My 2014 Resolutions - How I Did

Resolution #1

To do at least one project in each home that restores the home's sense of spirit.

Success!

At our main home, we redid the ceilings, which looks great. For a bonus, we re-did the guest room — added some curtains, some new pillows, and generally made it more comfortable. Come visit! (we also got some smaller projects finished and a good start on others. Go us!)

At Summit, I repainted the back room cobalt blue, made a cozy mud room out of an ineffective closet, and (mostly) did over the bar area). I still need a light and new flooring, but it looks much better!

Slow and steady process at Winter, including walls done.

Resolution #2

At least one date night a month.

Success!

This is my favorite resolution ever. We have been true to it, and will repeat next year. Work events (even if they are fun) don’t count, though we did go to one totally non-work show (Book of Mormon) in September. Generally we just go somewhere really good to eat (this month was The Rabbit Hole), or a couple of taprooms, or something.

Resolution #3

An evening with friends (dinner here, out to dinner, whatever) at least once a month.

Success!

This was Patrick’s resolution, but it was by necessity joint. Still, I did not buy in as hard as I could have, and I regret that (he’s right, and it was sweet of him to admit it; I am generally the logistics one that does planning of these kind of events). Still, we made it, if you count pool parties, which I totally do since we had those weekly!

Resolution #4

Go on an awesome family vacation.

Success!

Total win! Our trip to Costa Rica was all that and more. We planned for it, we had a great experience in four very different areas, and we still talk about it all the time. It had a huge effect on our family life.

I love our more spontaneous/shorter trips; we went to Madeline Island for a week this summer, which was great, and had a most excellent road trip to New Orleans over Thanksgiving. But that Costa Rica trip will always stand out as one of the most incredible experiences of my life. When I was young, my mom and I went to Hawaii several times, and I liken it to that.

Resolution #5

Embrace curiosity through learning.

Success (mainly)

I had specific tasks for this:

Fund 4 Kickstarter campaigns (I'm trying to suss how it works)

I did this, and learned I really did NOT like Kickstarter, and it does not work for the arts half as well as it does for technology. But I went to a fantastic Seed & Spark presentation (crowdfunding for film projects) in December, and I am really excited about that.

Watch 10 TED talks (Love the idea of TED and other similar events, hate watching videos online)

I put these off until the other night. Patrick and I watched them together, and had a great time. Looking forward to doing that together more in the future.

Complete online accounting course

Umm, you have to carry something over, right?

I had hoped to take some other classes, and got approved for the scholarship pool at the Loft, but just have not gotten there yet.

Resolution #6

Provide outstanding services to my consulting clients.

Mixed, but generally Success.

What I learned about this is that I really shone in some moments. At least once a week I have totally fist-bumped myself on something that I totally got right. Plus, I have picked up some really interesting new gigs. At the same time, I have still felt scrambled and not on top of things in many cases. It’s paradoxical — every time I do well at something, then I end up stretching further, and then not feeling as good! I still think I could do better, but may need some more concrete steps.

I had a bunch of mini-goals too:

Success – finding a violin teacher for Beatrix, beating my Goodreads challenge.

Mixed – more blog posts (I am so erratic on these), do more crafts (but I have gone to several sewing nights, mad a kick-ass mermaid tail for Beatrix, and LOVE making things when I get the chance), and exercise (though I am now taking yoga).

Nope – cemetery plot.