2019 Goals in Review
Jan. 1st, 2020 12:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithI have reviewed my goals for 2019. Out of 24 goals and one blank, I met 19 plus three extra fills in the blank -- nearly a clean sweep, which is spectacular. :D 3q3q3q!!! \o/ I've never come anywhere close to this before. My usual is about half, plus or minus some wiggle room, and if it's above half I consider it a good year.
Let's take a look at what worked ...
* A goal of looking at the goal list definitely raises the chance of actually meeting more goals. So does keeping track of accomplishments in an updatable list. If you're making a list of goals, rather than just one resolution, I highly recommend this.
* Filling in the desk calendar (which I've started for this year but not finished yet) is good because it's best done in January. Try to include some stuff you'll likely complete before you run out of motivation in a week or two.
* Making a goal to maintain regular activities is relatively easy and serves as a reminder to keep doing them, rather than skip them if obstacles interfere.
* Cleaning the closet to give away old clothes got an unexpected boost fromdialecticdreamer whose original target was food drives in December, but expanded that to other charity activities. Apparently I find extra fic a sufficient motivation to do actual housework. This is a quirky but valid example of friends helping each other meet resolutions. Consider posting something in the first few months of the year to give your friends a boost.
* The runaway success was "Make at least one new recipe each month." I recorded TWENTY-NINE new recipes, and I'm sure I forgot to list a few. Of these, some were not that great. However, more than a handful became instant favorites, and some others may reappear occasionally.
Recipes we have already made or used at least twice: Nord Spices from the Elder Scrolls cookbook (still on original batch, but now a favorite kitchen staple), Spiced Root Cake from the Elder Scrolls cookbook, Summer Squash Bread, Pea Soup from the Elder Scrolls cookbook.
Other recipes we actively plan to make again (some when their holiday or ingredients come into season): Flower Salad, Iroquois Three Sisters Succotash, Basil Lemonade from the Vitamix cookbook, Crockpot Mushroom Chicken, Chewy Cherry Pistachio Cookies.
That is 9 definite hits out of 29 recipes, nearly 1 out of every 3 now a regular part of our repertoire. While some of these are still indulgent, you can see our interest in healthier food and ethnic cuisines. Oh, and the Elder Scrolls cookbook is most highly recommended. It has yielded 3 hits so far, and our community loves it.
* Fill in the blank lets me credit myself for goals that I discover and set during the year. I aim for at least one of these, and usually get 2-3. This encourages me to keep doing stuff even after I've checked off a majority of my list.
* If you do this every year, make sure to chip away the cruft of goals you no longer can or want to meet. I leave a few old ones that I may never meet but still hope to, but most of the time if I haven't met a goal after a few tries, I drop it. If you let old ones build up, they drag down your success percentage and undermine your sense of accomplishment even if you got a lot of other stuff done. However, do keep goals that are working for you. I repeat many of mine every year. I just try to add and drop a few things each time.
* Ironically, timing and numbers are my friends. I am more likely to meet goals, and remember to mark them, if they have a specific number (do X three times) or timeframe (do X once a month) attached. I am also most prone to overfill the periodic goals. Defined goals are easier to fulfill and recognize than vague or year-long ones. YMMV, but I definitely recommend this.
Let's take a look at what worked ...
* A goal of looking at the goal list definitely raises the chance of actually meeting more goals. So does keeping track of accomplishments in an updatable list. If you're making a list of goals, rather than just one resolution, I highly recommend this.
* Filling in the desk calendar (which I've started for this year but not finished yet) is good because it's best done in January. Try to include some stuff you'll likely complete before you run out of motivation in a week or two.
* Making a goal to maintain regular activities is relatively easy and serves as a reminder to keep doing them, rather than skip them if obstacles interfere.
* Cleaning the closet to give away old clothes got an unexpected boost from
dialecticdreamer whose original target was food drives in December, but expanded that to other charity activities. Apparently I find extra fic a sufficient motivation to do actual housework. This is a quirky but valid example of friends helping each other meet resolutions. Consider posting something in the first few months of the year to give your friends a boost.* The runaway success was "Make at least one new recipe each month." I recorded TWENTY-NINE new recipes, and I'm sure I forgot to list a few. Of these, some were not that great. However, more than a handful became instant favorites, and some others may reappear occasionally.
Recipes we have already made or used at least twice: Nord Spices from the Elder Scrolls cookbook (still on original batch, but now a favorite kitchen staple), Spiced Root Cake from the Elder Scrolls cookbook, Summer Squash Bread, Pea Soup from the Elder Scrolls cookbook.
Other recipes we actively plan to make again (some when their holiday or ingredients come into season): Flower Salad, Iroquois Three Sisters Succotash, Basil Lemonade from the Vitamix cookbook, Crockpot Mushroom Chicken, Chewy Cherry Pistachio Cookies.
That is 9 definite hits out of 29 recipes, nearly 1 out of every 3 now a regular part of our repertoire. While some of these are still indulgent, you can see our interest in healthier food and ethnic cuisines. Oh, and the Elder Scrolls cookbook is most highly recommended. It has yielded 3 hits so far, and our community loves it.
* Fill in the blank lets me credit myself for goals that I discover and set during the year. I aim for at least one of these, and usually get 2-3. This encourages me to keep doing stuff even after I've checked off a majority of my list.
* If you do this every year, make sure to chip away the cruft of goals you no longer can or want to meet. I leave a few old ones that I may never meet but still hope to, but most of the time if I haven't met a goal after a few tries, I drop it. If you let old ones build up, they drag down your success percentage and undermine your sense of accomplishment even if you got a lot of other stuff done. However, do keep goals that are working for you. I repeat many of mine every year. I just try to add and drop a few things each time.
* Ironically, timing and numbers are my friends. I am more likely to meet goals, and remember to mark them, if they have a specific number (do X three times) or timeframe (do X once a month) attached. I am also most prone to overfill the periodic goals. Defined goals are easier to fulfill and recognize than vague or year-long ones. YMMV, but I definitely recommend this.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-01 02:38 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2020-01-01 08:18 pm (UTC)Re: Thank you!
Date: 2020-01-01 11:58 pm (UTC)