~ 2023 Wrapped ~

goals & resolutions

Mark Danowsky

Jan 03, 2024

A few thoughts & reflections on 2023 + looking ahead to 2024 —

Inevitably, we must begin with a look back at 2022. Expectations & misses. All in all, what was the deal?

Here’s 2022 Wrapped

Here’s Goals for 2023

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Some of my 2021 ideas seem far away…

Pain

A major goal for 2023 was to end the year in less pain… Sadly, 2023 was a more difficult year than anticipated on this front. I’m going to hit the reset button and aim to end 2024 in less pain.

New Recipes

I don’t know if I learned new recipes…precisely… but I’m fairly confident that I improved on variations of many go-to meals.

More Vegan Meals

We are eating more vegan meals in this household.

We’ve also cut down on salt intake.

I’ve made quite a few dietary changes in fact.

Lots of positive lifestyle choices.

Drink More Tea

Successfully drinking more tea. This shall continue.

Emphasis on green and white teas.

A good gift this year was an electric kettle that heats to the proper temperature for different teas.

Reduce Screen Time

The effort to reduce screen time is an uphill battle.

I lose the battle most days… but this war is never-ending.

More Time Listening to Podcasts/Audiobooks

I’m still struggling to find time to listen to podcasts/audiobooks.

This is getting harder and harder it seems.

Partly, this indicates that I’ve been spending far less time in the car.

We are, indeed, all insecure about not reading enough or listening enough to what we feel is important. As addressed here:

‘People Aren't Lying About Reading. You're Just Insecure.’ (Book Riot: The Deep Dive)

ONE ART: a journal of poetry

There has been a steady increase in ONE ART readership.

ONE ART has received some accolades that I feel rather good about.

I’m honored to continue to be of service to the poetry community.

I aim to make 2024 another stellar year for the ONE ART community!

OMM: On My Mind & In Our Time (Substack)

I’m pleased to say that I’ve enjoyed my year writing on Substack.

I look forward to providing more thoughtful and useful content in the coming year.

The OMM adventure continues—

Personal Writing

Given the time spent working on ONE ART & Substack, it’s not terribly surprising that my poetry writing has taken a backseat. This has been a strange feeling. 2023 is, without question, the year I’ve written the least poetry in memory.

I’m somewhat ok with this.

I’m still writing.

Most likely, I expect my personal poetry writing will continue to take a backseat. (This was already the case in 2022… it’s just continuing on the same downward trajectory.)

I do have a few projects in the works.

I do plan to continue to send out poems, on occasion… though notably less than I have for the past 15 years.

This is an intentional choice.

We’ll see if it actually plays out this way.

I’m hoping to apply for [long shot] grants that may allow me the time/headspace/bandwidth to work on my own poetry (&/or essays / CNF).
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Your Goals & Resolutions for 2024

What are your Goals & Resolutions for 2024?

How are these informed by your past attempts at forming new Resolutions &/or Goals?

What are your ideas for giving yourself a better chance at success?

Please share your thoughts.

BONUS:

A list of resolutions I stumbled upon that I typed out on my phone from October 7, 2022:

~ resolutions ~

· try to be more conscientious

· avoid redirecting the weight of my personal issues onto others

· remember to tell people that matter to me that they matter to me

· be a better friend

· strive to offer measured, thoughtful responses in situations that feel challenging, emotionally threatening, or otherwise triggering

· continue to improve my ability to hold the weight of grief/loss/trauma

· find more ways to give

· find more ways to celebrate poet/artist achievements

· create more avenues to enrich the lives of members of the literary & arts communities

· develop my personal skillsets to help better contribute to the literary community

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