2019 GHDR

I’m feeling so energized going into this year. I started so much last year and came to accept more of me that this year nearly must be the best one yet.

It’s gonna be the best year of my l-i-i-i-fe

Given my grand big understanding of my own need for reflection, I’m going to apply that to my goals. I’m following Dave Seah’s masterful plan and actually check in with my GHDR every month. I recognize that I said this last year and did not quite make it happen. I’m not perfect yet. That is okay.

Last year, I also set up a framework for what I want in my life that I generally want to keep moving forward. Only, I want to improve my metrics such that I can be a little more honest with me.

I reflected on last year¹. In order to do that reflection, I read over my journals from the past year. I was mostly no-nonsense. I did not find nearly as many silly or dangling quotes and questions as I did when reviewing 2017. I think that is due to the different structure. For the first part of the year, I was working from a sketch book, and the second part of the year from a Scribbles That Matter pre-organized bullet journal. In both, I had limited space per day, unlike the ETP that I had been using every day before last January. Generally, last year went well - I launched several real things into the world and became more comfortable with me, my limitations and my talents.

Boundaries and context for goals

I’ve reframed my ideas from my 2018 goals and focused on what I want to achieve. I think my Groundhog Day Resolutions should be about pushing myself toward big goals with little measurable actions/habits that I do. Those habits or things will become the actions or meter stick for my resolutions, but are not goals in themselves. Big goals are essentially what superhero me can do. What is the level 100 version of me?¹ I’m most concerned about [H]Health, [F]Friends and family, [M]Money, and [C]Curiosity.

“…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” ²

1. Health: I want to be strong, healthy, and able to remain self-reliant as I age. This means taking care of my body everyday. We only get one meatbag. For me, this means eating well, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly in different ways, and maintaining/increasing muscle mass. When I think about superhero me, I can run a Boston qualifying marathon, do at least 10 pull-ups in a row.
2. Friends and family: I want to be connected - fulfilling my and others’ need for deep human connections. I want strong bonds with a small group, not thousands of acquaintances. Level 100 me is…well, I don’t know how to measure this goal. Is…connected? not lonely? I’m not lonely now, am I at level 100? I don’t think so, but I am going to have to get real on this one. What do I want?
3. Money: I want to stop coasting but still be able to coast. I want to be aware of my money and ensure it is working for me. Level 100 me has a passive income that is double my regular necessary expenses. Level 100 me can give freely of my time, energy, and money to make lives better for others without penalizing future me.
4. Curiosity: I never want to stop learning or growing skills and interests. However, I don’t want to willy-nilly try things. I want to let myself get into things to some semblance of mastery. Level 100 me plays bass in a band that actually plays in front of other people and creates things that make others happy, too.

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Okay, now that all the pondering and plodding is over with

My 2019 GHDR

These are the resolutions that I will be tracking over the year. My resolutions broadly fall into four categories: [H]Health, [F]Friends and family, [M]Money, and [C]Curiosity.

• I resolve to care about my Health and show it in my actions I will do this by:
  • meditating - daily - this practice helps me start the day off with a clear head. I must do this daily or I easily fall out of habit and into squirrel mode.
  • walking with Cupcake - 3 x per week - this time to reflect and make the dog happy is priceless. I like to go everyday, but I want to give both of us some room for exceptions.
  • swimming regularly - 1 x per week - finish the tracker that I made based on the Bainbridge Island to Seattle fairy route (see my Instagram)
  • running regularly - 3 x per month + at least one long race - essentially, I want to remain a runner. I will book a race and update this. Note that in my superhero goals, a Boston qualifying time is a 100xp result.
  • eating cleanly - daily - mostly plants. In particular, I’m going to continue to strive to avoid: sugars, alcohols, and preservatives (like nitrates)…possibly dairy. I will track my eating to understand even better what makes my body happy now, since we change with time. (and I’ll need to be honest with my tracking)
• I resolve to strengthen connections with Friends and Family I will do this by:
  • engaging with likeminded groups - 1 x per week per group - I think this is a minimal level of engagement, but it should help me to ensure that I identify and focus on groups that are important to me.
  • protecting game night with family - 1 x per week - Game night is hard to make happen somehow but so so enjoyable. I will make it happen.
  • adventuring with family - 1 x per month - I will ensure that we do something every month. Adventures make me happy, but they don’t happen on their own.
  • focusing on individuals - 1 x per month for each - A date, if you will with my family members.
  • participating in book club - 1 x per month - This is a group that I really enjoy. I want to maintain the connections with the members of my book club.
• I resolve to maintain control of my Money I will do this by:
  • checking up on my accounts regularly - 1 x per month - I really want to get a handle on how my investments are growing and split with regard to my likely retirement plans. I have mostly disengaged, and I’m slowly re-engaging.
  • tracking my spending - daily - What’s measured matters. I have been on autopilot for a long time, and I’m ready to question each of my purchases to ensure that I’m on the right track.
  • growing my businesses with real actions - I am not sure how to track this yet. I’m a little concerned that tracking action may lead me to do things that are not producing real results.
• I resolve to empower my Curious and Creative side. I will do this by:
  • improving German comprehension I want to be able to read fiction in German and explain complex ideas. As it is, I am stuck with declarative statements, fine for most news, but not for imagination.
  • drawing and coloring more – not sure how to measure – letting myself draw and being okay with my imperfections has been a real joy for me in the last few months. I want to keep the momentum up.
  • playing the bass for realsies 1 x per week. I know that a few times per month of touching an instrument does not bring skill, but it does encourage and foster habit…which can help. I want to be able to play something without the notes in front of me.

Woot! Finally, I resolve to reflect and review…daily reflection and weekly/monthly review.

My 2019 Review Schedule

DAY	DESCRIPTION
SUN 3/3	First review
THU 4/4	Second review
MON 5/5	Third and checkup review - look over and reflect on year so far
THU 6/6	Fourth review
SUN 7/7	Fifth review
THU 8/8	Sixth and checkup review - look over and reflect on year so far
MON 9/9	Seventh review
THU 10/10	Eighth review
MON 11/11	Ninth and checkup review - look over and reflect on year so far
THU 12/12	Final Review

1. I got this from the book Level Up your Life by Steve Kamb, the founder of Nerd Fitness ↩ ↩²

2. Will Durant, summing up Aristotle’s views on excellence in The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World’s Greatest Philosophers ↩