At the beginning of last year, I decided on a series of good habits I wanted to form as my over-arching goals for 2021. The idea was that once I had firmly established these good habits in my life, they’d be (almost) effortless to continue well into the future. With this framework in mind, I hoped to extend the benefits of these goals beyond the calendar year. It’s not just about achieving the goals once, but rather to integrate them into my daily routine.

When I checked in halfway through the year, it seemed like I was mostly on track for all seven habits. Was I able to maintain that trend through the second half of 2021? Let’s reflect back on each of the seven good habits, one at a time.

Read 25 Books This Year

Result: 52 books

Well, I guess I blew that one out of the water. As I discussed in my other year in review post last week, this was likely due to at least a couple of factors. One, we basically didn’t go anywhere. Two, I didn’t watch much television, because it’s difficult to watch more grown-up shows when you’ve got two young children. Check out My Year in Books on Goodreads for a bit more about what I read.

Take 8,500 Steps Every Day

Result: 235 days (2.87 million steps)

With the exception of reading more books, every other habit I wanted to form (or maintain) in 2021 was about forming (or maintaining) a daily habit. Was this something I could do each and every day? While it’d be awesome if I hit all the habits on all 365 days of 2021, the more realistic goal was to hit them on about 250 days. That works out to about two-thirds of the time.

Alas, as much as I tried to implement some key strategies for my daily steps, I came up a bit short at just 235 days out of the year. I was on pace at the six-month mark, but things really fell apart for me in November and December, especially. Blame it on the weather, a lack of motivation, increased responsibilities… whatever the case, I didn’t quite make it.

Avoid Screens at Lunchtime

Result: 259 days

As parents, we might talk a lot about how we should limit screen time for our children, especially very young children. The truth is that it’s probably in our best interest to apply similar principles to our own lives. Yes, technology is very much at the heart of my livelihood. That’s all the more reason why I need to “disconnect” and have some screen-free time too. I didn’t make it by much, but I did break the 250-day mark for this daily habit. I hope to continue this throughout 2022 and beyond.

No Work After Dinnertime

Result: 284 days

The goal of avoiding work after dinner relates in part to the whole avoiding screens objective discussed above. It’s also about trying to achieve a healthier work-life balance. You might recall my numerous discussions on the third shift and how it felt like a necessity to work after my daughter’s bedtime. It was the only way to get things done. Except, it isn’t nor should it be. The fact that my wife was on maternity leave for the entirety of 2021 certainly helped. Whether I can maintain this after she goes back to work remains to be seen.

Get 10 Minutes of Daily Stillness

Result: 311 days

Before I give myself a big pat on the back for a job well done, I also have to accept this “victory” with pinch or two of salt. When I first decided that I wanted to have at least 10 minutes of stillness each day, I thought I’d spend it in meditation. Or some other form of mindfulness. The truth is that I did very little meditating, despite having installed the Headspace app on my phone. So, while I marked it down as 311 days with 10+ minutes of stillness, it’s debatable whether I really did do that or not.

Keep Daily Screen Time Under 3 Hours

Result: 216 days

Yes, another goal relating to screen time. And yes, another goal where I came up short, especially toward the end of the year. For context, the “three hours” here refers only to my phone, as I need to be on my computer to work. And I think watching a bit of TV isn’t so bad (especially since I watched so little). Even then, I found myself falling down the rabbit hole of social media (and, to a lesser degree, mobile games) far too often and far too much. Definitely room for improvement here.

Drink More Water

Result: 322 days

This was probably one of the easiest habits to build up and maintain through 2021. It certainly helped that I use the term “water” pretty loosely here to refer to any form of hydration, including coffee. My guess is that this would’ve been much harder if I had been more specific, like saying I needed to consume two liters of pure water each day. It’s a good habit, all the same.

Setting Goals for 2022 (and Beyond)

On balance, looking at these 2021 habits as a whole, I think I did okay. It’s hardly an A+ kind of performance, but it’s mostly a passing grade. Reducing screen time and increasing my daily steps are habits I’ll need to keep working on through 2022. One thing I did learn, though, is the pressure of “prioritizing” too many habits can easily become too much. So, for 2022, I endeavor to avoid dividing my attention in so many different directions. I’ll follow up with another post outlining my new year’s resolutions or goals for 2022 soon.

Until then, let me ask you: How was your 2021 in terms of any goals you may have had? What’s your outlook like for 2022?