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Celebrations, Resolutions, and Plans
Dec. 31st, 2022 10:10 amThe year draws to a close. It wasn’t the worst, but I can’t say I’m sad to see it go. I know I have some challenges ahead in 2023 (work, I’m looking at you), but I think they are ones that I can face without too much psychic damage.
I hope.
Despite the challenges, I have some good things to tout. I met my GYWO out goal. Barely, but I did it! I particularly enjoyed the Fictober challenge I set for myself. One of my friends posted a Meet-Cute prompt list, and I might work on that list this year. I have an exchange fic to finish first, though.
Work has been particularly challenging this year, with a chaotic admin and the unleashed AI text generator that generates serviceable academic essays in seconds. I’ve had to — and will continue to — think hard about what this means about my role as a writing teacher. I have some plans, so we’ll just have to see what happens.
I hear people saying that setting New Year’s Resolutions puts needless pressure on people, and I see how that can be true for people. Making a lot of public resolutions which you then “fail” is rough. But I like routines and cycles. Sure, I can make goals any time, but I like the possibility in the new calendar. As such, I’m putting my New Year’s Goals out into the world.
I’ve signed up for GYWO again, although I dropped down to the 120 day habit goal. Given how crazy life has been, I don’t actually feel bad that this is a drop from last year, or that it is a mere 50% of my 2020 goal of 240 days. I’ve got a lot of things looming in the next year or so, and while I don’t want to stop writing entirely, I know my limitations.
My next goal is a big one for me. I really need to stop spending so much money as recklessly as I do. It’s really hitting home that I am getting older and will need some sort of house when I am able to retire. Rent and mortgage prices in the US are criminally high, and I do eventually want to go back home to stay. I’m not so foolish to think that giving up my “avocado toasts” will help me save for a house. This is more about adjusting my relationship toward spending money. One area I’m making big changes is to clothing. My goal is to not buy new clothes unless I need to replace something. I know I’ll need to get more trousers when I’m home this summer. That has always been a problem area in my wardrobe. I have some fabric to turn into garments as well, and I might get more. But I also buy stuff from ModCloth and Old Navy without a lot of thought going into it. I want to change that.
Another area to change is that I’m cancelling Netflix and Amazon Prime and deleting all the games with the in-app purchases options, because I have gotten deeply sucked into those. They give me that quick hit of pleasure that dissipates just as quickly as it came. I get lured by streaks. I have a nearly three year streak going on one game. The day I flew home to Idaho at the start of the pandemic, my streak started over. I’ve kept it going almost as a superstition, I think. The further away I get from That Day, the closer I am to …. I don’t even know. Proof that I’ve survived and kept going? Who knows? I do know that I don’t even really watch Netflix or Amazon shows. I’m keeping my Hulu subscription for now because I watch a couple shows there regularly, but for the other platforms, I just don’t watch them. It didn’t sink in until recently that I can just get a month here and there if there is something I want to see. I did it with Apple TV for Ted Lasso. I’ll probably get Netflix if/when Nimona airs. Otherwise, I have a lot of books to read. I want to be more intentional about what goes in my brain. I saw an excellent clip of Bo Burnham speaking about how advertisers are the New Colonizers, conquering our attention. And like land colonizers, their profits come at the expense of POC, LGBTQ folks, women, basically everyone but mediocre rich white men. If I can take myself out of that game, even a little, I think I’ll be better of and I can devote that attention to finding marginalized points of view instead.
Somewhat related to spending, I have two blankets I’d like to finish before I buy more yarn. I have several other large cross stitch projects I’d also like to finish.
Finally, I do have a fitness goal. Well, goal is rather nebulous. I want to just start being more active. My best friend started working out at home during the pandemic as a way to combat stress. I’m concerned about my body giving out sooner rather than later. I’ve got a split-level apartment, and I am creaky in the mornings and when I have to go down to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Erin recommended an app that has set workouts at all sorts of levels, things you can easily do at home. I’m going to start THIS goal at Lunar New Year. We have time off work, and I need to clean and rearrange my apartment. I’m not traveling that week, so it’s a good time to start that new goal.
