Wow. 2012 was an elastic kind of year — some parts seemed to stretch on for ages and others just flew by.
I wanted to write and publish more in 2012. I started the year with a short story, co-authored a book on Pinterest and published another short story in a compilation. In November, I rounded up some friends willing to check-in on me and give me feedback on a short fiction collection I hope to have done by mid-2013.
I wanted to offer and lead more training in 2012. We started the year with an agreement in place but the company we partnered with rapidly changed direction and the person with whom we were most closely aligned left for another job. So that fell flat. Instead, I trained where I could, helping Mike as Those DeWolfes Creative rolled out sites that needed support. I also presented at WordCamp and Mike and I will be presenting again in a couple of weeks!
I wanted to stop using social media as a habitual timesuck in 2012. I did OK for a while — over the summer, I stayed away from Facebook and Twitter quite a bit, but fell back into the habit in the fall. It really does make me crazy at times when I look at how much time I am wasting. On the other hand, I enjoy it, so… I dunno. We’ll see if this changes in 2013.
I wanted to be more aware of my health in 2012. Nope. In fact, I ended the year with high blood pressure, although I am carrying fewer pounds than I was last spring. Better luck in 2013. (Actually, this will be a focus in 2013 between meal planning and a goal of getting my health back on track with exercise/activity.)
I wanted to read more in 2012. I don’t know if I read more, but I got better at tracking what I read through GoodReads — I know I didn’t manage to list all the ebooks I read, I may have to go back in and log them later. But I had initially set a goal of a dozen books for the year and I hit that by August so upped my goal to 18 which as of yesterday I exceded by one. In 2013 I will set a goal of 24 books.
So what else happened in 2012?
- Mike has been working at about 150% of his capacity for large portions of the year and I have been trying my best to be more supportive, picking up more of the household tasks and pitching in where I can with clients and projects.
- I witnessed two accidents this year – one a pedestrian being struck and one a runaway municipal vehicle vs. a parked car and utility pole.
- I spent a month drinking a smoothie every morning (weekdays) and blogging about it.
- Kiddo started middle school — a big change from a traditional school with a uniform to a public school where she could express her personality through her fashion.
- Speaking of fashion, I have been slowly adjusting my wardrobe from hipster t-shirts and jeans to something a little more grown-up including a return to dresses, skirts, and heels (but I still like my jeans and tees).
- I went to Beerfest and discovered I actually like dark beer. (That may have been the biggest surprise of my year.)
- Mike and I celebrated our 15th anniversary quietly on the actual day but then saw Russel Peters the next night.
- We officially swapped Kiddo’s room upstairs with the office downstairs so she has a much more private space and we have a useable office.
- One of our cats, Max, was diagnosed with a thyroid issue which has meant almost no travel as he requires two pills per day and it’s not always easy to find people willing and able to pill a cat, even one as docile as Max.
- I had a very up and down year at work, weathering some very busy and very dull patches, getting to know the new head librarian, working closely with him and a team of other staff on the strategic plan for the next five years. 2013 should bring some big changes at the library but time will tell.
A lot changed in 2012 and it was not all smooth but it hasn’t been a terrible year by any stretch. So what do I hope for in 2013? Not a lot different, but here are some goals:
- Finish and have my short fiction collection edited then publish it.
- Finish and publish one or more other side projects that have been sitting in the wings.
- Spend at least 30 minutes every day being active (walking, yoga, Wii Fit, gardening, or whatever)
- Spend time promoting and marketing the things Mike and I have created (books, crafts, websites, etc.)
- Continue to meal plan through the whole year.
- Read at least 24 books.
- Be more aware of how I spend my time and strive for balance between chronocide and productivity.
To be honest, the hardest thing is going to be getting my butt out of my chair or off the sofa. I am hopeful that we can reorganize the basement sooner than later in order to find a place to semi-permanently set up an exercise area (with the equipment we already have). In fact, I’m going to make that a goal for before I return to work on the 7th.
For those of you who followed my ups and downs this year, thank you. If you bought something I created, thank you for supporting that goal; I hope what I created made you think or smile. To Mike and Kiddo specifically, thank you for making 2012 more up than down. To all of you: Happy New Year and may 2013 bring all that you hope for.