Things I wanted to do in 2023

February 2, 2024

photo credit: @stephanieharvey via unsplash

Friends, it’s time to check in on my list of “things I wanted to do in 2023”. These lists are always put together a bit lackadaisically and I sometimes forget to check in with this list throughout the year, but I did last summer and was happy to see that I made some tangible progress. Here’s where things stood at the end of the year.

✔ Complete (another) 365 Peloton Streak.

Yup, my third year. I told you I would put this on the list again although you’re probably not surprised by now that this is something that is relatively “easy” for me to accomplish (what with all my trackers and challenges every month). It’s still a nice resolution every year.

✔ Complete the virtual Route 66 Challenge.

Tanja and I had signed up for another Conqueror Challenge at the beginning of last year and we virtually ran, walked, and biked the 2,280 mi (3,669km) of the iconic Route 66. The workouts were tracked through your smartwatch or fitness app and I accomplished the distance in September, three months before my deadline. The miles were tracked in the Conqueror app, which shows you where you were on the map and how much distance you have accomplished at any given time (and also if you’re “ahead or behind”). As you know, I thrive on any type of challenge, but these long-term challenges are super fun and motivating for me!

Buy a bed frame.

Hahaha, this is becoming a little bit of a joke. I don’t think this will make a reappearance on my 2024 list. Don’t get me wrong, I still want a bedframe. I am just not going to talk about it here anymore (maybe that will do it.) I am contemplating getting rid of the box spring – because most modern frames I have considered in the past don’t require one – especially because I recently found out that the city will pick up larger junk items for free twice a year.

Finish my summer travel recaps.

I finished some, but not all. Sigh. It’s kinda ridiculous to continue after this much time, but I think I want to finish them for my own sake. If I could only get my act together.

Get my hair done professionally.

Nope. Wasn’t a priority at all. Long hair is so easy to take care of (for the most part) and I’ve been ok with trimming the ends myself. I also saved a bunch of money in the process.

Finish the Outlander (Book) Series

I’m not finished, but I made a good dent. As you might know, these books are tomes so it’s taking me a while (and I’ve only strayed a couple of times for a “quick read” of something else). Two books left.

Travel home for Christmas

No, that didn’t happen. As you might recall, Jon’s Dad died in August, and then his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Then we decided to spend the holidays with her, which was the right thing to do and we had a lovely time. What’s another year not being home for the holidays? Sigh.

✔ Complete Project 365 on Instagram.

I really enjoyed Project 365 on Instagram and managed to post one picture every day for all of 2023. It was fun. There were days when it was hard to come up with something to share, but overall, it was a good exercise in posting more intentionally and not just snippets on IG stories. It also made me focus more on my own photo feed and less on stories.

✔ Advocate for myself better.

I want to say that I’ve been better at this in 2023. I’ve pushed for field work (that I was scheduled for and that I enjoy), stood my ground during a presentation when my presenter time was about to get cut short, had some more direct talks with my supervisor about how to move forward in my career, and received some great advice and mentorship from a colleague, who pushes me to be more self-confident in my work (and boy, do I need this). Of course, there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but I’ve been much better at communicating with my supervisor about my needs and boundaries and I am hoping to get some more support from him going forward.

I am pretty happy with how things went in 2023. There will always be things that won’t get done, amirite? But I want to – again – embrace what Elisabeth refers to as her “ta-da list”, a list of things that weren’t put on the official list but were accomplished nonetheless.

So, here’s my 2023 TA-DA LIST:

I ran the Rock’n’Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon and met up with a bunch of my Streakers365 friends. It was such a special weekend.
I set a new PR in the half marathon and finally got my official sub-2.
I participated in two PeloFondo weekends and completed four Power Zone Pack Challenges.
I mostly figured out the RSS issues with my blog by myself (yay me!) and was able to get the right people to push the right buttons. I am so glad Feedly is working again for my blog!
I continue to bake sourdough bread almost every weekend (Linus, my starter is doing very well) and it’s been one of my favorite weekly rituals (not to mention, a delicious one). I started this at the beginning of the pandemic three years ago and have not stopped.
I kept up monthly Skype calls with a dear 92-year-old family friend. The conversations were delightful and enriching and I hope we’ll be able to continue this for a very long time.
I completed another year of NaBloPoMo with a bunch of lovely (some old- some new-to-me) people. I am so thrilled that this exercise in blogging has gained more traction again in the last couple of years (thanks to you, my dear readers!)

How did your 2023 go? Did you accomplish everything on your list? Will something be put on the list for 2024?

