The 2017 Review and 2018 Plan

Failures of 2017

There are many resolutions of 2017 that I did not accomplish or stick with.  I may have been very ambitious with my Resolutions of Twenty Seventeen.

Failure 1. The first personal resolution was to maintain a weight between 163-169. My plan was to have two weigh-ins per week with an allowance of 4-8 weigh-ins above 169.  I failed in having two weigh-ins per week.  By strategically weighing in fewer times, I was able to keep that allowance… but we all know that is cheating.  And cheaters are failures.

Having the resolution in place did keep me in check, however.  Whenever a weigh-in resulted in something above 169, I stuck with the primal diet for the week following so that I could fall back into the range.  Observed a few days ago after the holidays had ended: my highest recorded weight in 2017: 171.6 lbs.

My resolution for 2018 is to drop to 160 at some point during the year, and then let that slowly creep to my maintenance region (163-167).

Failure 2.  Remain off of social media.  At the end of 2016, I had quit Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Untappd.  This had a lot to do with the influence from Cal Newport’s Deep Work, a fantastic read that I recommend to everyone.

While I remained off of Twitter, Instagram, and Untappd, I failed at remaining off of Facebook.  Although I am back, I’m trying my best to post very infrequently, and am trying to make sure that each post is adding value to my life (by perhaps adding value to others).

My resolution for 2018 is to spend less time on Facebook (measured by my Quality Time app) and post less often.

Failures 3, 4, and 5. I failed at making my own limoncello, orangecello, and ginger beer. I failed at kayaking the rivers and lakes around my area, and in the amount that I wanted to.  I failed at completing a triathlon.

Insert a sad face here.

Failure 6. After the election of 2016, and during the first part of 2017, I was really gung-ho about starting my own chapter of Represent.US in Topeka.  I wrote a letter that was included in the League of Women Voters’ Newsletter in Topeka.  I gave a presentation in front of the Sunrise Optimists Club of Topeka. I talked about the organization in front of Washburn’s Student Government.

I know little about politics and political activism, but I learned one very important lesson through all of this.  I would rather sign up for a 50 mile run across a desert packing my own water than try and motivate anyone around a political cause.  Although there may be some initial interest on the surface, nobody (it feels like) has any desire to give time for such a thing.

This deflated me, as I was faced with this harsh reality.

Successes of 2017

Success 1. I rode my bicycle over 2017 miles.  Using the Cottonwood 200, BAK, Ragbrai, and the Buffalo Bill Century Ride, among several other personal rides, I was able to bike over 2017 miles last year.  The weather in 2017 allowed me to ride my bike on January 2 last year!

This will be a new bike year.  In 2018, I resolve to explore more with my new bike, which will be able to ride on peat gravel and gravel trails.  Although 2018 miles will be in the back of my mind, this goal will not make the cut this year.

Success 2. Watch less TV and fewer Movies than I did is 2016. With my post Time Spent Watching TV, I analyzed the data I had collected on my TV and movie watching in 2016.  Here is a summary.

• I watched TV and movies for approximately 15500 minutes in 2016.
• This worked out to be about 42 minutes and 21 seconds per day, accounting for 4.41% of my day.
• Counting time awake as a day (~16 hours, or 960 minutes), I watched TV and movies for a little over 16 days of my life in 2016.

Here is the summary of 2017.

• I watched TV and movies for approximately 7500 minutes in 2017.
• This worked out to be about 20 minutes and 33 seconds per day, accounting for 2.14% of my day.
• I watched TV and movies for almost 8 days of my life in 2017.

In 2018, I resolve to watch less than or equal to the amount I watched in 2017. This year, however, I will also track what I watch on YouTube.

Success 3. Although not part of my resolutions, I picked up some daily habits in the latter part of 2017 that will continue into 2018 and beyond.  In my post Homebrew Daily, I wrote about creating a daily habit of learning something related to homebrewing.

Not long after that post, I began a daily habit of studying Norwegian using Duolingo.

These habits are now a part of me.  Yes, there have been a few days since I have started where I missed a day, but the habit is a part of me now.  So, going to bed having missed a day feels as if I didn’t brush my teeth.

In 2018, I resolve to continue learning Norwegian (even after we travel over there and back in May).  I also will continue learning something about homebrewing each day.

Success 4. Again, this was not part of my resolutions, but I feel like experimenting with something new can lead to a success.

Last night was my 4th class in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I’m working out and am a student under Cody Criqui, who owns and operates the Criqui Academy in Topeka. After two classes, I purchased my own Gi (pronounced with a hard “g”, they are essentially Japanese pajamas to outsiders), compression shorts, rash guard, and mouthpiece.

This will take priority in my “health” category in 2018.  As long as I can stay uninjured, I resolve to get a few stripes on my white belt by the end of 2018.