2022, a Reflection on Goals
What an insane year. Time to review where I succeeded and where I failed.
I am a strong advocate of New Years Resolutions. The overwhelming majority of people fail them, but resolutions can work great if you set difficult but achievable goals, and divide them into tiny measurable achievements. For example, if you want to start reading more, set a goal to read 12 books, one a month, and keep track of how you're doing daily or weekly.
It was at the start of the year (January 3rd) that I first met the pastor at a nearby church, and we had a great discussion. From that point on, I made it to church every Sunday. I had previously spent two years reading and listening to arguments for and against Christianity from a variety of perspectives, and had come to the conclusion that those in favor had the better arguments and overall greater knowledge (there were plenty of other factors as well). I then kept reading and listening to cases for and against different denominations. But it was only this year that I actually started attending a church. I went through RCIA for most of the year and was baptized in late October. Although I'm upset that I haven't really participated in the many groups, clubs, and activities there (that'll be next year's goal) I am still quite happy at the immense change from the start of the year. Laus tibi, Christe.
I repeated my goal from last year to read 100 books. Pictured below are the 103 books I read this year. I also had a goal to read 100 magazines (pretty much all my magazines are journals and not time sensitive, so a backlog is worth reading). I failed, at only 35/100. My backlog has gotten worse. Both of these goals I am repeating next year. Concerning reading, I also set a goal to read the Bible in Spanish (NTV), which I succeeded in doing this year. Slightly related, I maintained my daily streak on Duolingo too.
I added a goal to watch 100 documentaries. Completely failed, watching only 8. There just aren't too many out there I'm aware of that I believe I can greatly benefit from.
I also set a goal of watching 100 movies, including a list of 52 I get from my friend every year. Although any movie counts, I make an effort for these movies to be classics, or at least influential to the world in some way. I watched 159 this year. Of those, 'Gaslight' and 'The Sound of Music' and 'Top Hat' were three absolutely excellent movies that all of you should watch. These were three that I didn't just enjoy, but felt a great appreciation for. I also set a clearly ridiculous goal of making through a list of 1,000 "essential films to see" (even though my general goal was 100, yes). I failed that, making it through only 11 of those.
I had a goal to get a promotion at my job within the year, and to take 100 courses available through where I work. I got the promotion and completed 103 courses.
I, like so many others, also set a weight loss goal. Losing 100lbs in a year would put me at a healthy weight, so that was the goal. As you might expect, I failed that one, losing only 23lbs from the start of the year.
Overall I did much better at the clearly defined goals than I did in my more general goals. I wanted to learn piano this year (a failed goal from a previous year. I did not touch it once this year). I wanted to study Latin, and made it through about 20 pages of the textbook (but I am committing myself to that goal next year again). I wanted to get certified in a few things, but did not. I gained a lot of knowledge this year, but did not develop many skills.
As for my substack, it was not a goal I had at the start of the year, so I did not really consider this part of my goals. I’m disappointed that I have not kept up with it, but, as I write this now, I’m deciding to add a goal to make 100 posts here throughout 2023.
Let's see what 2023 brings.