So apparently there were 24 things I wanted to do in 2024. Have I done any of them? Let’s find out. I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t be good news. It’s been a bit of wild, busy, and demanding year even by my standards.
On the upside there are 22 days left in the year. As long as I’ve done them 2 of them, I could do 1 a day and still make it. Since I don’t remember what sorts of things they are, that may or may not be possible.
*Checks list*
NOT POSSIBLE.
Here’s my list:
- Go canoe camping. ✔️
Update: It was late in the season (October!) but Sarah and I finally made it to Algonquin. Off to a good start with this list thing! 😊
2. Spend some time Snipe racing. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. No one got out very much and when we did it was for serious racing and Sarah raced with Jeff. Part of the challenge is getting up to the lake in time after work and then there’s wind conditions. Next year? Will need a change in attitude and a commitment to going out whatever the conditions. 😞
3. Go bike-packing. ❌
Update: We planned a bike-packing trip on the Simcoe loop trail but work and life got in the way. Instead, we cut the trip short and went car camping with bikes. Next year? Might need to commit to doing it with other people in order to get out the door, or take time off work to make it happen. 😞
4. Hike a section or more of the Bruce Trail. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. See above strategies. Next year! 😞
5. Swim in the Great Lakes. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
6. Winter yurt camping. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! (There’s a theme here.) 😞
7. Do more vegan Mondays. ❓ 😊
Update: I did a lot more vegan eating but not necessarily on Mondays. I’m okay with that.
8. Try a new class a month at the gym. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
9. Spend more time at the beach. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
10. Read two books a month. ✔️
Update: Finally a thing I did! 😊
11. Do something, anything, even if it’s just giving money, to see that we don’t elect a conservative federal government and reelect a conservative provincial government. ❌
Update: I’m still trying to figure out what if anything I can do. 😞
12. Get a matching tattoo with my youngest child. ❌
Update: My fave tattoo artist is too busy and we both have busy schedules. Maybe the bearded dragon moment has passed though Lizzy is still with us. 😞
13. Go to church more often. ❌
Update: Weekends are a busy blur of activity and when we’re home I tend to clean, Zwift, and eat French toast. Next year? Honestly it might be a post-Dean thing. 😞
14. Practice lane swimming. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
15. Dance! ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. I did sign up with a local dance studio but Tuesday night is the only night they have classes and I’m Zwift racing on Tuesdays. Next year! 😞
16. Do more things with my adult kids. (Kids, you’ve been warned.) ✔️
Success! So many weekends with kids. So much fun. Thanks family. 😊
17. Sneak lots of mini-adventures into my year. You don’t need a week or even a weekend to do something fun and adventurous. ✔️
Success! Lots of weekend and weeknight adventures. 😊
18. Play more games, host games nights with friends. ❓
Update: Does one games might count? Well, we are playing lots of games with our favorite ten year old, and with my adult kids. 😊
19. Buy less stuff/get rid of stuff. ❓
Update: Well, yes, but there are no more people living in the house and more stuff. It feels like a never ending battle.
20. Eat more vegetables. ❓
Update: The Good Food dinners help with veggies. I’m still bad with the whole veggies at breakfast time idea and lunch on campus is a mixed bag. Overall, it’s a work in progress. I read an article the other day about a woman who aims to eat a lot of different veggies at every meal. She writes, “Usually, my goal for every meal is to get 10 different fruits and vegetables in.” Goals? 😐
21. Ride outside more often. ❌
Update: I’m still struggling to find people to ride with in Guelph, especially in the evenings or before work. I’m not fast enough to ride with most of the local bike clubs on my road bike. And lots of the trail riding people have schedules that are more flexible than mine. I need to work this out. Wish me luck. 😞
22. Ride some of the bike rally. ❌
Update: Oh, the bike rally. I’m not sure I’m up for the full thing, but the one day ride is the ride out of Toronto and that’s one of the most difficult days. I like the middle bit the best. No riding out of Toronto or into Montreal. I’ll try to sort it out this year. And at the very least I’ll make some charitable donations. I’ve also been doing the Parkinson’s Ride and will definitely keep that up. 😐
23. Keep the house more ready for guests. Also, invite more guests. ❌
Update: See the opening comment about it being a ridiculously busy and demanding year. I can’t even keep track of all the work and family changes. It’s been a lot. And when I get busy the house is a place it shows. But next summer I want to do more backyard entertaining, and for friends who don’t mind the chaos and mess, there’s always room. (See you in August Catherine!) 😐
24. Have a fun 60th birthday party, which will include lots of the bloggers, feminist philosophers, Guelph friends, and friends of the blog. ✔️
Update: A terrific time was had by all. 😊 See here and here and here! And photo at the end of the post.
Reflections
I’ve been mulling over this list all day. I never meant it as a “must do” list or even a list of goals. Instead, it was supposed to be a fun list of possibilities, of things I’d like to do. I thought it might be fun to have a lost.
Did I have a lot of fun this year? Yes. Are there some fun things I’m not getting to? Yes to that too.
Some things I didn’t get to are about logistics, about making things happen–like sailing and riding outside and the bike rally. Others are things I want to do but there is no one else in the nearby family is keen–beaches, dancing, and great lake swimming fall into category.
Others are more chore and duty like–eat more veggies and vegan Mondays and getting rid of stuff fall into that list.
Also, 24 is a lot of things!
Anyway, it was an ambitious list. Life got in the way. I’m going to try to learn some lessons and move on.
What do you do with your unmet goals or ambitions? I might be more specific next year. Check out my 2025 post.
Well, I am retired, and I can still relate to this all too well. Scheduling stuff with other people is very helpful (as is buying a plane ticket or making a few reservations), and I sometimes find that just writing something on my calendar helps, perhaps more than it should. It seems that having more free time actually can make it harder to get things done (oh, I’ll get to it later. Oh – it’s the end of the day already?) I found myself laughing in sympathy as I read your list. Glad to know it was a fun list rather than a mass of obligations!
I think your list needs updating. re 18) play more games: you taught me how to play Cribbage (which I’ve continued!) and we played a few nights while I was visiting. which leads me to 23): invite more guests: you invited me! And I stayed quite comfortably in your guest bedroom! Just saying. You could arguably add those to the done-column… 🙂