This Monday marks the one-year anniversary of my “Blueprint for 2024” post. This was, by far, the most thorough and longest list of New Year’s resolutions I’ve ever made. As such, it’s time to look back on my original post to “see how I did” with fulfilling all of these New Year’s resolutions. I’m embedding my original post below, for those who are curious:
Instead of copy and pasting my entire post, I will list my resolutions, point-by-point, to evaluate how well I did with upholding them.
1. To lose weight/get in better shape
I haven’t lost any weight, give or take a few pounds. Part of that can be chalked up to turning some fat into muscle. I haven’t done a lot to change my diet and the fact that I was sick numerous times in the fall resulted in me “falling off the exercise wagon”. However, I returned to the gym and I’m glad to say I still have the “workout bug”.
RESULT: Given my age and the difference I’m already seeing in my physique, I’m calling this one SUCCESSFUL.
2. To get involved with some kind of volunteer/charity work.
Not even close. I never even made in-roads on getting involved in volunteer/ charity work.
RESULT: UNSUCCESSFUL.
3. To enroll in graduate school.
Not only am I no closer to starting Grad school, this is the one that really sticks with me. Had I at least applied, I would feel successful
RESULT: UNSUCCESSFUL
4. To read at least one book every month.
I never even finished Anna Karenina! DUD.
RESULT: UNSUCCESSFUL
5, to watch at least one “new to me” movie every month; or complete one season of a “new to me” TV series every month
To be honest, i did not even attempt to track all of the new or “new to me“ television shows and movies I watched in the last 12 months. The one that sent out for me in particular is watching all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H. I also continued to make my way through the old Marvel Netflix shows; so that I can be caught up for daredevil: born again when that premieres in 2025 on Disney+.
I did see a handful of new theatrical releases this year as well. And I made a point to go back and watch several older movies that have been on my viewing list for sometime.
RESULT: SUCCESSFUL
6. To move into a new place.
This is one that I never gave a lot of serious thought to this year. But with mother‘s declining health this year, it’s been a bit difficult. In fact, Phred and I have been running ourselves ragged for the last several months between the hospital, the rehab center, and the assisted living place in which we got Mother set up this fall.
RESULT: INCONCLUSIVE
7. Cutting the cable.
Again, this is something that was kind of in the back of my mind. I didn’t really have an opportunity to give it a ton of thought this year; mostly because it wasn’t as if I was getting a lot of action this year that it warranted my more immediate attention. and I’m still kind of stuck in that Robin Scherbatsky state of mind when it comes to having children. While, I have no intentions of having any more children, I’m not terribly keen on the idea of being told my doctor “you can no longer have children”.
RESULT: UNSUCCESSFUL
8. Start playing bass guitar again, or some other instrument.
I picked up my old vase guitar a few times this year, I never got terribly serious about it, but I did get myself a distortion pedal for it and some new amplifier chords. I wish I could find something like the old “Rocksmith“ game for the Xbox 360, as I don’t know how to read music; and people say that learning to play songs via tabs is even more difficult than learning how to read music. I’m gonna give myself this one…
RESULT: SUCCESSFUL
9. Visit at at least three new MLB stadiums this summer
Kid two and I made it down to Cincinnati this year, as planned. Originally, I was hoping to make a trip to Chicago and Milwaukee to at least catch the Cubs play the Tigers at Wrigley Field. However, the games were scheduled for late August so it would’ve made the trip extremely difficult with my return to work.
However, I was pleasantly surprised in early April when kid and I made a trip down to Georgia to see kid one compete in a gymnastics meet. We took the following day to go to a Braves game in Atlanta.
I’m already looking ahead to the 2025 season and hoping to make a trip to Baltimore, Washington DC and possibly Philadelphia.
RESULT: SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL
10. Improve my finances
Well, I did not find a new job that was so financially alluring that it prompted me to leave my current place of employment. However, I was pleasantly surprised this fall to find out that since I had a mask, such a substantial balance, and my child support payments for kid one, but the state of South Carolina was no longer going to be pulling child support payments for my future paychecks. I’ve built up enough of the balance to complete Kid 1’s child support payments until his 18th birthday. So in a manner of speaking, I feel like I did get a little bit of a raise this school year
RESULT: SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL
Overall, I would score this 4 successful; 4 as unsuccessful; 1 as a toss-up. Admittedly, I’m probably being too nice to myself here. But one thing I did also say on my original blueprint for 2024 was “if I accomplish half the things on this list, I will feel successful”.
I’m already thinking about 2025 now. I still have unfinished business from this year that I must attend to in the new year. I would also like to find other areas in which I can push myself even further as well.
I must admit that the thought of another four years of a Trump presidency scares the hell out of me. I am legitimately concerned for women, minorities, and illegal immigrants in this country. As I’ve said elsewhere today and the comments on other peoples posts, I guess the best we could do right now is to hunker down, put our wagons in a circle, and just try to weather out the storm for the next four years.
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:
- Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
- A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
- The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
- Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
- The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie
The article “revisiting “a blueprint for 2024“ one year later“ first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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