We are about a week past the half-way point of 2022. <Insert cliche comment about how fast the first half of the year went.> As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short. That statement feels especially true in the young-kid years of life. It's been several years since I've made goals for myself - at least 3! But as an upholder and enneagram 1, I HATE setting goals and then not achieving them. For some, setting aspirational goals they might not achieve is motivating. For me, it's so defeating when I don't achieve something I set out to do that it's best for my mental health to give myself a break. Maybe by 2023 I will feel ready to set some goals. I will be setting some goals for the 2nd of 2022 in this post, but they aren't really "stretch" goals - they are things I know I can and will achieve, barring getting covid again or something like that.
However, just because I didn't define a list of goals at the start of the year doesn't mean I haven't achieved anything. I've just given myself flexibility to work on what makes sense! I did choose a word for 2022 - connection - so that is something I have really focused on each month.
I recently participated in a half-way point review through the patreon community of Best of Both Worlds so I thought I'd share some of the reflections from that!
What went well/what have I achieved?
- I was a guest on the Best of Both Worlds podcast!
- Will got tubes in early January which made a huge difference in his health. He's only had one ear infection since getting tubes, and it was right after surgery. He had a raging ear infection when they did the surgery so we weren't surprised he still had an infection after getting tubes.
- I was promoted in March to managing director at my company!
- Our family traveled to AZ in February to see my sister and her family.
- I've been off social media since early December 2021 and this continues to be the right decision for me. It's hard to imagine going back on social media. It's a net negative contributor to my happiness.
- We've been out and about so much which feels so good after 2 years of doing very little. We've gone to a museum, new-to-us parks, the library, and the zoo to name a few.
- I've seen a lot of friends and family! My focus on connection has been great. Each month I make a list of people to connect with, either virtually or in person.
- I finished the Morning Meltdown on Beach Body which was a 100 workout program. It took me 6 months since I didn't do it straight through and combined it with lots of running but it was an excellent program!
What didn't work well/was challenging?
- Sleep. Ugh. Despite Will not getting ear infections, he's been through a few sleep regressions and Paul went through a long, difficult stage of fighting bedtime.
- We were sick SO MUCH, including 3 of us getting covid. It felt like there was rarely a week in the first 4 months of year when someone wasn't sick. Paul had 2 stomach viruses and we all had countless colds. This is out of my control since my kids are in daycare but oof does it suck.
- I wasn't able to run a 10 mile race in May like I had planned to. It was hard to fit enough runs in after returning to the office in March, I was sick all the time, and then I got Covid the week before the race.
- There have been positive aspects to returning to the office, but it was challenging. 3 days a week feels like a little too much for me so I am shifting down to 2. The hardest part is getting home at 5-5:15 and being able to eat dinner at 5:30 (our kids are hungry and can barely make it to 5:30).
What needs to change/what do I want to accomplish in 2nd half of 2022:
- I'm going to drop down to being in the office 2 days/week. This will make it easier to get meals on the table and it will be easier to fit more workouts in.
- I will be focused on a sales campaign at work related to the asset class I specialize in. So I expect to be more busy and I want to do more client meetings/engage more with our sales force.
- I will run a 10k race during Twin Cities Marathon weekend. I have no time goals - I just want to finish and be happy. The 10k distance is so doable and not a stretch goal; I could run one tomorrow if I wanted to. But that is what I need out of running right now since I am stretched in other areas of life!
- I need to find a new Beach Body strength training program. I tried the MBF program but didn't care for how repetitive the workouts were so I'm still looking for the right next program.
- Now that bedtime is going better for Paul, I'd like Phil and I to go on one date/quarter. I'm setting a low bar there. I know some do monthly or even weekly dates, but once a quarter is a good starting place for us.
- I want to go on a Caribbean getaway with Phil in December. We need to figure out dates and book something soon. My parents have graciously agreed to watch the boys at their lake home while we are gone. Phil and I have not spent a night away from the boys together since Paul was born so we really need some quality time away together in a warm climate!
- I also want to book a spring trip to the Gulf coast of Florida in the spring. This is the last year that we won't be beholden to a school schedule which is crazy to think about!!
- I want to continue to focus on connecting with others by making a list of who I want to connect with each month.
How was the first half of 2022 for you?
9 comments:
This is great!! For not "setting goals", you are still doing amazing. I think people like you who are generally driven/ go- getter types probably don't even really need that many goals in order to be successful...it's just sort of who you are! So that's awesome.
Congrats on your promotion! You never mentioned anything about that, unless I missed that somehow.
