Last January I stated several goals for the year. So a year later, let’s see how I actually did.
2023 Report
2023 Running Grade: D-
I stated in 2023 a goal of running one half marathon and 500+ miles for the year. I never ran a half marathon in 2023. And didn’t come anywhere near the 500 mile goal, so a D- is being generous. I will give myself points for running consistently on every vacation I took this year. Also for not gaining any weight (still around 205 – 208 lbs), and I did play a decent amount of soccer, just kicking the ball around, etc. But no, I didn’t achieve this goal sadly.
2023 Karate Grade: F
I stated for 2023, I wanted to be practicing karate regularly to keep my knowledge and maybe learn some new techniques, kata, etc. Well, just like running, it didn’t really happen.
2023 Foreign Language Grade: F
Umm, same as above. Nothing else to add.
2023 Read More Books Grade: D
I didn’t hit the one book a month target.
Audit my time Grade: C+
I still have more to work on for time management, but I did make some improvements in 2023.
Finish home projects that were started and never completed Grade: B+
I made some major progress on my basement with contracting some of the work out and also working on some things on my own. The dry wall is now up and almost finished, so the basement will be completed soon. I also made some progress on outdoor projects (like building a full size soccer goal), so overall, this was where some of my time went.
Why were these goals not achieved better?
I blame the lackluster performance of these goals on LivestockCity, my startup company. The amount of hours I needed to put into it in 2023 was a lot. I was helping to code, advertise/market, produce media content, interview people, talking with investors, and constantly in staff meetings all week every week. On top of this, I have a job that actually supports me while I wait for LivestockCity to grow enough to support me for a living. So because of these reason, I give myself a pass because I know I could hit all of these goals if I had more time.
2024 Goals
I stated some ambitious goals in 2023 and came up short. I overestimated my free time do these things, so what about 2024? How will I modify my goals for this year? A lot of the 2023 goals are still 2024 goals. Some are even lifetime goals.
Running
Running has been really good to me. It has kept me healthy and in shape when I do it consistently. It allows me to eat what I want and not worry about excessive weight gain. But I am not running like I was 10 or even 5 years ago. My last marathon was in 2017, almost 7 years ago. Although I still don’t plan to run 3-5 half marathons in a year like I used to, my 2024 goal is to just achieve consistent regular running. Not just running on vacation, but also no numerical mileage goal. If it is 500 miles, that would be great, but I am just looking for consistency in 2024.
Karate
The room in my basement dedicated to this will be one of the first rooms ready, so this should help with practicing karate more consistently, as well implementing some weight lifting as well. Nothing too crazy though.
The future martial arts/exercise room. There will be foam pads on the floor and the universal gym will be in this room. This room will be ready in about one month or less.
Foreign Language
In 2023, I was supposed to brush up on French, but that didn’t really happen. Last week I got the Duolingo app. I am using that to relearn French ( it is coming back pretty fast) and to also learn Chinese. Though I might switch to Japanese (with my karate background, it makes sense).
Reading Books
I am hesitant to set a goal here. This year is going to be as busy or busier than last year, so I will say that my goal is to read a couple Biographies at the very least.
LivestockCity
I have a goal for LivestockCity, and that is really go to increase users on the site and their engagement. We have a lot of infrastructure in place but need people to move into the Livestock City.
Photography
I want to be a better photographer than in the past and increase my knowledge past the typical photographer hobbyist. To help with this I recently invested in some older used camera gear but better than what I have. More on this later.
So that sums up my plan for 2024. It’s still early in the year, so set your goals now and stick to it. Life can get in the way, but just try your best. Even though I didn’t score well grade-wise in 2023, I tried all year. I am making adjustments, and we will see what happens in 2024. Happy New Year to everyone. Be healthy, make wise decisions, get after your goals.