Tobia | craftaliciousme
February 3, 2024 at 1:11 am

I almost checked of all your goals. That is so impressive. Also the added ta-da-list shows that 2023 was still a fun one with all the sad moments.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
February 3, 2024 at 5:04 am

You did great! I feel like the ones that you did not do were some of the less important ones, or you did them part way, so that is good! I am often an “all or none” personality, but I have learned over the years that partial still gets credit! Those Outlander books are huge and have been on my reading list for a long time; I will be interested to see what you think when you finish.
Ally Bean
February 3, 2024 at 6:25 am

How did your 2023 go? My year was boring but we did get many projects done around the exterior of the house, as in hiring people to do the work that we couldn’t do. Home ownership comes at a price.

Did you accomplish everything on your list? Oddly enough the two things I didn’t accomplish were what you crossed off your list as not doing: no new bed frame, no professional haircut.

Will something be put on the list for 2024? Good question, I’m not much for specific goals, more into flying by the seat of my pants in the direction I wanna go.
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:36 pm
  
  Ally, thank you – I am so glad you accomplished two of my goals last year, a bedframe and professional hair cut. Now I can move on! :)
Nicole MacPherson
February 3, 2024 at 7:33 am

Wow, San, you really accomplished a lot last year! I am really proud of you for advocating for yourself at work. You’re a talented and intelligent woman and you deserve all the accolades and benefits that come from a job well done. So hooray for you!
The only thing I had on my list for 2023 was to move, and to hopefully not have a nervous breakdown. And I did it! Well, only small nervous breakdowns along the way, but generally I was fine. I have a big project that I have on my list for 2024, and other than that, it’s just mainly to enjoy life and embrace new experiences, which is not exactly the kind of empirical goal one can cross off a list.
Unrelated, but I love that your starter is named Linus!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:36 pm
  
  Thank you, friend. It means a lot that you think so highly of me and I need to definitely keep building up my self-confidence.
  
  I know the move was a big thing for you last year and I hope, now that it is behind you, you can think kindly of how well you managed through the turmoil (because you did!).
  
  Haha, I have two starters – Linus (wheat starter) and Sally (rye starter), and now you know where I got the inspiration for the names (The Peanuts) :)
Tierney
February 3, 2024 at 8:08 am

If you finish your Summer travelogues, you would have a lot of interested readers (in case you’re motivated by external factors!) :o) One thing that I’ve done in the past when I’m behind is to write the posts and backdate them to the trip. Then, I’ll put a contemporaneous post with links to the posts. This causes a little bit of confusion with people who subscribe to my blog feed (all 7 of them), but I really like having the travel documented at the “right” time. I attached an example to the blog link for this comment.
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:33 pm
  
  Oh, this sounds like a great way to approach the belated recaps. Thanks for the tipps!
Elisabeth
February 3, 2024 at 10:08 am

Wow – this was a full and busy year. I’m glad you have tickets to go to Germany in 2024, I know that will be a highlight.

You kicked so much butt with work (advocating for yourself!!) and fitness goals.

2023 was a good year for me in terms of goals, but a very, very hard one personally. I’m really glad to be entering 2024 with a clearer head and an intention that this is a year of rest and recovery. It feels like a new beginning in a way; the kids are older, I’ve dropped some emotional baggage (thanks to my first real stint of therapy), and I have a clear(er) plan of how to deal with some really big interpersonal challenges in my neighbourhood. Onward and upward?
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:32 pm
  
  Thank you – I am really so excited to go back home in a few weeks! It will be highlight.
  
  I know that 2023 was a hard year for you and I am really hoping this year will be so much better. I think you set yourself up well with your “year of shmita!”.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
February 3, 2024 at 11:36 am

I’m here to give you permission to take as long as you want to finish your travel recaps. At first I was conflicted about writing mine – part of it was I just wanted to be present and not document it and the other part was that I didn’t think it would be interesting for anyone to read. Now that I know differently I am totally going to get it all written down…someday. I’m going back to the summer of 2022 so yes it’s been a while.

Is she still writing the Outlander books or is the series finished? I can’t remember if I have one or two seasons left to watch on the TV show.
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:31 pm
  
  Haha, thank you. I think you’re right, the travel recaps are first and foremost for myself and to have a record and some people probably would be interested in reading them.
  
  The Outlander book series is finished (as far as I know, at least the main series, there are so many spin off books now.)
Tina
February 3, 2024 at 12:20 pm

Quite a bit accomplished, San. I’ve been contemplating one of the virtual challenges that constantly show up on my different feeds. Maybe that will motivate me to get out more. I can’t say that I accomplished much in 2023, I’m hoping for a better 2024. So far January is a bust but I have plenty of time to work through my list.

Here’s to a productive and enjoyable 2024!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:30 pm
  
  You know, virtual challenges really motivate me. Maybe it will motivate you? How’s your training going?
Ernie
February 3, 2024 at 3:44 pm

Looks like a great list of accomplishments. I laughed at buy a bed frame. I want a king size mattress but my frame and all my bedding is queen. So I cannot bring myself to buy a new mattress.

