Inspired by fellow dad blogger and #5DadsGoWild camping expert Dale Allen Berg, I set a series of goals for 2020. Unlike Dale, I did not set 20 goals; I only set seven, because I’m not that ambitious. Now that we are officially one-third of the way through the year, I thought I’d provide a bit of an update on how those 2020 Twenty goals are coming along.
1. Read 25 Books
If the goal is to read 25 books in 2020, that works out to a little over 2 books per month. Now that four months have passed, I’d need to have read a little over 8 books so far this year. I’m proud and happy to report that I’m currently up to 13 books, about 56% above pace. In the words of Larry David, I’d say that’s “pretty, pretty, pretty good.”
To be fair, most of these were audiobooks, but that still counts as “reading,” doesn’t it? I say it does.
Status: Well ahead of pace
2. Hit My Daily Step Goal 250 Times
If you’ll pardon a bit of math again — that which gets measured gets done? — the objective here is to be more consistent with being a bit more active and a little less sedentary. I have a daily step goal of 8,000 steps on my Fitbit, which is how I’ve been tracking this. Hitting the daily step goal 250 times in a year works out to a little under 21 times per month. Four months in, I should have hit my daily step goal about 84 times.
January was my best month by far with 28 step goals reached. February, March and April tallied up as 21, 22, and 19 step goals reached, adding up to a total of 90 times in four months. Pretty good. With social distancing, I generally only hit my goals on days I take my evening walk around the neighborhood, so there are some wild swings compared to days I don’t hit my step goal.
Status: Slightly ahead of pace
3. Cut Myself Some Slack
Unlike the first two goals on this list, the idea of cutting myself some slack isn’t really measurable. What it does instead, though, is serve as a reminder that I can’t be all things to all people, all the time. I need a break, because “the hustle life” combined with “that dad life” (and every other role I have) is not sustainable. When I decide to push a non-urgent task to the next day rather than force myself through another third shift, I can tell myself that this is okay.
I’m still pretty hard on myself most days, feeling like I’ve come up short in one way or another. And then, I see this goal (I’ve printed out a copy of this list and it sits on my desk) and recognize that I’m probably doing just fine. Good enough can indeed be good enough.
Status: I’m okay, but I could better
4. Apply for the BCTESG
For context, that’s the $1,200 British Columbia Training and Education Savings Grant. Basically, it’s “free money” for Addie’s post-secondary education. No real update here, as there’s nothing for me to do until September anyhow. On this list of 2020 goals, this one is really more of a reminder than anything. But, it’s still something I definitely want to do.
Status: Should be okay
5. Take a Kid-Free Vacation
Between the self-isolation and travel restrictions enacted due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, plus Baby Kwan #2 on the way in September, this is probably the least likely of my 2020 goals. We haven’t gone on a trip as just a couple since we became parents. The occasional date night is nice, but a short getaway is another thing altogether. We used to love traveling and seeing the world, and we just don’t get to do it the same way anymore.
I’m a little sad about that. But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a huge deal to let this slide. We’ll get around to it eventually, right?
Status: Very unlikely
6. Stop Working One Hour Before Bed
There’s never enough time. At least, it always feels that way, so there’s always the temptation to get in “one last thing” before bed. Of course, it never quite works out that way. Either that one last thing takes much longer than anticipated or it leads down a rabbit hole of multiple “one last things.” This ties back into the goal of cutting myself some slack. I just have to be more consistent with having a more consistent wind-down routine at the end of the day.
Status: Inconsistent, needs attention
7. Play a “Real” Video Game One Hour a Week
For the first two-and-a-half months of 2020, this self-indulgent goal (self-care goal?) fell way onto the back burner. To the point where I don’t think I even turned on my Nintendo Switch for all of January and February. Then, toward the end of March when “stay at home” and “shelter in place” recommendations were enacted, I found myself at home even more than usual. And it just so happened that Animal Crossing New Horizons launched on the Switch.
On the one hand, I’d been itching for this game since I first got the Nintendo Switch. On the other hand, prior to quarantine life, I figured I wouldn’t have the time or head space for Animal Crossing. Funny how life works sometimes. According to the Switch, I’ve “invested” about 65 hours into this game.
Status: Certified Animal Crossing addict
Re-Evaluating Your 2020 Goals?
Needless to say (but I’m going to say it anyway), circumstances have changed a lot in the last couple of months. Understandably, priorities have shifted along with them. We’re not doing any traveling, but maybe I’m reading more books and playing more video games. And getting in my daily steps is a bit more of a challenge (though Just Dance 2020 has helped on that front). As I look at my 2020 goals, all things considered, I’d say I’m doing pretty well. I’ll take that as a win for now.
How about you? Did you set goals for yourself at the beginning of this year? Have you had to reevaluate what those might look like given how things are now?
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