2019 Resolution Report

New Year's Resolutions are tricky things.  They can be a joke or they can be something that's emotionally harmful.  They can be reasonable and realistic or they can be realistic.  And I love them.  I love new starts and fresh beginnings and the idea that I could do better...be better...try again.  So in January I set some goals for the year to come, and in December I look back to reflect on my progress.  

So how did I do this year?  Let's take a look:

1. Continue to do the very hard, but very good work that I began in the fall of 2018 in therapy.  Yes, yes, and yes.  I worked with my therapist up until I started my new job and will be going back after the holidays to continue working.  This has been one of the most profoundly helpful things that I've ever done for myself - in part because I found just the right therapist.  I'm changing patterns that needed to be changed, and the rewards are beyond measure.  
2. Have my second foot surgery asap.  The second surgery was in February.  My new feet are gorgeous and - more importantly - are pain-free.  It absolutely was the right decision, and I'm grateful for all of the support that I got during that six-month-long process, tough as it was.  
3. So that I can get back to running and tap asap.  I started running again in May, and it's been a more challenging return than I anticipated.  While I did complete both the Roots N Blues and Great Go! Halloween 10k's this fall, my performance wasn't what I had hoped it would be.  I decided a reboot was necessary, so I signed up in October for the Fitness Protection Program LLC's Rebuild Plan.  I absolutely love the plan and was starting to see some real progress...right up until I broke my wrist.  Running will start again in January.  (sigh)  As for tap, I did not go back this fall.  I miss it, but circumstances are such that a return just didn't work out in my schedule and budget.  Maybe next year.  
4. Read a minimum of 80 for the year. 89 and counting as of the writing of this post!  and there's still time!
5. Complete 12 knitting projects. So, so close.  In fact, I would have made it if I hadn't broken my wrist.  I completed 10 projects this year, and there are two more that are close and would easily have been finished had I had the last three weeks of the year to work on them.  Might have even managed a bonus project. 
6. Rebuild the blog. Sort of.  It needs more contemplation for the next year.  I just can't quit it, but I also don't really have the time and energy to rebuild what it used to be.  
7. Meditate every single day.  Nope.  Made it through about 1/3 of the year. I chose not to renew my subscription to Headspace for next year, although I might come back to it.  I actually do really enjoy meditating and I feel it's beneficial...the habit just didn't stick, and I'm not going to beat myself up over that.
8. Devote more time to my work with the church.  Mixed bag.  I do still love my position and have renewed for next year.  I am happy with the ways I participated this year.  But.  As an extreme introvert, I'm finding more and more that Sunday morning is just hard for me.  I need that time to myself to regroup and refresh for the week to come.  The older I get, too, the less meaningful traditional Sunday mornings are for me.  I'm not sure what that means or where I'm going...but I'm honoring the truth of it.  
9. Continue to seek ways to improve my health.  Yes and yes.  I went to the Mayo Clinic, which moved me a big step in the right direction by accurately diagnosing my sleep issues and pointing me towards potential answers.  Late this year I also found a local GI specialist and will continue with some more testing in January.  No definitive answers...but I'm in a better place now than I was a year ago.  Of significance - my new job, which has greatly reduced the load of stress I was under.  
10. Build my skills on the ukulele!  Sadly, no.  I just wasn't able to make it a priority because of everything else going on.  Still in love, still want to improve. Guess what's going on the list for 2020!
11. Declutter and purge the house.  Actually made a fair amount of progress on this, thanks to the inspiration from Marie Kondo's show on Netflix.  I'm very pleased with the work we've made in this direction, even as circumstances didn't get us quite as far as I'd hoped.  It does feel good to start focusing on what matters!
12. I have some financial goals which I'm going to keep private.  New job, working on those goals.  Very happy with my progress.  

Overall, I'd call that success!