8 Things I Did or Did Not Do in 2013

Posted: December 31st, 2013 | Author: Ryan | Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Last January I published a list of projects I had set for myself in 2013.  Things were looking strong in February where I updated that list…

…and then I sorta fell of the planet.

Well, actually I began a house hunt (sans HGTV, weirdly), moved, started school, and made other, adult-sounding excuses.

So it’s probably time that I just face the music and see how my achievements stack up against my ambitions.  Here are the eight things I either did or did not do in 2013.

1.) Blog every day I’m not gaming twice a week for 5 weeks straight.

Even though I stopped gaming with any real purpose in November of last year, I did not end up spending that time to write more, or to further my understanding in my profession.  I did use it to spend more time with my family (Anie & Dewey), though I could probably balance those two items out a bit.

2.) Either launch or put to bed the local dining blog I’ve been talking about for the last few years.

Funny you should mention this… I had thought this was put to bed, but we are firmly back in the will-they/won’t-they phase.

3.) Travel to at least three different places before next New Year.

This year I traveled to: Flagstaff (Wintery), New York (Celebratory), Boston (Work), Toledo (Tragic), Anaheim (Blizzcon!). While I enjoyed my travels, none of these were places I hadn’t been before, so I’m not entirely sure if these count.

On the list for 2014 so far: Portland (required pilgrimage/getaway for Phoenicians), Seattle(2x), LA, Austin, and maybe Spain.

4.) Build a sense of mind-share by leaving a comment on at least one of the blogs I read each day.

As I mentioned in my post about blog abandonment, I say some measurable results from this goal.  I failed to keep up with it as the year went along, but certainly have not been shy about leaving my thoughts on a piece, and have been thrilled by some of the responses I have received from people I respect.

5.) Finish the books I started in 2011 or 2012.  This leaves Game of Thrones, Content Marketing for the Web, Boneshaker, and a few other SEO books I’ve forgetten the titles of.

I finished Game of Thrones!

…and then promptly started Clash of Kings.

Actually, I nearly cleared my “currently reading” list at one point, but couldn’t bear to pick Omnivore’s Dilemma back up.

6.) Write at least one guest blog each month.

This was a total fail on my part.  I did pitch a few ideas and received interest from blog owners who’d let me guest post for their audience, but I was not consistent.

7.) Apply for school so I can finish my degree.

Put a big check-mark next to this one. Just before the deadline last Spring I applied for the WP Carey School of Business at ASU, and started pursuing my BA in Marketing in August.  I’ve got quite a ways to go (turns out 2.5 years into an art degree don’t translate very well over to business majors), but I’m thrilled to be back and truly enjoy both the environment and the learning process.  It’s fun to be challenged again.

Of course, I could blame this change on why so many others were pushed aside, but the truth is that I expect more from myself and want to learn how to accomplish additional projects while still excelling at school.

8.) Devise and complete at least 3 30-day challenges this year.

One of out three ain’t bad?

No, 33.33% of anything is still an F, so this is another one I failed on. I accomplished only part of the 30-day challenge I started last winter, and did not begin any others.

Admitting it is the first step, and I think it’s pretty clear from here that I’ve slacked off in some areas and not hit the goals I’d like to.

Maybe eight things was too many to really focus on? (“Eight is a lot of legs, David.”)

Maybe I should have formally re-assessed in the Spring when I knew school was going to be a whirlwind?

Either way, it’s important to learn from our mistakes and improve.  Onwards and upwards.

 

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• Goals 2014 (thechlorineatomgirl.wordpress.com)

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