At the beginning of the year I wrote about a few things I wanted to improve upon in 2015. I just want to take a look back at those and see how I feel like I did. We did have a baby this year so… this could get ugly.
Dental Hygiene
I would say I’m doing better here but not great. Been having some pain lately so I think it’s time to go to the dentist (okay fine it’s long past time to go). I’ve been flossing and using mouthwash regularly. I think I’ve set myself up for major improvement here in 2015.
Exercise
This is a big bucket of fail. I had some good stretches of consistent running. But it broke down a bit in the summer. Being back in Tennessee is definitely going to make this tougher to improve upon in the winter. Not much tennis and basketball either in 2015. Lauren and I recently joined a program with our insurance that gives us access to many gyms around Knoxville (YMCA’s in particular) so I’m hoping we can get going with this.
Journaling
I did a lot of this in the first half of the year, but I dropped off later on. Particularly once the baby came. I’m thinking I might try to pick this up again in 2015. I liked the prompt I did early last year. I might try to find something similar this year.
Releasing Outshape
😞 I’m getting there. I made some great progress while I was between jobs. But it’s hard to help raise a baby, work a full time job, and engage in a side hustle.
Minimalism
This one I’m feeling pretty good about. There’s a lot of room to grow but I’ve gotten fairly ruthless about not keeping stuff I don’t love or need. Now if I could just attack my wife’s 3/4 of the closet…
Recycling/Waste Reduction
Another place I feel like I’ve really improved. Having a local recycling service has been the biggest part. We’re sending more stuff into recycling than we are the trash. I’ve replaced a lot of incandescents with LED bulbs. The phrase “just because I can doesn’t mean I should” has been circling my head lately with respect to the resources I use.
Improve my relationship with Lauren
I think we’ve made strides here. Having a baby has been an amazing experience as a couple. Challenging for sure. But it’s definitely made us both feel more like a team.
Go to church
I’m really happy with where we are here. We’ve found a church in Knoxville that we love. We’re in a community group there so we’re getting to know some awesome people there. I hope we can continue to grow there in 2016.
Read my Bible
Another fail. I need a new Bible this year.
Read more in general
I think I did more of this but it all kind of runs together. There are a few books I remember loving, I’m just not sure if they were 2015 or 2014. I’m gonna try to do a better job keeping track in Goodreads. It’s hard to find time with a baby (this is a common theme).
Fewer Screens
There’s good and bad here. We spend a lot of time still watching TV. But I’ve made some strides in reducing my phone use. I’ve deleted a good number of apps and I’m trying to break that instinctual need to just look at my phone. Just enjoyed a two week break from work for Christmas, and I feel like I barely looked at a computer screen. So hooray for that.
Call People
👎 Another place I failed. This one has been on my mind lately and it will definitely be something I hope to improve upon in 2016.
Start a podcast
Nope. I still want to do this. I’m just not sure where I will fit it in. And I need to get my buddies all in on it.