I started 2022 off with 14 new(ish) goals. I finished 2022 off with about half of those goals completed or at least partially completed...a.k.a. "half-assed." However, some of my 2022 goals - such as "Practice and Study Critical Thinking" or "Practice Mindfulness, Patience, and Gratitude" - are more difficult to measure, and thus to simply tick off a box as "completed."
Around 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions!
Despite not accomplishing everything I had set out to do for the year, I had a very productive and fulfilling 12 months, filled with moments I don't ever want to forget, and others I couldn't even if I tried. Sure, there were some low moments as well, but I have no time for dwelling on misery!
I started off the year by appearing on the local news (Global Edmonton on Jan. 8th), speaking about my new book, The Ultimate Edmonton Trivia Book, which helped it become a bestseller on Amazon and at local bookstores. I closed the year off by appearing on the local news (Global Edmonton on Dec. 31st), speaking about my new book, The Ultimate Alberta Bucket List: 100 Adventures to Truly Experience Alberta, which helped it become a bestseller on Amazon and at local bookstores! In between, I self-published two other books during the year, The Ultimate Canadian Trivia Book and The Ultimate Movie Trivia Book. I kept myself busy.
These projects led to various opportunities, connections, and ideas, and inspired me to go further, try more, and do better. They also subsidized my livelihood, allowing me to work part-time rather than a typical 40-hour work week. Speaking of work, during 2022 I also quit a shitty job and found a far better one, giving me more time to spend doing the things I actually want to do.
For example, I went on a test solo mini hike (to the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary), created and published a trivia card game (The Fame Name Game), came out as 2Spirit, discovered and binged the entire first 14 seasons of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and got to spend many irreplaceable moments with one of my favourite human beings, my nephew Cole.
As for those 14 aforementioned goals for 2022, here is how each of those went (RED represents completed goals; BLUE represents partially-completed goals; BLACK represents goals that were not completed)...
Accomplish 5 Goals on My 50x50 List: Although it's no excuse, I spent A LOT of my spare time working on my book projects during the year, and so this particular goal took a backseat as a result. I was at least close to completing a few items on my 50x50 list, and a few others I am still in the process of completing, but I didn't actually complete a single goal on this list. I guess that mean I will have to double down in 2023?!
Practice and Study Critical Thinking: Unless you consider watching some YouTube videos "studying," I'd have to say I "failed" on this one, but overall I would say that I at least put in the effort of practicing critical thinking as much as I could remember to. I am human, after all. Nonetheless, this is definitely something I will try to carry on into EVERY year ahead.
Lose 25 pounds: I started off 2022 at 204 pounds. I closed off 2022 at 203 pounds. Do the math.
Pay Off My Debts and Save $5,000 for a Trip: The good news is that I was able to pay off my debt entirely. The bad news is that I was NOT able to save up $5,000 for a trip. But that's okay, because travel has been the shits lately, apparently.
Read at least 20 books: Although I read just four books in 2022 (including one audiobook), I let this one slide a little because I was busy WRITING books instead! The four books I read in 2022 were ALL self-improvement titles: How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management "by" Seneca, How to Overcome Anxiety by Anna Barnes, Lose Weight Now: The Easy Way by Allen Carr (didn't work!), and the audio version of Tony Robbins' Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!
Practice Mindfulness, Patience, and Gratitude: I practice gratitude daily, I'm always working on mindfulness, and patience is something I still need to improve upon. But I have been working on all three for the entire year, and will continue to do so into the next.
Walk At Least 2 Million Steps: According to my calculations, I needed to come up with an average of about 5,480 steps each and every single day of 2022 in order to make it to 2 million by the end of the year. Between January 1 and December 31 of 2022, I walked just over 2.15 million steps, including 45 days in which I accumulated more than 10,000 steps!
Go Somewhere: Hmm, this one's a bit tricky, because technically I did go somewhere during the year. In fact, I went to many places...more than 30 different towns and small cities across Central Alberta, where I'm from. However, all of these mini "road trips" were work-related, so does that really even count?! If yes, here are the spots in my home province of Alberta that I "visited" during the year: Ardrossan, Barrhead, Beaumont, Bon Accord, Calmar, Camrose, Cold Lake, Devon, Drayton Valley, Edmonton, Elk Point, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Glendon, Leduc, Lloydminster, Mannville, Maskwacis, Morinville, Mulhurst Bay, Mundare, New Sarepta, Onoway, Ponoka, Rimbey, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Stony Plain, Thorsby, Tofield, Vegreville, Vermillion, Vimy, Wainwright, Westlock, and Wetaskiwin.
Publish a New Book: Check! Check! Check! That's right, I killed it with this particular goal and self-published three new books in 2022, in addition to starting several - yes, several - others! I published The Ultimate Canadian Trivia Book in May, followed soon after by The Ultimate Movie Trivia Book in July, and then The Ultimate Alberta Bucket List: 100 Adventures to Truly Experience Alberta in October.
Expand My Social Media Reach: My Twitter grew from 22,560 to 23,293 followers (+3% growth); my Instagram went from 559 to 1,178 followers (+110%); and my barely-touched YouTube channel gained 28 new followers, to a measly 64 followers (+78%).
Learn 5 New Skills: I have no doubt that I learned a few new things in 2022, but I also think that "5 new skills" might be a bit of a stretch. I continued my Spanish lessons, learned a few new things about the book publishing/marketing world, and even discovered how to create and publish your own card game. Overall, I would give this one partial credit.
Take a Class: Not including Spanish lessons on the Duolingo app, I have to consider this one undone. But that does not mean I didn't learn many new things in 2022, because that's just false (see above). I had some online classes set up and ready to go, and I even applied to go to school again (long story), but neither of these came together in the end.
See My Friends and Family More: Technically, I saw my friends and family more in 2022 than the couple of years prior, although that can really be blamed on COVID more than anything. However, I have to admit that I did not see them nearly as much as I wanted to.
Do Something Big: This is rather subjective. What is considered "big" is all relative, really coming down to every individual person and their own circumstances. For me, I would consider publishing three books, creating a new game, appearing on the news TWICE, and having a "#1 bestseller" kinda "big," no?!
As for 2023, I have upped the ante and came up with 101 goals I want to accomplish before the year is over. It's a lot, I know, but to be honest, most of the goals are on the "smaller" to "medium" side, or more manageable in other words. I am still not sure if I will be sharing the list of my 2023 goals on this blog, but chance are I will. Enough about me now, what are some of YOUR goals/resolutions for 2023?!
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