I remain intrigued and impressed that you so cleanly cut out social media! As you know, I have so many mixed feelings on social media and go back and forth so much. In my area, Facebook is still the big one pretty much everyone I know is on. It literally feels like it would be so hard not to be on it, because seriously EVERYONE I know in real life is on Facebook! Like alllll of my kids' friend's parents, etc, plus pretty much all of my extended family, and then all the other random people like old friends from school, etc. Whenever I think about going off, I just really feel like I would "miss" so much! (Although I know a lot of it really isn't truly important, but you know what I mean...it's how I keep up with what people are doing! I'm so used to knowing where everyone went on spring break, how they spent their Christmas, etc. that it would feel so odd to not! If that makes sense. Anyway! Such an interesting topic to me.)
And I love that you guys are going to do a solo trip! Yay!! Re: the spring break trip, have you been to the Gulf in spring before? It can be chilly!! We go to Panama City Beach many years, but in August when it is nice and hot. We have friends that go to Gulf Shores Alabama many years in March, and they always post pics in sweatshirts and say it can be quite cool many days, water is chilly, etc. So maybe push it as late in spring as you can!! Or go farther south. haha. (Unless you like a cooler/chilly beach! I hate being cold though, so if I'm at a beach, I want it to be plenty hot!.) I'd highly recommend Panama City Beach for your kids' ages though- there's tons of fun stuff to do there!! It's so great. :)
Wow! I set goals because if I don't do that, all I will do is sit on the couch and read. I know myself and I know that I need some sort of external motivation to actually do something. But you already do things! It's not a season in your life for setting goals and I don't think you have to make any excuses for that. You're doing a great job!
Lisa, this was so great to read. Your accomplishments are incredible, and yes, there are things like bad sleep and sickness to deal with, but honestly, that comes with the territory. I love your "hope to accomplish" list as well. I've been working on connecting more with others and going out and about more as well.
Re: social media. I am still on FB and IG, and I'm able to just check in once or twice a day and that's enough. But I quit twitter last year as I realized it was making me absolutely miserable. And you know what, I don't miss it in the least. I only wish I had quit it earlier!
So many accomplishments! In the face of all the illness, too -- whew. And I love that you are going down to two days a week in the office. That sounds like such a good choice for you and your family.
My husband and I do date nights SO rarely. Like... almost non-existent since 2020. Not that we were particularly regular about them before that. I think your plan to do one date night a quarter sounds excellent. Maybe I will steal that goal for myself. :-)
Congratulations on your promotion! i think you do SO MUCH, between taking care of two little boys (who, as you pointed out, had sleep issues and various illnesses so far this year), working full time, working out, and seeing family and friends. I don't think you need any extra goals.
I didn't set any official goals for 2022. For a while I was doing monthly goals, but then I stopped doing that. I even stopped writing down my weekly plans. Hmm, maybe it's time to get back on track with that for the second half of 2022.
This is great Lisa. It's also nice to see where things are going well, while identifying areas that are feeling challenging/overwhelming. A promotion. Being a podcast guest! All your reading!
I only check in with my annual goals occasionally. I have 22 of them this year, and am on pace to accomplish...over half? Some I know won't happen (I wanted to rebuild something we tore down on our property, but we've decided not to do this, so that line item is no longer relevant).
You've done so much this year, and these are tough years because so much is unpredictable with small kids. Gold stars to you.
I'm not on any social media (aside from my blog, which doesn't really count?!). I don't miss it - I haven't had Facebook in almost 15 years, so I'm WAY off the social media train - and honestly think I'd be a mental wreck of comparison if I was on Instagram or Facebook.
Congrats on the promotion, Lisa! I love how you snuck that in there like it ain't no thang, haha.
I think it was totally the right call for you not to set goals during this stage of your life. If setting goals was only going to make you miserable, it's not worth it!
I both love the idea of cutting out social media completely while also sometimes needing the connection/fun I find there when I get to my lonely place. I'm only on IG, though, and try to stick to my 30-minute time limit every day!
Wow, where to start!? I also did not know that you got a promotion this year; that is awesome -- congrats! I know that our firm has a lot of rules about how and when you can get one so that's a great accomplishment! I also love that your word is "connection" and you have cut out social media. To some that may seem like an oxymoron or something (I can't think of the right word), but I totally agree. I find that many people just post memes and political rants and shame others etc. and I don't find that to be a connection at all. The flip side is that there are a ton of photos of fun things people are doing etc. but not a lot of (a) reality or (b) connection regarding them in some cases. Well that was a long enough rant about that.
I did not set goals this year as I had enough of studying and having a schedule and having to reach a certain amount of hours or pass an exam etc. I am going easy on myself. However, I am always looking for new challenges and new places to go and see and new things to do, so I guess my goal is very vaguely to "try new things" and to "never stop learning." I know goals are supposed to be quantifiable but that is all I have for this year. I have a big mental list, some may call it a bucket list, but it is just full of things I would like to do but will not be mad at myself if I don't complete.
That was a great check-in post. Look at you and all the accomplishments in the first half of 2022. That makes me so happy - and congrats on the promotion! That's huge!
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