Measured against my own metrics, 2018 was an abject failure.
Sure, I did some pretty cool stuff, like this, this and this, but I didn’t do the things I said I was going to.
Well, 2019 is a new year. Another chance to remind me that I’m not very good at keeping promises to myself. So what New Year’s resolutions am I going to make?
Goals for 2019
1. No more Facebook
My first resolution is that I’m quitting Facebook; because Facebook is bad for the planet. I wrote a bit more about why earlier this month.
On 1 January, I will download all my stuff, delete my account and – willpower permitting – I will not be back. I’m still keeping Instagram and What’sApp (two Facebook owned companies), but I might get rid of those too in 2020.
Success measure: 365 days without logging into Facebook
2. Keep writing blog posts
Last year, I aimed to write one blog post a week. That was silly; it required me to quadruple my blogging output compared to my previous peak. In 2018, I managed to blurt out a few more than one a month, and so this resolution is more about keeping up that pace.
Success measure: 12 blog posts written
3. Learn to ride a bike
I never learnt to ride a bike when I was a kid (hilarious, I know). This year, my aim is to correct that.
Success measure: Able to ride a bike
4. Start a podcast
I’ve been wanting to create a podcast for ages, and I think I’ve finally got a good idea for one. So I’m resolving to create that podcast, and release it before the end of 2019.
Success measure: 5 podcast episodes released
5. Save some money
I said to myself last year I’d save £5,000 by 31 December 2018. I saved quite a lot of money, but then subsequently spent all those savings on holidays and gadgets. So I’m asking for a do-over on this one. I’ve got two holidays planned for 2019 already, so no doubt I’ll fail again; but hey, you can’t spend it when you’re dead.
Success measure: £5,000 saved
6. Exercise more
Last year I failed to achieve my goal of running twice a week; partly due to a foot injury, partly due to an aversion to exercising in rain, and partly due to sheer laziness. This year, instead of committing to a particular type of exercise, I’m just going to commit to exercising more in general – specifically to be active for at least 30 minutes every day. My Apple Watch should be able to help with keeping track of that task.
Success measure: at least 30 minutes exercise every day
You can follow my progress with my goals by visiting my goals dashboard.