I’m looking forward to some positive growth in 2023, and in 2024, I hope to be closer to finding a place to live and work where I feel like I belong.
I hope.
Despite the challenges, I have some good things to tout. I met my GYWO out goal. Barely, but I did it! I particularly enjoyed the Fictober challenge I set for myself. One of my friends posted a Meet-Cute prompt list, and I might work on that list this year. I have an exchange fic to finish first, though.
Work has been particularly challenging this year, with a chaotic admin and the unleashed AI text generator that generates serviceable academic essays in seconds. I’ve had to — and will continue to — think hard about what this means about my role as a writing teacher. I have some plans, so we’ll just have to see what happens.
I hear people saying that setting New Year’s Resolutions puts needless pressure on people, and I see how that can be true for people. Making a lot of public resolutions which you then “fail” is rough. But I like routines and cycles. Sure, I can make goals any time, but I like the possibility in the new calendar. As such, I’m putting my New Year’s Goals out into the world.
I’ve signed up for GYWO again, although I dropped down to the 120 day habit goal. Given how crazy life has been, I don’t actually feel bad that this is a drop from last year, or that it is a mere 50% of my 2020 goal of 240 days. I’ve got a lot of things looming in the next year or so, and while I don’t want to stop writing entirely, I know my limitations.
My next goal is a big one for me. I really need to stop spending so much money as recklessly as I do. It’s really hitting home that I am getting older and will need some sort of house when I am able to retire. Rent and mortgage prices in the US are criminally high, and I do eventually want to go back home to stay. I’m not so foolish to think that giving up my “avocado toasts” will help me save for a house. This is more about adjusting my relationship toward spending money. One area I’m making big changes is to clothing. My goal is to not buy new clothes unless I need to replace something. I know I’ll need to get more trousers when I’m home this summer. That has always been a problem area in my wardrobe. I have some fabric to turn into garments as well, and I might get more. But I also buy stuff from ModCloth and Old Navy without a lot of thought going into it. I want to change that.
Another area to change is that I’m cancelling Netflix and Amazon Prime and deleting all the games with the in-app purchases options, because I have gotten deeply sucked into those. They give me that quick hit of pleasure that dissipates just as quickly as it came. I get lured by streaks. I have a nearly three year streak going on one game. The day I flew home to Idaho at the start of the pandemic, my streak started over. I’ve kept it going almost as a superstition, I think. The further away I get from That Day, the closer I am to …. I don’t even know. Proof that I’ve survived and kept going? Who knows? I do know that I don’t even really watch Netflix or Amazon shows. I’m keeping my Hulu subscription for now because I watch a couple shows there regularly, but for the other platforms, I just don’t watch them. It didn’t sink in until recently that I can just get a month here and there if there is something I want to see. I did it with Apple TV for Ted Lasso. I’ll probably get Netflix if/when Nimona airs. Otherwise, I have a lot of books to read. I want to be more intentional about what goes in my brain. I saw an excellent clip of Bo Burnham speaking about how advertisers are the New Colonizers, conquering our attention. And like land colonizers, their profits come at the expense of POC, LGBTQ folks, women, basically everyone but mediocre rich white men. If I can take myself out of that game, even a little, I think I’ll be better of and I can devote that attention to finding marginalized points of view instead.
Somewhat related to spending, I have two blankets I’d like to finish before I buy more yarn. I have several other large cross stitch projects I’d also like to finish.
Finally, I do have a fitness goal. Well, goal is rather nebulous. I want to just start being more active. My best friend started working out at home during the pandemic as a way to combat stress. I’m concerned about my body giving out sooner rather than later. I’ve got a split-level apartment, and I am creaky in the mornings and when I have to go down to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Erin recommended an app that has set workouts at all sorts of levels, things you can easily do at home. I’m going to start THIS goal at Lunar New Year. We have time off work, and I need to clean and rearrange my apartment. I’m not traveling that week, so it’s a good time to start that new goal.
I’m looking forward to some positive growth in 2023, and in 2024, I hope to be closer to finding a place to live and work where I feel like I belong.
