View allAll Photos Tagged NewYearsResolution
This is my Accountability Chart from 2024. Why am I posting something so personal here on Flickr? 1) Because it's me, and 2) Because it might inspire others who are struggling to stick with goals or New Year's resolutions.
In 2024 I set goals to get at least 150 active minutes each week; lift weights for 30 minutes twice a week; vacuum once a week; post 2+ pics on Flickr each week; walk to the grocery store twice a month; only read books that I already owned or borrowed from other people, develop no more than four rolls of film, and plant a pollinator garden.
These goals were meant to improve my health, save money, do my part to save the planet, and have a better home life.
As you can see from the chart, I did not reach my goals every week. Some of them I hardly reached at all. But I met some of them quite a lot, and I guarantee I met them more often because I wanted to keep those checkmarks going on the chart.
I met my target of 150 active minutes on 39/52 weeks, or 75% of the time. That's two weeks more than in 2023.
I only managed to lift weights for 30 minutes twice in one week once. But I did lift weights for 30 minutes on 13 occasions, and lifted weights [period] on 43 occasions, and that's not bad at all!
I vacuumed on 48/52 weeks, which is 92% of the time, which was my best result. Vacuuming doesn't take as much time, and it appeases my wife, so even though it doesn't benefit my health, it does benefit my life.
In 2023 I had set a goal to post 3+ pics on Flickr each week, but that proved to be too much, given my competing priorities, and I only hit the target on 21 weeks. I reduced the goal in 2024 to 2+ pics per week, and met that target on 39 weeks, so I felt good about that.
I walked to the grocery store (instead of driving) 13 times. There's lots of room for improvement, but I have a family of three now, and it just sucks to carry that much heavy stuff while wearing heavier clothes. What I mean is that if I'm going to get sweaty, I don't want to be wearing the heavier clothes I wear for a walk to the store, especially in winter. But I can still aim high, and if I don't achieve it, it's not a big deal.
In 2024, I read 10 books that I either borrowed from someone else or the library, or already owned. That saved me probably $200!
I also set a goal to only develop four rolls of film in 2024 to save money, because developing at home is not an option and I never learned how anyway. Developing at a lab is at least $13/roll. I ended up developing five rolls, but that's okay.
I didn't plant a pollinator garden because we unexpectedly moved in the spring, and thus no longer had access to a garden. I did buy a few potted lupins after moving, but they did better indoors.
Anyway, the point of this is that if you have routine goals (like health improvements) and have a hard time sticking to them over time, it really helped me to make this chart and break them down into smaller units (in this case, weeks), and log them. In a place where my wife can see it. That way, it's obvious if I'm keeping on top of my goals.
You also need to make them specific. "Get Healthier" is too vague. I set the "150 active minutes a week" target because that's what my family doctor told me in response to a few bloodwork indicators. So I had the motivation and a number to aim for. You can set a number and a frequency that makes sense for your goals; whatever they may be.
I hope this inspires a few people to make a similar accountability chart!
__________
IMG_0300ap
Make one crack about Mission Impossible 3 and I'll kick you. (or Da Vinci Code)
"Once in a Lifetime" = documentary about the first failed attempt to Major League Soccer in the US. (Randy, have you seen it?)
in latino culture, we eat twelve grapes for each stroke of the clock on new year's.
each one is supposed to represent each month of the coming year.
the sweet ones signify months of good luck and the sour ones...well, you know.
this year, however, these twelve grapes signify the now: every second that the clock strikes, may we be in the now, in the moment.
learning: the past and the future, we cannot control. solo tenemos el presente.
how's THAT for a new year's resolution?
Macromonday - "new years resolution"
Yes, I know, "nice composition", "oh so many textures", and "wonderful color" but seriously I know u are just staring at those big honking chocolate covered peanuts aren't u? tee hee
Actually I don't make resolutions because I just cant' keep them.
A New Hairdo for the New Year. Decided my New Year's Resolution is to take time for me and tidy up my image and my environment.
I love watching students have fun with learning tools! If you could write your resolution on this whiteboard, what would it be?
I don't know why but that morning I decided to weight myself. Never do it. Oh, ok. Once a while. That morning I saw a number I never saw before and I tell you, I was shocked. Angry. Frustrated. I think I touched my personal low.
Which is, in the end, a good thing, because it is exactly the energy that gives me the power to change.
On diet since monday! (Loosing some weight was number 3 of my new years resolutions...)
What I need to work on in 2009.
PS: The mind mapping tool used here is Novamind Platinum - a great tool that I would have no problem recommending to anyone.
Blog post: ian-d-smith.me.uk/01-2009/2009-resolutions/
Day 190 of 365 (Tuesday) - A friend of mine gave me first refusal on a 28mm lens he was selling (an equivalent of 45mm on my camera body), to help me move on from my 50mm (an equivalent of 85mm on mine - which I have only recently discovered!). Today was my first trip out with it. I wanted to know whether it would still be possible to take close up pictures if I wanted to, so challenged myself to see how close I could get with it today. This image is the closest candid I managed. After much deliberation over the past few days, and the test run today, I decided to give myself an early Christmas and birthday present, and get the lens. It will be a challenge, but interesting to shoot with something new.