“22 in 2022”
PLANNING FOR MY YEAR
A challenge…
A couple of years ago I heard that Gretchen Rubin was doing a “20 in 2020” challenge, a list of 20 goals for the year, but I wasn’t inspired. However, this past December I saw an Instagram post by Kathleen McKitty Harris that listed out her “22 for 2022.” I just turned 49 and felt different about the exercise this year. When my oldest was home for Christmas break, we brainstormed our lists on a walk through the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. He thought mine seemed very ambitious and I suppose it is. Now that my kids are older, I have more time than ever.
My “22 in 2022” list…
1. Finish the first draft of my novel. I have been working on this project for nearly seven years. I have a full outline, and a small portion written. It’s a historical novel, so I have some research to do. But, I want to just sit my butt down and write the damn thing. It’s an important story based on horrific circumstances. It’s time to do this.
2. Finish my non-fiction book proposal and send it to agents. I’ve been furiously working on this for the past six months, so I want to cross the finish line. It’s a project I’ve had in mind for nearly 20 years. Even if it doesn’t get picked up, I will be satisfied that I finally finished it.
3. Walk outside daily. A minimum of 30 minutes. I do this very regularly, but want to make a commitment to it.
4. Read 40 books. In 2021, I read 56 books. In 2020, I read 43. This year I want to write more, so some of that time may come from reading (though I fully acknowledge it should probably all come from scrolling).
5. Meditate daily. Even if it’s only 10 minutes. I always feel so much better when I do it regularly.
6. Blog 2x per week. I’m feeling that in my last year of my 40s, I want to challenge myself. I was tempted to make it daily like Seth Godin suggests people do. But, I also want to finish a novel, so I’m settling on 2x a week, which will still be a challenge. I’ll start this in late January for my birthday.
7. See a football game in the Big House. My oldest is at the University of Michigan, and my husband is an alumni, and I have yet to attend a game. I went last November for parents’ weekend, but the game turned out to be a night game and it was less than 30 degrees. So, instead I hung out with a friend and watched it in my pajamas.
8. Finish my office renovation. We’ve lived in our house for 21 years, and it’s the first thing you see when you walk in the door. It’s time.
9. Finish sunroom renovation. When we did our landscaping nearly five years ago, we took off the bottom half of its siding and it hasn’t been replaced. The interior paneling also needs to be replaced. Then, we’ll finally be done. Whew! We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we bought a fixer upper.
10. Reach out to a friend weekly. I text and talk to friends weekly, but I haven’t been good at staying in touch with a wider circle of friends during the pandemic. My goal is to get in touch with all my friends in a more meaningful way this year.
11. Host a monthly dinner party. I don’t think this will begin until April or May, due to COVID. I enjoy hosting, as does my husband, so we’re a good team. I don’t always have high standards though, and am perfectly fine with ordering takeout.
12. Plan my 50th birthday party. I never really celebrated my birthday, but then I came to realize that I was missing out. Celebrations are important. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I want to plan something big for this milestone. (It does seem surreal to look at that heading - eek!).
13. Honor my calendar. This year I’m not going to do overwhelm. I’m not going to do distraction. I have had a tendency to put things on my calendar and then decide at the time that I *need* or *want* to do something else. Now, everything is going on my calendar, and I will live by Marie Forleo’s credo: “My commitments are stronger than my mood.”
14. Drink more water. Enough said.
15. Make photo albums for the kids. This has been on my to-do list for years. In 2020, I finally made our wedding album - for our 20th anniversary! I made another album for my husband. I enjoy making them on Mixbook. This year I vow to make one for each of my boys.
16. Volunteer regularly. I haven’t been good about doing this, and want to make a change.
17. Make lunches ahead of time. I eat much healthier when I make a habit of doing this.
18. Go to bed earlier. I’ve been staying up until 11pm or midnight during the pandemic. My goal is to routinely have lights out at 10pm.
19. Plan a trip to Africa. I have always wanted to go to Tanzania and see the wildebeest migration, or go on a safari in Botswana. I had intended it to be my 50th birthday present to myself, but we’ll see if that’s possible with COVID. In any case, I have friends who have done amazing trips, so I’ll get their itineraries and have a plan ready.
20. Hike more often. We have Rock Creek Park right in our neighborhood, so we often hit different trails. However, I’d like to get out a bit farther. Maybe start a monthly hiking club with friends.
21. Organize the kitchen. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve gotten more organized than I was ever in the last decade. It was a way for me to have control of something, and keep my head down (i.e. not obsessively check the news). I’m feeling really pleased with everything, but I’ve been avoiding the kitchen. We don’t have a lot of stuff, but we also don’t have a lot of space. Our “pantry” (in quotes since its just three shelves), Tupperware drawer, and recipes are a disaster.
22. Have fun. I want to enjoy this year, and COVID got me into a rut when it comes to fun. We did have fun during certain windows when it was more safe. One of the most joyous times I had in 2021 was seeing Parker McCollum in concert. He was playing in Detroit in a very small venue on the Friday night of parents weekend, so we were able to go with my oldest - the one who introduced me to his music. That said, the best times I’ve ever had have been around the dinner table with my family, so I don’t need “big” things to have fun. Maybe I just need to be more mindful about it, and not take my time on this big blue marble for granted.
I really want to be intentional about my time this year, so I’m going for it. That’s the goal - being more intentional - not that I cross off every single thing. That would be impossible anyhow, since many are not quantifiable. I am going to break these down into steps, and even calendar some, to help move them along.
Did YOU do the “22 in 2022” or set other goals? Do you have a bucket list? It’s never too late to get a journal out and brainstorm some dreams and goals. Some people do quarterly reviews or goals. When my kids were younger, I used to use September as a a time to take stock of where I was and get things on the calendar. Let me know what you want to accomplish in 2022 below, so I can cheer you on.
Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash