Recapping My 2019 Goals: Here's How I Did

I'm not great at new year's resolutions or goals or intentions or whatever it is that you want to call them. Usually, I forget what I've committed to... yet, I make new ones every year. Here's what I committed to at the beginning of 2019 - & how I did.

1. Go back to therapy. 
A year ago, this was my top priority of 2019 - which makes sense because a year ago, I was struggling with depression again. It seemed to abate on its own in early 2019, & then I put therapy back on the back burner. Honestly, I don't feel like I need a therapist at this point - but it's always better to have one before you need one, so maybe I should add this back onto the list for 2020!

2. Complete 100 Harness Cycle classes... & keep going 
I completed my 100th ride in March, & of course I kept going! Unfortunately, I haven't ridden nearly as much in 2019 as I did in 2018, in part because 2019 was one of my busiest years of my life, but I'm still chuggin' aways, & I still plan to hit 200 sometime in 2020.

3. Try (at least) 10 new kinds of workouts 
I wish I'd kept better track of this because I think I got close to this one, but I can't totally recall. If I'm remembering correctly, I hit seven new-to-me workouts & gyms in 2019, which isn't 10, but hey, it's better than nothing. There are still plenty of workouts & local options I'd love to try in 2020. Anybody wanna workout with me?

4. Focus on healthy eating 
I did a much better job of this in 2019 than in, like, all the years past, but I'm still not good enough at it. Much of the progress is thanks to Mike, who has really focused on learning to cook & to cooking for us on a more regular basis. In the fall, we both started WW (formerly Weight Watchers), not necessarily to lose weight but to better track what we eat, what we should be eating, & when we're eating too much.

5. Take a solo vacation of some sort 
I did this so long ago that I can barely remember it! In January of 2019, I did a solo weekend at an AirBnB in Western Pennsylvania. It was snowy & frigidly cold, but it was also so, so delightful, just enjoying my time to myself - writing, reading, napping, & exploring the little college town nearby. I'd love to go back to stay in the adjoining AirBnB... which is made out of a covered bridge!

6. Save at least $5k 
Done! I'm disappointed that I haven't saved more, frankly, but it turns out that paying quarterly taxes is a good way to put a dent into your progress. I did, however, also focus on paying off my car loan in 2019, which means I saved less than I could've, but I also got rid of a big chunk of my debt.

7. Read 80+ books again 
Nope. So far, I've hit 62 books in 2019, which is certainly nothing to turn up my nose at - but I just couldn't make it to 80 this year. It was suuuuuch a busy year, & extra reading just didn't pan out for me. Luckily, though, I read some really good ones in the 62-book mix, so here's to however many more great books I can finish in 2020!

8. Participate in some sort of professional development 
Yes & no. I was supposed to go to a full day of professional development hosted by Engage! Cleveland in the fall, but I had to skip it... to go to New York for work. I also didn't take any classes or join a mentorship circle like I'd hoped, but with all the work changes that happened this year, I'm still feeling pretty good about where I am.

9. Focus on friendships
This is so difficult to quantify. Could I have done better? Yes, of course, always. But did I try? Yes, absolutely. I reconnected with an old friend in Brooklyn & then went to Wisconsin with her over the summer; I did a few fun girls' outings with two different groups of Cleveland friends; I saw all but one of my closest out-of-town friends IRL this year...

So there you have it: Overall, not a bad year. What's not reflected here is just how hectic a year it was, so the fact that I got as much as this in as I did? I'm not disappointed in myself at all.

What about you? Did you set 2019 goals, & if so, how'd you do on them? What's on deck for 2020?