Quality Assurance Manager by the end of Q2
• Raise salary 25% by Q2 as part of growth-incentive sign-on agreement
• Raise income (salary, bonuses) to previous rate (+50% over current) by the end of the year
• Discuss how I can add value with my manager and pursue suggestions (e.g. MBA, certification)
• Brainstorm fun side projects to bring in supplemental, passive income

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Home & Environment

Accomplishments

• Renovated half the house following a pipe leak and flood
• Purchased three pieces of art that we love! This 6′ beauty from Android Jones, and my two “puppies” (1, 2) by Charles Burton Barber.
• Expanded our pantry into the den closet using shelving unit, so I never run out of anything
• Built shelving in the walk-in guest bedroom closet for backup toilet paper, paper towels, and other household supplies

Goals

• Sell the boyfriend’s music and gaming collectibles, so we can actually host guests in the guest bedroom (if you’re into rare Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, or old school Nintendo, hit me up)
• Hang up our new art pieces, so I can feel joy every time I see them
• Ensure everything has “home” so clutter doesn’t build up
• Keep the house clean and tidy by tackling one small project every day
• Donate clothes I don’t need or want anymore
• Buy a planter for the patio and fill it with my favorite herbs–basil, cilantro, sage, parsley, oregano, chives, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• Buy solar-powered decorative lights to hang on the patio

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Spirituality & Life Purpose

Accomplishments

• Spent a lot of time sitting in nature, observing and appreciating
• Read a fair amount of poetry
• Practiced meditation semi-regularly
• Kept a daily journal
• Listened to the Secular Buddhism podcast, and considered the topics

Goals

• Listen to my heart–pursue things than intrigue me, let go of things that don’t feel right
• Begin a daily meditation practice, even if beginning with just one minute at a time
• Practice yoga at least twice per week
• Spend time in nature and make efforts to truly notice the beauty of everything
• Complete a self-discovery workbook my sister gifted me for Christmas

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Financial

Accomplishments

• Net Worth: +$22,568
• Total Net Worth: $59,000
• Savings Rate: 35% of Gross Income; 43% of Net
• Supporting the household on just my income while the hubby is in school
• Exceeded $10,000 in emergency savings
• Saved up money to be able to afford a lesser-paying job
• Lived frugally to allow more to funnel into savings

Goals

• Raise income to previous rate (+50%) by the end of the year
• Net Worth: +$25,000 (may be a stretch with reduced income and increasingly volatile market)
• Total Net Worth: $84,000
• Saving Rate: 50% of Net Income
• Move savings into high-yield savings account to boost interest dividends (leaning towards Ally)
• Leave Wells Fargo (anyone love their bank?)
• Donate at least $500 to SENS Research Foundation
• Donate my birthday to charity:water (I raised $2,400 for my 24th birthday…think I can reach $3,100 for my 31st?)

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Relationship

Accomplishments

• Celebrated 5 years with my boyfriend in a remote cabin in the woods–a weekend filled with laughter, adventure, relaxation, and snuggles
• We supported one another through a year filled with challenges (health, work, friendships) and it brought us even closer together

Goals

• Celebrate 6 years with my boyfriend
• As is our anniversary tradition, hike our favorite trail and picnic at the top of the mountain (I wasn’t feeling well enough for the hike in 2018)
• Take more photos and start an album. Across five years, we have maybe three pictures together since neither of us use social media or keen on self-portraits, so I’d like to start capturing more of our fun memories–just for us!
• Added new quotes to the whiteboard of ridiculous things Esoterica says as she’s dozing off, which only add to our repertoire of inside jokes 😛
• Be more decisive when asked what I want to do or where I’ve like to go to eat
• Try to incorporate novel activities into our otherwise routine lives to add some excitement
• Watch some Youtube videos on sacroiliac massage, so I can help alleviate some of his hip pain

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Friends & Social Life

Accomplishments

• Attended a meetup group and participated in some great discussions
• Helped a friend through a hard breakup, making her feel worthy and loved
• Checked in a with a friend regularly as he underwent a battery of surgeries, and did my best to make him laugh and feel appreciated

Goals

• Reconnect with friends I’ve lost touch with while ill
• Get to know my new coworkers
• Try to meet more people via new classes, meetups, and approaching interesting people
• Visit an old friend who I haven’t seen since college in San Diego
• Volunteer with local Community Emergency Response Team
• Work with my boyfriend to start a meetup/mastermind group

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Family

Accomplishments

• Attended regular game nights with my family
• Supported my family after the loss of their young dog and after my mom’s emergency appendectomy

Goals

• Visit my sister in Kansas City, Missouri
• Spend quality time with my parents at least twice per month
• Hang out with my brother once per month
• Spend quality time with my boyfriend’s parents at least once per month