Not a whole lot to report publicly, although there is a lot behind the scenes. Time will tell.
For now, I thought it might be nice to evaluate the status of my 2023 goals.
My first goal was to read 6 books this year. I just finished up 12, so I’m happy with that. It’s become a bit of a hobby, actually, and I feel like I’m getting “better” at it, if that makes sense. There’s been an uptick in momentum, and I can finish a book a lot faster with less distraction and better comprehension. That was unexpected development, but welcome. I also feel like it’s gotten my mind moving in ways that it hasn’t in a long time. Even though I’ve been reading a lot of fiction, I feel… smarter? It sounds crazy, but it’s opened my mind a bit. Some of what I’ve read has been nonfiction books, and I’ve got a few more in a stack waiting for their turn.
1984: “I’m just looking for something light and fun.”
It’s funny how that worked out. I moved in with my sister in December. Her roommate had taken a job out of state that was supposed to last 6 months, but that was a year and a half ago. I was living in her old room, amongst a lot of her belongings. My sister could tell that after a few months of that, I was struggling to find peace pulling my day-to-day outfits out of my suitcase, so her friend took a weekend to come down and move the rest of her things out (her job situation ended up being permanent, anyway). We helped her sort through over 100 books, and she ended up leaving behind a treasure trove of them. Here’s where my ever-present minimalist goals kicked in—part of the motivator to read was to move the books out of my living space. Read. Donate. That’s exactly what’s been happening, so I’m crushing an extra goal out of the deal.
Second, I wanted to contribute $6,500 to my Roth IRA. This has yet to happen because I didn’t want to make any big financial moves until I talked to an attorney. That legal consultation DID happen, but we’re still on the fence about the future, so I’m just contributing to the match for my 401(k) each paycheck.
Third, and most importantly, I wanted to establish a consistent yoga practice. To make this more of a SMART goal, I set a number at 150 practice sessions for the year, which roughly works out to 3 days a week. I’m behind schedule, but that was mainly from months of emotional devastation, where some days I just could not get myself out of bed. As that eased up, I/ve able to practice more, and I honestly credit yoga with helping me through this god-awful year.
I’ve gained a lot of traction with it this month, especially. I tried a new yoga studio, and I visited my old one. In between, there have been dozens of evenings on my mat at home. It’s made my body feel stronger and helped me be kinder to myself (which was a big problem in past months). I feel more level-headed and like a human still deserving of good things. It’s hard to explain, but I know it’s connected.
You know what? I’m on a roll. Let’s talk about some other wins.
I dropped $300 on an inflatable standup paddle board. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever spent money on. I’d like to get out on the water even more, but I feel like I’ve been able to have so many fun experiences already in just the last two months. Nature is another big help with healing.
This week I booked a two-part summer vacation. I’ll go visit my dad in Texas and will then take some time at the beach a week later. I’ll be bringing the paddle board, of course. Life feels kind of quiet, but I think some time away from the desk and day-to-day will do me some good.
Last, but not least, I re-enrolled in my bachelor’s program. I’m about halfway done, and that’s taken years. I started the program in 2014, but later dropped out in 2016 when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Anything deemed unessential went out the window, and school was the first thing. Some months after she passed, I enrolled again, but this was right after I started my federal job. Quickly, I realized that job (which paid amazingly) was going to take up all of my bandwidth. I figured, “I’m earning great money without a degree, why bother?” but did not consider that the demanding nature of the job would be unsustainable. Spoiler, it was. So I’m back in. I’ll be nearly 40 by the time I finish, but I’ve always wanted to get it done, and I think it might help me be more marketable in the private sector if my dreams of getting back in the government with a different agency don’t pan out the way I hope.
So, even though this past year has outdone itself in terms of unprecedented levels of shittiness, I’m proud that I’ve managed to accomplish a few positive things. It’s helped bolster my confidence a little bit in a chapter of life that rocked me pretty hard.
What has been your proudest “win” of 2023?
-K