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Annual look back and look forward
Dec. 31st, 2023 02:51 pm2023 To-Do List
HEALTH: Re-committing to getting healthy with the new year. I am not going to itemize things here. I just need to get healthier.
• not so much. I actually gained more weight this year. But I have started towards getting better by making appointments with a hematologist (per my PCP’s orders) as numbers were getting weird. I was supposed to see a neurologist and a gastroenterologist this year but due to a change I will mention later, I had to reschedule and both have been moved to mid/late January
Hobbies and Activities (not exercise or SCA related): I am still hoping to break my tendency to sit in my chair in front of the TV playing stupid games on my phone. Therefore, my goal is to do more of the following:
1. Reading: I have several reading challenges again picked out for 2023. Would like to tackle more of the physical books I already own.
• I completed two reading challenges and almost completed several others. In total I read and/or listened to 96 books in 2023 – a record for me
2. Photos: I have had fun the last couple years doing different “photo a day” challenges so I intend to keep that up.
• I kinda let this fall by the wayside during/after Pennsic. It became a chore rather than something fun.
3. Creativity: I have found that I feel better when I am being creative. My mental health suffers if I go to long, so I am going to try to make sure to do something creative at least every couple of days.
• I started strong by doing a crochet book-log blanket (format, length and genre reflected in the stitch, color and rows), but that too became more of a chore than creative outlet around August – mostly because I didn’t expect to read as many books as I did. The only real creative thing I did that was not SCA related was participate in an Advent ornament exchange where I made 24 ornaments. Oh ,I did to a paint project with my sister over Christmas but those two things are about it.
SCA:
1. Tackle the backlog scroll list.
• Yeah, that didn’t happen. In fact I added to it
2. Work on my research projects. I have all the info for a paper that just needs to be written and the material to make another project based on images in manuscripts.
• Again, didn’t happen. Didn’t even crack a book open or start an outline.
3. Scroll Cases – I have too much cardboard in my garage that needs to be converted into cases
• Hahahahahaha. I have more cardboard in my garage. Maybe next year.
4. Do what I can to help my students achieve their SCA goals and dreams.
• I think I managed to do this somewhat. – did it for two of the three active Minions. I encouraged Minionus Minimus to explore helping out at Pennsic and she jumped in feet first into helping at the watch. She also asked for my support (which I happily gave) to submit herself for the Pennsic Internship Program to learn how the war operates. I have paired with a Duchess in Atlantia to help Minionus Claustrarium get seen more in his home Kingdom, and encouraging him to attend and help out at more events besides Pennsic and War Practice.
House: I am finding that my mental health is being affected by my surroundings. So my goal is to start working on decluttering, cleaning and sprucing up my surroundings
• I wish I had been able to do something. But I kept finding myself fighting strong executive disfunction everytime I thought about starting on some aspect of decluttering/cleaning/sprucing up my house and environment.
Ashley Boxes: They make me and others happy.
• I ended up doing 4. I have only heard from one of the recipients that they greatly enjoyed having something to open each day.
Social time: As much as current conditions allow; I’d like to keep up the attempt to be social. Maybe change one of the Family Zoom dinners each month to a host folks over for games, chatting, movies
• Somewhat. Hosted a couple chosen family game days.
New Employment: The continued emotional stress is getting to me. By the end of 2023 I MUST find new employment. I am going to be a lot more proactive about getting out. I believe that this will be a big help with me mental well-being.
• ACHIEVED!!!!!! I buckled down early 2023 and started applying everywhere that seemed even remotely in line for what I wanted/needed. Mid-may I started an interview process that took 3 months to complete and received an offer end of July. I gave notice the day I got back from Pennsic and the following week I started at a not-for-profit organization that has welcomed me with open arms, more money, more PTO, better health benefits and an awesome boss who lets me know how much she appreciates me and treats me like a partner in many aspects of her job. This is the one goal of 2023 that was an absolute success.
