19 for 2019

19 for 2019: The Final Score

It’s officially 2020, and before I write my 20 for 2020 post, I wanted to close out on the previous year. No excuses, and I’d like to keep it brief. I last gave an update here on October 9, 2019, and while I didn’t exactly complete the list, I am quite happy with where I landed.

1. Read six books. – The books are here, and I know I just need to keep reading. I am really, really trying,

2. Travel to one destination outside the tri-state area. – Done. Visited the land down under a second time and visited BFF Donna.

3. Learn something new via an actual class. Planning this now. I tried enrolling in an EdX class but didn’t get anywhere. Fingers crossed 2020 will be more productive.

4. Take better care of myself by exercising, losing more weight. I end the year a little heavier but I am where I want to be, but I am aware there is work to be done and working on it.

5. Visit Central Park all four seasons. I have failed to visit at all this year. Not good. It’s a very mild winter and I’m hoping to visit before the season is out.

6. Crafting reboot. Done! Much progress in this regard.. here, I can say, I did get things done. More sewing in 2020 and I am hoping I can focus on the jewelry business more.

7. Destash more systematically. The dinnerware will go soon. There are a box or two of clothes heading home for those who might need it more.

8. Work on the Gift of 53. Epic fail. I am going to work on the gift of 54 this next two weeks and get a headstart on this..

9. Write more. For starters, I want to set a goal of posting once a week in the blogs. (Which is principally this one and my craft blog.) – trying to be more consistent with this goal and now have scheduled posts, and writing them to start the year off right!

Work on my other social networking accounts by doing scheduled posts at least once a week. – This needs a more scheduled approach but I’ve managed to get things going, principally because I lost track of one, and someone who tried to reconnect with me followed me on that one. Of course, I didn’t see it. I had even forgotten I had that account! Lesson learned.

Resume my handwritten projects. Working on this before the week is out, and beginning with a summary of 2019.

10. Keep snail mail alive by writing a letter or sending out a card at least once a month. Done. I haven’t quite written all the letters I had hoped to write, but I did manage to write quite a bunch of them. Happy with how this one went.

11. Rebind my art journal, begin a new one. I must do this before it falls apart on me, along with a reveal video clip because I’m really proud of my first art journal.

12. Sample something new or visit a new restaurant or place (i.e., museum, intallation, etc.) and write about it. I’ve done a few posts on IG of things and places but not here. I need an editorial calendar for my own guidance to get this going.

13. Publish a postcard set. Coming soon. I think I will ask the help of a friend who has a printing press.

14. Visit at least one lighthouse. I tried to plan a trip before it got too cold but life got ahead of me. Soon. For starters, I already know which one I will work to get to.

15. Encode my poetry. Writing more.

16. Visit more blogs / IG accounts. I joined “Medium” a few months back– yes, reading other people more — and it’s been a fun journey.

17. Do a fundraiser for Barangay San Vicente. Major project for 2020. I WROTE, ‘My mother hails from a very poor community in Sorsogon in the province of Bicol. x x x I want to be able to do a fundraiser for the young children there in time for the school opening. If not, for the Christmas season when my mom used to do a gift giving celebration for the young kids.” I actually got to visit Barangay San Vicente this July after my mother fearlessly declared she wasn’t coming to Manila even if my son and I were arriving. (And of course, in the end she did.) It was quite the trip to get there and back — and I did take pictures, just not as much as I wanted. And yes, I’d still like to do the fundraiser — just not hitting 2019.

18. Watch a live show or concert once a quarter. Another miss. Planning better things in 2020, maybe with my not so little guy even.

19. Undertake some home improvement projects. There is hope.

Not too bad, if you ask me.

I am about to write this year’s list and I am starting the year with high hopes for an even better year ahead. For starters, here’s hoping I get even a third done by the first half of the year at least.. and keep things going from there.

2019 wasn’t so bad after all — in many respects, I think it was even better than 2018 was for me. All in all, I am grateful.

 

Read the original 19 for 2019 post published January 6, 2019 and the subsequent 19 for 2019-An Update published on October 9, 2019.