2016 Goals: Fourth Check-In & Wrap Up

Reading my 2016 goals post from January is bittersweet. It’s so full of energy and positivity. I was so excited to list my goals and begin tackling them because I did so well in 2015!

This wrap-up post is not going to exude those emotions, fair warning. Where I stand with my goals right now is not at all where I thought I’d be. I have detested much of 2016 and am so ready to move on.

So many things combined this year to frustrate my goals. Health issues, mental struggles, changes, professional and personal frustration, and a lack of motivation are a few of the roadblocks I encountered this year.

That said, lots of people have accomplished more with worse hardships, which means I have to find a better balance. Reading my goals updates throughout the year frustrates me further. Each and every time I identified my issue…and then ignored the issue. Mostly, my problem is pushing things off. I know better, and I know my current means of accountability are not working. This coming year, things need to be in my face, not part of the white noise of my life.

As I said in my post-NaNo write-up, balance is going to be my word for 2017. While I’m looking forward to the New Year and am already setting myself up to actively accomplish my goals, I have to look back one last time:

Write close to 3 000 words per week, half that for blog weeks –while I accumulated words for a while there with my writing prompt work, I grew disheartened by my lack of WIP progress. I need a better means of measuring this goal next year because I refuse to repeat this habit of not writing.
Shop “Brew Disaster” around –despite my best intentions I looked at NO markets this year. Why? I wish I knew.
Shop my literary stories around –see the comment above, again.
Read a minimum of 68 books over the year –I identified my issues with this, this being reading progress in general. A lack of evening routine is largely to blame. As is my favourite way to read: binging. I love reading a book in 1-3 goes. I need to learn to appreciate smaller sips. Some way. Some how. Still, I’ve read 34 books this year. Identical to last year, which is incredible. And a minor total for me, but better than nothing.
√ Introduce something new to Anxiety Ink –as a group we are really on top of Anxiety Ink. I’m crossing this one off the list.
Write a new short story –this one is still back-burnered, but I have two stories I want to write and submit in 2017. I failed this year, but I’m happy I haven’t given up in the long run.
Learn how to meditate –I still don’t know why I won’t do this! My time management sucks.
√ Keep up the exercise to boost energy –I can cross this off my list as a success! My health was priority number one this year and it overshadowed other things. That might not be a bad thing as I move forward. I still have a bit of a health journey to travel in 2017 since the answers I got about some things require more investigating. At least my symptoms are manageable and I am functional.
Run 5 km without stopping –my hip is still not up to par since my last check-in, so I have to leave this one incomplete. I’ve got both my massage therapist and chiropractor on it, so I hope I can get back into running next year. Injuries suck.
Cook more often –I like cooking, but my mom and I do not see eye to eye on this process. Her kitchen bothers me, which is why I don’t like to be in it. However, it is her kitchen and she does the most in there. I don’t know what I want to do about this goal next year.
Try something new –this is my totally vague personal goal that I did not succeed at.
√ Be POSITIVE –I would say I half succeeded at this goal. I had periods of being wonderfully positive and then stretches of being abysmally negative. I need to better manage the influence of outside sources on this. I let the actions of others cause negativity too easily.
Participate in NaNoWriM0 2016 and exceed 2015’s word count –we all know how this went and I am still really mad about it.
Finish writing RA2 –Obviously, this did not happen.
Turn RA1 into a readable manuscript –this was tabled to 2017 in October.
Read a Shakespearean play –this is another, why didn’t I freakin’ do this?, goal.
√ Be greener –I think I can cross this safely off my list as accomplished. I want to tackle it again next year, but in a different manner. At least I have some inspiration from another blogger.
√ Set goals for myself at the day job and hit them –2016 was my year to shine at work. I won four awards and got an “exceeded expectations” on my performance review. This means the pressure is on for next year! I had a few goals outlined that I didn’t excel at, but I have to come January. I’m trying not to worry, but I’m not so great at that.
Edit and complete my crow story –I am tabling this for late 2017 as I want to write the other short stories I have in mind before I tackle this one again.
Draw more –yet another neglected item that I failed at.

5 out of 20 is not good. That’s a failing grade. Can you see why I’m ready to close the book on this year?

How did your goals go?

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