2024 To-Do List
My phrase for 2024 is “Recommit with kindness”. Now that I have reclaimed (my 2023 word) the part of my life that I needed in order to take care of myself better – got away from the toxic job that was killing me – literally (my hematologist said that the stress hormones in my blood were through the roof), I can now, hopefully, focus on the other things I need to do to better take care of myself. But I am not going to listen to the Brain Weasels if something sets me back or I fail. I will be kind to myself.
HEALTH: Re-committing to getting healthy with the new year. Eat healthier, exercise more, drink more water, hopefully lose weight.
Hobbies and Activities (not exercise or SCA related): I am still hoping to break my tendency to sit in my chair in front of the TV playing stupid games on my phone. Therefore, my goal is to do more of the following:
1. Reading: I really like doing reading challenges and have picked many for 2024 to do. I am upping my goal to 80 books this year (it’s been 75 in the past) as for the last several years I have gone past 75. Though it would be nice to hit 100 sometime.
2. Photos:Going to try again. But ONLY if it makes me happy.
3. Creativity: I am recommitting to do something creative every month. I am running an advent ornament exchange this year and I have plans for my contribution. But I want to do something creative at least once a month – painting, embroidery, crochet, something.
SCA:
1. Attend some more events. I miss people, but finances and political things may prevent this from happing. We shall see how 2024 goes.
2. Tackle the backlog scroll list.
3. Scroll Cases – I have too much cardboard in my garage that needs to be converted into cases
4. Do what I can to help my students achieve their SCA goals and dreams.
House: There are things I want to do to reclaim my space – declutter, paint some of the rooms, recover chairs for the kitchen and dining room, etc. I do think it will help my mental space to get my physical space in order.
Ashley Boxes: They make me and others happy. I have already started getting items.
Social time: I would like to either change one of the monthly family Zoom gatherings to in-person dining out OR add a monthly family food night to the calendar. I’m also thinking at least once a quarter hosing physical game day at the Doma. Others enjoy it too. Hosting people to the Doma also helps me keep it cleaner and less cluttered.
HEALTH: Re-committing to getting healthy with the new year. I am not going to itemize things here. I just need to get healthier.
• not so much. I actually gained more weight this year. But I have started towards getting better by making appointments with a hematologist (per my PCP’s orders) as numbers were getting weird. I was supposed to see a neurologist and a gastroenterologist this year but due to a change I will mention later, I had to reschedule and both have been moved to mid/late January
Hobbies and Activities (not exercise or SCA related): I am still hoping to break my tendency to sit in my chair in front of the TV playing stupid games on my phone. Therefore, my goal is to do more of the following:
1. Reading: I have several reading challenges again picked out for 2023. Would like to tackle more of the physical books I already own.
• I completed two reading challenges and almost completed several others. In total I read and/or listened to 96 books in 2023 – a record for me
2. Photos: I have had fun the last couple years doing different “photo a day” challenges so I intend to keep that up.
• I kinda let this fall by the wayside during/after Pennsic. It became a chore rather than something fun.
3. Creativity: I have found that I feel better when I am being creative. My mental health suffers if I go to long, so I am going to try to make sure to do something creative at least every couple of days.
• I started strong by doing a crochet book-log blanket (format, length and genre reflected in the stitch, color and rows), but that too became more of a chore than creative outlet around August – mostly because I didn’t expect to read as many books as I did. The only real creative thing I did that was not SCA related was participate in an Advent ornament exchange where I made 24 ornaments. Oh ,I did to a paint project with my sister over Christmas but those two things are about it.
SCA:
1. Tackle the backlog scroll list.
• Yeah, that didn’t happen. In fact I added to it
2. Work on my research projects. I have all the info for a paper that just needs to be written and the material to make another project based on images in manuscripts.
• Again, didn’t happen. Didn’t even crack a book open or start an outline.
3. Scroll Cases – I have too much cardboard in my garage that needs to be converted into cases
• Hahahahahaha. I have more cardboard in my garage. Maybe next year.
