New Years Goals / "Resolutions" for 2022

~ New Years Goals / "Resolutions" for 2022 ~ 

I've learned that resolutions are a bit fraught. You're probably better off coming up with a few goals. You're probably even better off coming up with a list of goals you intend to actually succeed at completing along with some reach goals. This way, you don't feel like a total failure. Serious.

Here are a few of my goals from previous years:

• Submit to at least one journal every month

• Read more books (too vague, not useful) 

• Read one small press poetry collection every month

  • This was more effective 

• Increase weights I use by 10 pounds by the end of the year (not successful) 

  • Turned out lifting heavier weights was mostly resulting in more days sore instead of feeling healthy, flexible, and less likely to injure myself in some embarrassing way    

• Eat healthier 

  • For me personally it's more about portion control + not eating too late at night + not keeping too many bags of snacks around because in certain moods I'll decide it's a brilliant idea to open all of them and devour 1/3 of every bag

• Travel more 

  • This is not the best 2022 goal 

  • Let me add that personally I believe there's plenty to see in the U.S. 

    • Check out states with the least tourism & maybe consider throwing them a bone & seeing places not everyone else sees 

• Limit phone use / screen time

  • This is a great idea ... let me know if you find a way to actually make this happen

Here are some goals I'm considering for 2022:

*Note: I typically try to keep (or adjust) the goals / resolutions from previous years & add the new goals. 

• Find a way to double ONE ART readership

• Publish two chapbooks that I've been working on for several years

• Learn how to make decent veggie sushi 

  • I'm doubtful I'll succeed at this one tbh

• Sell 1 piece of visual art

  • I've never sold any of my photography so, I suspect, it would feel kinda good to know someone else was regularly appreciating the effort  

• Write copy for a major company 

  • I know you've seen a billboard & thought "I could have worded it better" 

• Make more time to listen to podcasts / audiobooks

  • This was a non-issue in the past (happened naturally during my commute and winding down process many evenings) 

  • The pandemic has changed a lot of behaviors for [sometimes] unclear reasons 

• Interview someone I admire

• Conversational interview 

• Write one book review

• Test drive a fun car 

  • I hear BMW's M3 is fun to drive ... YOLO

• More acts of kindness

• Spend more days wearing only comfortable clothes