Past Justin was aware that 2020 was going to be the “year that wasn’t,” considering I completely ignored it and wrote nothing in anticipation of the year. So, here I am revisiting my 2019 intentions and dropping some for Future Justin to have to grapple with in 2021.
2019 INTENTIONS RECAP
Drink more water – Let’s see here… NOPE.
Read at least 2 books a month – Surprisingly, yes! Once my official course work ended in Spring 2020, this became quite easy to complete. I still have a tendency to read in spurts and would like to get more consistent.
Eat more – I have definitely been doing this, especially the past few weeks. Working from home has not changed too much from what was my normal work activity, so I am eating less during the day, binging at dinner, and then snacking at night.
Continue working out and adding running – This has ebbed and flowed throughout 2020. I am currently in a downswing as a slight knee issue is making me hesitant. Thankfully, it is starting to feel better.
Buying a house – I can happily report this happened, and I am dying in this house. The process is still not complete as we are in the midst of selling our previous home. Luckily, it should be wrapped up in the beginning of the new year.
Doctoral program/dissertation – As I mentioned earlier, I finished my course work in Spring 2020. My reflective competency portfolio was submitted and I successfully defended my dissertation proposal. I then took a short break before submitting my for my IRB approval. Once that was signed off, I was in a bit of a back and forth to obtain the data for my study. With so many people working remotely and needing signatures from various individuals at two different institutions, the process drug out a bit longer than preferred. Ultimately, I had what I needed by the end of the year.
2021 INTENTIONS
#DadLife – This will always be a part of my intentions now that Rylie is in my life. What I have recognized in her almost 17 months of life is that being a “good” dad requires one to be a “better” partner and that these roles are not mutually exclusive. They are intricately linked and improvement in one necessitates attention to the other. It means being attuned to needs and wants, open communication, patience, listening, and sharing. All things I hope to instill in Rylie through actions and words.
Working out – Similar to the previous intention, this will probably always be on here in some capacity, which I have accepted. Like most people, my habits with working out tend to ebb and flow. I am thankful that my partner has more discipline when it comes to this and frequently encourages me to do something with her. She also purchased me tennis lessons as a gift, something that I have been hoping to play. I also would love to get back into paddling outriggers once I am done my dissertation and life settles back down a bit.
Read at least 3 books a month – There is soooo much good television out there to consume. On the other hand, there are more great books to read. What I really want to do is balance my consumption habits and honestly tip them more in the direction of reading when possible. I am also expanding my reading to different authors and genres and topics as a way to broaden my thinking.
Doctoral dissertation – The plan is to have this complete by Summer 2021 at the absolute latest. I have everything I need and simply have to bury myself in this work over the next few months. Working from home has actually made it more difficult to make progress, as it is easier to make excuses and divert my attention to far more enticing things. Normally, I would go the office or Starbucks to focus; however, with the pandemic, those locations are no longer available. This would hopefully turn into something publishable so that would be another component to pursue by the end of the year.
Learn a language – I know… pretty typical. My daughter, Rylie, is at a point where she is starting to say actual words and clearly she understands what we are saying as her subsequent actions are directly related to our words. So, this feels like a good time to delve into this with her. I had learned Spanish in my youth and surprisingly retained a lot of the vocabulary. We use Arabic words around her too. Unsure of what to go with and realistically, this will not be a true focus until I am done my dissertation.
Seek a new challenge – This is purposefully vague, as I am not quite sure what I want this to be just yet, but I know it is something I need to do. Obviously, learning a language or tennis both could easily fit into this intention, yet I want to pursue those separately. This could mean a change at work (new responsibilities), a new hobby (woodworking/landscaping), writing (D&D campaigns in particular), or something not even mentioned here. I am feeling a bit restless in light of everything. Extremely happy, just recognizing I need to try my hand at something new.
2021 WORD
In 2019, the word was anticipation because of Rylie’s imminent arrival. Well now she is here and has lived a pretty remarkable life to this point considering what is happening in the United States and world. In thinking about 2021, anticipation could definitely still apply but for different reasons.
I am choosing PRIORITIZE. I am an organized individual, but sometimes struggle with deciding the order to pursue tasks/intentions/goals/relationships. I want to make sure that how I am spending my time and energy is in the best interest of what I am aiming to accomplish and is a means to an end. It is not to say that everything I do has to be associated with my intentions. What I am saying is that when provided a choice, I should more often lean towards my intentions to help make those decisions.
Musings of a Former New(ish) Professional 