2019 GHDR Review 9

I cannot believe it is November. Can you believe it is November? Where did the year go?

This is my 9th checkin for my 2019 GHDR as I am following Dave Seah’s masterful plan.

Big Picture. I am doing okay. If I could somehow not have teenagers, I think I’d be hitting all my marks. Alas, I keep paying for things like sports and clothes and college applications and food. I think the food is the killer. Maybe they should just forage in the woods. I’ll let you know how that goes over when I suggest it. Opportunity struck sooner than expected. Turns out that the teenagers think they might not be able to achieve their caloric intake needs from our forested land alone and they don’t want to steal. I guess I’ll keep buying food, then.

Reminder of my 2019 Goals

My resolutions for the year 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 resolve to strengthen connections with Friends and Family
• I resolve to maintain control of my Money
• I resolve to empower my Curious and Creative side.

Let’s Evaluate

• [H]ealth: I ran two huge races in the last month. That means that I also trained for them. I’m crushing health because it is not just running, I’m also eating well. I’ve been shifting more and more to a whole food plant based diet. Even on our recent trip to run, I managed to eat well - baked potato one night, vegetables for breakfast, quinoa and rice bowl…I mean, I’m carbolicious but also feeling good.
• [F]riends and family: Get this, the running is still paying off here. I’ve managed to spend two whole weekends of fun family time AND run with a kiddo AND run with friends. It is a gift that keeps giving. Start running with other people. It will change your life.
• [M]Money: I am conflicted on my report card here. I think I am doing well on my money goals that I set out for the year because: I am doing a much better job at paying attention to what I am earning and spending and I am earning more. Unfortunately, I am spending more than I want. Things keep coming up that I did not expect that I did not plan for that keep me from focusing on increasing my investing - which is what I think I want to do. All of the unexpected expenses are kid related. I want them to do well and try out things when they have the opportunity, so I am struggling with this. I don’t quite have a plan completely solid in my head for improving this situation, but I am working one out. I am hoping to set up more money conversations that include the kiddos and also let them engage with more decisions about money.
• [C]Curiosity: I am still loving the drawings and studying German. I am not playing the bass. Of course, I have a plan to maybe play it publicly, so I will have to do it. Or, I may switch to a violin. One of the things that I am realizing is that I don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up the TV or the amp or searching for another D-cell battery because mine seems to die way too often. The expectation of frustration keeps me from taking what might be a perfect music opportunity, when I have 20 to 30 minutes in my day between other scheduled things. That time is not valuable for me to do any meaningful work on Gifts Done or even do much in the kitchen. I have been filling it with quick cleaning tasks and, honestly, browsing facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. I’d rather spend that time focused on my own creative pursuits…but it is easier not to.

Insights

That last line… but it is easier not to. Ugh. Why? If I want to do something, why don’t I just do it? This must be the most challenging question in the world. It is essentially what I’m answering with every GHDR evaluation. Why am I not just a wild success at everything I set out to do? The answer is not just one answer, but many…layered with excuses…like an excuse-reason-excuse-logic-excuse lasagna. I think that when I really boil it down, (the idea, not the lasagna..who would do that?) that some of my goals are not really my goals. They are things that I think I might want to have/say/have had done/show the world but that I don’t really want in my heart. I get better over time at identifying goals that are close to my heart, but I think I’m keeping some around or inventing some that are not my wishes at all. I’ve got to let that go.

Looking forward

I’m happy going into the end of this year. I still can not believe that it is November. I still want summer, but I am happy with this season. I think things are going well, and I think I am on the right track. I have high hopes.