Well… 2020 is certainly a year for the books.
Each year I set an extensive list of trackable, attainable goals and work through the year to hit them. Then, at the end of the year, I recap. But getting through 2020 was an accomplishment all of itself, and holy moly am I happy that it’s over.
I remember when I was in 6th grade, after our teachers explained to us about the 9/11 terrorism attacks and we had time to ask our questions, they went on to tell us, “You are living through a major historical event. This is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget.”
Not to downplay the severity of the terrorism attacks of course, but I was ready to accept that as my “major historic event”. I can remember exactly where I was sitting, and all the minor details. I did not know that 2020 would be a series of “major historical events”, and each one would be more significant than the one before. Plus, why not throw in a personal mid life crisis in the middle while we were at it? Goodbye, 2020. You sucked.
But did I reach any of my goals in 2020? Let’s recap…
Run 10+ Races.
Nope.
Not only did races shut down, with good reason, but I stopped running all together. I completed three distance challenges in May, June, and July once the gym reopened. I finished the year with at least 135 miles under my belt from running, plus more that were logged as walking.
Attend 3+ Classes per Week.
Obviously no.
Although I didn’t attend any classes this year, I did take advantage of Peloton’s extended free trial. This allowed me to take hundreds of classes through the streaming platform both at home and at the gym once it reopened. After my free trial, I subscribed- Peloton On Demand is by far my favorite streaming app right now. You do not need to purchase the bike in order to use the app.
Take one CEC course.
Sorta.
Although I wasn’t able to attend any workshop to receive a continuing education credit, I did participate in a virtual “Extreme Abs” workshop, which qualified for CECs.
Pay off one credit card.
Done, but also… not.
We started of the year 2020 in a fabulous financial situation which allowed me to pay off not one but two credit cards down to zero. This was inadvertently the result of the lockdown, since we stopped making preschool payments, received the first stimulus, and pretty much stopped all road trips and dining out. However, this win took a sharp turn when my marriage was shattered. I quickly filled up one credit card with groceries and home goods while searching for a job, and the second with legal fees. Oops.
Read 50+ Books.
Slightly short.
Although I started the year out strong, and ahead of schedule for most of the year, I finished 2020 having only read 39 books. It was very difficult to fall into a book during the last three months of the year as my marriage crumbled.
Read through the entire Harry Potter Series.
Nope.
This was an intentional stop. Frankly, despite having grown up deeply in love with Harry Potter, I was very upset with her statement about trans women. I could not, in good faith, read the books on my kindle where she would be financially compensation. I could have read my hard copies, which have already been purchased. But I didn’t want to. I only completed the first two books in the series for this re-read goal.
Places to Go
- Savannah, Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee
- St. Augustine, Florida
The only place on this list we went was Savannah, Georgia. You can read about that trip, here. Oddly, I was planning to go to Gatlinburg a few weeks after my husband left, and had to cancel that trip. I still hope to visit these road trip locations soon, when Covid restrictions are lifted and my travel budget returns. I also want to travel internationally, when the borders open. I have a whole bunch of places to visit on my International Travel Bucket List.
Charleston County Gold Pass.
Yes!
This was one of the best decisions I made. Sassy and I visited multiple beaches this summer, as well as some of the nature preserves in the state parks. Unfortunately we did not take advantage of the free car entry to the holiday lights show, thanks to Covid. But so far it has been a very good purchase and I hope to renew for 2021.
Disney Cruise for Christmas.
Obviously not.
There was a week or so where I was pretty convinced I was going to be homeless for Christmas. Cruising for Christmas, even without the pandemic, was not in the cards this year.
Family Cookbook.
Nope.
This goal will not be renewed for 2021.
Holiday Address Book.
I did make ornaments this year, but still haven’t sent them out. Oops. I do hope to make a holiday address book to make this easier, but I didn’t have the time or energy this year.
Paint the Living Areas.
No, but that’s a good thing.
Originally I wanted to brighten up the living areas with some color. That didn’t happen. But considering we ended up selling the house, it’s actually a good thing we didn’t paint. Keeping the builders’ beige meant we didn’t have to repaint before staging the house for photos.
This year I’m setting the goals much smaller than in the past, so they can easily be reached. After the disappointment of missing all my 2020 goals… I don’t want another year to slide by feeling let down.
Blogging Goals
- Write at least 50 blog posts
- (Unique Monthly Visitors) UMV 500/ month
Youtube channel
- Create a custom banner, intro clip, and outro page for Sassy’s Youtube Channel
- Film, edit, and publish at least 10 videos
- 30 followers (you can subscribe here, and get notified if and when we ever make any content)
Travel Goals
- Visit New York at least once
- Actively save towards a camper van
Fitness Related Goals
- Run at least twenty miles each month, totaling at least 250 miles for the year.
- Run two Half Marathons and at least 5 in-person other races
- Win at least 10 monthly challenges on my Apple Watch (not sure what that is? I write about it in this blog post)