I love your phone calls with an elderly relative.
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:29 pm
  
  A king mattress would be a dream… but yeah, you’d have to swap out a lot more than just the mattress.
J
February 3, 2024 at 5:35 pm

Congratulations on accomplishing so many of your goals!
We finally bought a bed frame in 2022, after SEVERAL years of having our mattress and box springs on the floor. Now it’s a little too tall, we should get rid of the box spring. But I LOVE not having my bed on the floor anymore.
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:29 pm
  
  Ha, you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear that you didn’t have a bed frame for so long either.
coco
February 3, 2024 at 11:18 pm

very impressive in achieving your goals, almost all! I like the standing up for yourself more part the most. :)
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:28 pm
  
  I like the standing up for yourself part as well. So important to work on!
NGS
February 4, 2024 at 12:51 pm

Yay for getting things done! Jenny once wrote on my blog that if you make all your goals, you aren’t reaching high enough. I feel like this is good advice and it’s really stuck with me. You can tell from the goals that you accomplish what your real priorities are and this is a good exercise in figuring that out. (Hair – not so important, movement and exercise – important!)
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:28 pm
  
  I think Jenny is right – it’s good to have a list of goals and it’s ok if not all of them are achieved because it keeps you on your toes :)
Stephany
February 4, 2024 at 4:41 pm

You accomplished so much in 2023, even with a lot of hard things going on. This list was fun to review. :)

And ugh, those blog RSS issues. I may be reaching out to you about it – trying not to panic but my Friday post didn’t show up on Feedly until late Sunday. Frustrating!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:27 pm
  
  Oh no, I hope your Feedly issues are resolved? I think I’ve seen all your posts in my feed… do you still have issues?
Lisa's Yarns
February 5, 2024 at 12:03 pm

I did so so with my 2023 goals. I knocked it out of the park on some and then totally failed on others (like establishing quarterly date nights). But overall the year was a successful year so I am trying not to let my % accomplishment make me feel like the year wasn’t a success. But you had a great year!!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:26 pm
  
  I think it’s normal that not everything we put on our goals list gets accomplished, and it’s fine… it’s just a good guidance!
ccr in MA
February 6, 2024 at 10:19 am

You got so much done, and you are inspiring me to write up my own trip from last September! I intended to do it then, but got swept right back up into Mom’s continuing health situation, and here we are, it’s February. But hey, I’ll be happy to look back at my photos even if no one else is!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:25 pm
  
  Yes, it’s always fun to have these records of past vacations!
Grateful Kae
February 10, 2024 at 5:47 am

You did great!!! I also have some (like your bed frame…) that I keep pushing over year to year to year. I think this happens to me when it’s something that is just sort of complicated/ not super easy to take care of. For example, we have needed to get a glass insert for a kitchen cabinet since we re-did our kitchen in like, 2018!!! omg. But it seems like a Hassle. I don’t even really know where to go, we don’t know what the options are exactly (plain glass? a pattern?), I don’t know how it works (do I take it in? Do i have to measure it myself?) etc. I am sure it’s not really a big deal, but it seems annoying to figure out… so there it sits, with just open air openings all these years. lol!! (Also, it’s not really HURTING anything like that, but it just bugs me every time I see it to know what it’s missing the glass pane!)

So impressed you figured out the RSS thing, too! I tried SO HARD on my old blog and never could get it. So gold stars to you! And great job on your running PR!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:18 pm
  
  You’re right – I think it comes down to picking a goal that seems somewhat complicated/not super easy to figure out. Your kitchen cabinets are a good example… and since it’s mostly “decorative”, we don’t put in the time to find a solution.
Sara
February 10, 2024 at 6:13 am

I would love more details on how you trim your ends yourself. I feel like this is something I need to learn how to do out of convenience’s sake!
1. San
  February 10, 2024 at 4:17 pm
  
  It’s not very professional, haha. I have fine hair, so it’s probably easier than if you have thick hair. I wash my hair, part it the way I usually style it (on top) and then part it in the middle so that I have half the hair on the right side and half on the left side. Then I just cut both sides straight across my chest. It’s not perfect and I do let Jon check if its somewhat straight but it’s been working out so far. ;)
  1. Sara
    February 10, 2024 at 5:45 pm
    
    I’m so impressed. My hair is pretty fine, too. I might have to try this!
Anne
February 13, 2024 at 4:06 pm

I get what I call “goal inertia” around some goals. Things live on my “to do” list for … a long time. I really need to think about alternatives to the random assortment of plastic baskets that I use to organize things in my kitchen (some of which, ahem, date to my childhood). But I haven’t found the exact right alternative(s) yet, so… I’m not even pursuing new options. Ditto my lack of a fully functional dresser. So I hear you on the bedframe! It might just be that it’s not a priority right now – and that’s okay!
What IS the best, though, is knowing that you will get to see your family soon. My heart is just so happy for you, my friend. I hope you soak up the moments you get to spend with them. <3