It is a crisp clear sky morning on the 30th of October 2021. How are those year-long resolutions coming?
October 2021 has not felt super great. My routine most days consisted of waking up before sunrise to run, sitting down to work, and burning my extra hours watching a horror movie. Between mercury in retrograde (or seasonal affective disorder, call it what you want) and typical work woes, I’ve felt truly exhausted! However, on days like today, when it’s so nice outside and the signs of winter seem so close, I feel optimistic of what can happen in November.
Back in the present, here’s a status report of my 2021 resolutions in October 2021:
1. Redesigning the Blog.
I accomplished this goal in August, I think! Therefore, I set out to create a new “skin” for my portfolio site. I’ve created four! I feel happy to say that my next move forward is to complete the other two projects for my portfolio. After that, I’ll redesign my blog again. Hopefully, the time spent with other programming languages translates well in that endeavor!
2. Sharpen my Spanish.
This past month, I’ve been able to understand more Spanish conversations that I hear! I’m still not where I want to be, but I do feel a bit of progress here. My horror movie endeavors of the month precluded me from starting any old shows in Spanish, but November might be the perfect time!
3. Learn a New Language.
I got nothing. Well, I got nothing but embarrassment.
4. Do Blogmas.
The premise for each post exists! I also wanted to flesh out three posts this month. Check!
5. Post Consistently on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
I made it through the whole month! To clarify, I’ve only missed three dates for the entire year. Cool beans!
6. Take Care of My Hair.
My hair has actually been looking healthy and happy lately! I would say that avoiding a flat iron and sticking to a rounded blow dryer brush has helped. Using a leave-in conditioner helps, too!
7. Read the Books I Didn’t Read Last Year.
I made the smallest of dents in this list this month. I started two books, one of them on Audible! However, I had wanted to read four books this month, and that didn’t happen. As a result, I feel bummed.
8. Moisturize with Sunscreen Every Day.
Habit = achieved!
9. Drink More Water.
I don’t think I drank as much water as I have in previous months! That said, I’m burning through boxes of Fruit Punch Crystal Lite at a rapid pace, lately. That counts!
10. Play Chess Once a Week.
I believe I played two or three times this month!
11. Finally watch “The Crown,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “The Undoing,” “The Haunting of Hill House,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
I finished this list in August, I think! As a result, I started on another list! I’ve been watching Mythic Quest, and I love it! However, the rest of my time has been dedicated to horror films. I imagine I’ll progress further in November!
12. Become a Master Listener on Audible and Earn All Audible Badges.
I listened to Audible twice this month. Pathetic. I can do better. <- I can say the same for this month, too! Yikes!
13. Run a 30 Minute 5K.
My 5K is in a week! Wow! I cannot wait. My current time is about 41:30. I doubt I’ll be able to shave off eleven minutes in the next, um, week. However, another 5K takes place in April! I could pull this off by then.
14. Actually Use My Camera.
I have not used my camera at all. What is there to document? Boo.
15. Whiten My Teeth.
I don’t think I did this more than once.
16. Write More.
There has been no time for me to write, but time for me to THINK about writing. Does that make sense? At any rate, Monday marks NaNoWriMo (or, National Novel Writing Month). I might try to make this worldwide initiative work in my favor!
In October 2021, I wanted to work on these five goals:
- My portfolio site. I wanted to finish a skin and a toggle feature! I finished all the skins, but decided against a toggle feature (opting to circle back in a year or two).
- My teeth. I cannot believe how bad I’m tanking this resolution.
- Reading. I finished “Top of the Rock,” and am about a third of the way through “On Writing.” I started “My Own Words.” However, that’s as good as I can say it!
- Blogmas posts. I wanted to have three pre-written posts by the end of the month. Check!
- Learn a new language. Nothing to show here. I am ashamed.
October 2021: A Reflection and What Comes Next
Truthfully, I don’t know why this month felt so tiring! I really went into October 2021 with enthusiasm, but it petered out quickly. Certainly, my brain could use a vacation! I hope that November 2021 yields more positive results.
In November, I want to focus on these five goals:
- My reading. Seriously! “On Writing” needs to go on my “Finished” list already! What the heck? Basically, everything I’ve started should be finished. That includes “My Own Words,” “On Writing,” “Israel: A Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth,” “Code Red,” “You Play the Girl,” and “On Writing.”
- My teeth. On God, I will be happy with myself if use a whitening strip twice this month.
- My television. I spent October with “Seinfeld” as my background noise during personal work and chores. It truly gave me peace! However, I finished it all. Now, I will pivot to “Sex and the City.” I also will watch “It’s a Sin,” “Midnight Mass,” and “Schmigadoon.”
- Blogmas posts. I’d like to have a full fledged schedule for each post. To clarify, I have 25 posts for the month prepared, but they currently sit in no order. I will fix that! In addition, I will pre-write ten posts.
- Learn a new language. I have a “25 Essentials of Sign Language” video on in my Youtube playlist. It’s less than ten minutes long. I should start there.
October 2021, thanks for the memories. May you end tomorrow with cold weather and the weeniest of Halloweens. November, you better bring the fire…place. I don’t have a fireplace, but I better really wish I had one!