4. Do what I can to help my students achieve their SCA goals and dreams.
• I think I managed to do this somewhat. – did it for two of the three active Minions. I encouraged Minionus Minimus to explore helping out at Pennsic and she jumped in feet first into helping at the watch. She also asked for my support (which I happily gave) to submit herself for the Pennsic Internship Program to learn how the war operates. I have paired with a Duchess in Atlantia to help Minionus Claustrarium get seen more in his home Kingdom, and encouraging him to attend and help out at more events besides Pennsic and War Practice.
House: I am finding that my mental health is being affected by my surroundings. So my goal is to start working on decluttering, cleaning and sprucing up my surroundings
• I wish I had been able to do something. But I kept finding myself fighting strong executive disfunction everytime I thought about starting on some aspect of decluttering/cleaning/sprucing up my house and environment.
Ashley Boxes: They make me and others happy.
• I ended up doing 4. I have only heard from one of the recipients that they greatly enjoyed having something to open each day.
Social time: As much as current conditions allow; I’d like to keep up the attempt to be social. Maybe change one of the Family Zoom dinners each month to a host folks over for games, chatting, movies
• Somewhat. Hosted a couple chosen family game days.
New Employment: The continued emotional stress is getting to me. By the end of 2023 I MUST find new employment. I am going to be a lot more proactive about getting out. I believe that this will be a big help with me mental well-being.
• ACHIEVED!!!!!! I buckled down early 2023 and started applying everywhere that seemed even remotely in line for what I wanted/needed. Mid-may I started an interview process that took 3 months to complete and received an offer end of July. I gave notice the day I got back from Pennsic and the following week I started at a not-for-profit organization that has welcomed me with open arms, more money, more PTO, better health benefits and an awesome boss who lets me know how much she appreciates me and treats me like a partner in many aspects of her job. This is the one goal of 2023 that was an absolute success.
2024 To-Do List
My phrase for 2024 is “Recommit with kindness”. Now that I have reclaimed (my 2023 word) the part of my life that I needed in order to take care of myself better – got away from the toxic job that was killing me – literally (my hematologist said that the stress hormones in my blood were through the roof), I can now, hopefully, focus on the other things I need to do to better take care of myself. But I am not going to listen to the Brain Weasels if something sets me back or I fail. I will be kind to myself.
HEALTH: Re-committing to getting healthy with the new year. Eat healthier, exercise more, drink more water, hopefully lose weight.
Hobbies and Activities (not exercise or SCA related): I am still hoping to break my tendency to sit in my chair in front of the TV playing stupid games on my phone. Therefore, my goal is to do more of the following:
1. Reading: I really like doing reading challenges and have picked many for 2024 to do. I am upping my goal to 80 books this year (it’s been 75 in the past) as for the last several years I have gone past 75. Though it would be nice to hit 100 sometime.
2. Photos:Going to try again. But ONLY if it makes me happy.
3. Creativity: I am recommitting to do something creative every month. I am running an advent ornament exchange this year and I have plans for my contribution. But I want to do something creative at least once a month – painting, embroidery, crochet, something.
SCA:
1. Attend some more events. I miss people, but finances and political things may prevent this from happing. We shall see how 2024 goes.
2. Tackle the backlog scroll list.
3. Scroll Cases – I have too much cardboard in my garage that needs to be converted into cases
4. Do what I can to help my students achieve their SCA goals and dreams.
House: There are things I want to do to reclaim my space – declutter, paint some of the rooms, recover chairs for the kitchen and dining room, etc. I do think it will help my mental space to get my physical space in order.
Ashley Boxes: They make me and others happy. I have already started getting items.
Social time: I would like to either change one of the monthly family Zoom gatherings to in-person dining out OR add a monthly family food night to the calendar. I’m also thinking at least once a quarter hosing physical game day at the Doma. Others enjoy it too. Hosting people to the Doma also helps me keep it cleaner and less cluttered.
