First Day of 2019

I spent the eve of 2019 in bed with M talking goals and being middle aged. 😀 In past years, we’d mosey down to a bar downtown to ring in the new year but I think we recognized that we didn’t feel like hearing loud noises and ringing the new year with that vibe for this year. No value statements other than we weren’t feeling like it.

I’m learning a new language and I got inspired to do a little write-up on an aspect of that learning. I’m hoping to write a little more so that I can become a better communicator. So my plan is (tentatively) to write a technical blog post at least once a week. I write enough code and read/watch enough videos that I should be able to focus long enough to do this.

A focus of my and M’s goals is around mindfulness and personal health. For me, that means a minimum of 3 outings to the gym performing cardio and weight bearing exercises (by the way, my bones are fine! Phew). On the mindfulness topic, M recommends listening to Eckhart Tolle and I’ve resolved to do this at least 3 times a week (preferably when I’m trapped in a bath and can’t do anything but focus on his voice). I have a bad worry habit which leads to things like retail therapy, mindless internet browsing, etc. To address this, I’ve resolved that once I become awake/hip to the fact that I am mindlessly browsing, that is my cue to load up a Pluralsight/Udemy/Udacity video. Lord knows I have way too many unwatched courses. To address our overspending on food, we’ve created a menu based on items we’ve actually cooked and are resolved to make that the first port of call when hunger comes calling. As I write this down, I think I’ll include the dollar amounts on our menu and list the average cost of ordering in to further highlight how much money we’re hemorrhaging when we order out.

Financial goals are pretty aggressive but I think that they’re achievable. The first is to grow the emergency fund to a full year’s worth of expenses. The security and peace of mind that will bring will be worth it. I have a smattering of smaller goals like maxing out the various retirement vehicles I’m eligible for again (this should be on autopilot), build liquid savings, and saving for various wants e.g. MacBook, Christmas 2019, long term visit back home, etc.

Overall, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about 2019! I have a lot of work to do but I have steps to getting that work done!