Ode to January
We made it! January 2023 is officially closed. As promised on the 1st, I am back to report on how I have fared with the kickoff of my 2023 goals.
To recap, my January 2023 Goals were:
Health: Spend 30 minutes each day doing some form of intentional exercise and primarily focusing on 15 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of strength or flexibility training.
History: Spend 30 minutes each day working on my personal history by typing up old journals.
Hobbies: Spend 30 minutes each day building my watercolor painting abilities AND complete the baking Masterclass by Joanne Chang.
Even though I did not publish this fact, I had a fourth 30x30 challenge in January: to read a book for 30 minutes a day. I always like to up the ante on myself.
Drumroll, please...
I had 100% completion on all 4 of my 30x30 challenge goals!
Health: I exercised a total of 960 minutes and took at least four weekly classes from FitOn (a fitness app). I am five weeks into a six-week schedule with them and enjoying their lessons.
History: I typed up and wrote 155 pages of journals for the past two years. It has been fun reflecting on 2020 and 2021. I had hoped to finish all of 2022--but as I was typing up my journals, I kept adding additional details, which meant I didn't get as far.
Hobbies: I finished four different watercolor painting courses and ran through every piece of watercolor paper I had purchased. I feel more confident with my brush strokes and am excited to continue learning from my online classes. I also completed 80% of the baking class, but I still have two more desserts to make, which I plan on tackling over the next two weeks.
Reading: I read eight books (almost a 9th...I have 50 pages left). I wasn't attempting to read this many books, but time flies if you get into an exciting book. I spent far more than 30 minutes most days on this activity.
Where do I go from here?
I plan to keep doing the same thing in February with two caveats.
First, I will continue to spend each day on my four key areas, but I am less concerned with spending precisely 30 minutes engaging in the activity. If one of my watercolor lessons is 15 minutes, that is okay. Exercise is the one area I plan to keep to a 30-minute minimum.
Second, if I have to "skip" an activity (due to travel, illness, or some other occurrence), I can only skip one day in 7 days.
Was it hard to complete the 30x30 challenge?
For total transparency, the last ten days have been a real slog. I had several days when it was past 10 pm, and I practiced painting leaves or flower petals to say I had spent 30 minutes painting. I exercised for a couple of days by marching in place and watching television. But even if I was half-assing the task, I still got it done, and I am proud of that.
What did I learn this month?
Today on the "Art of Non-Conformity" blog, Chris Guillebeau wrote, "Unlock the Power of Out-and-Back Living."
“There are two ways to plan an outdoor run: in a loop, or out-and-back. You could also call these methods by their practical names: quit early or keep going and see it through...The beauty of out-and-back running lies in its simplicity. It teaches us the importance of pre-committing to a task, and to see it through to the end—because there’s no other option!”
Near the end, Chris says, "discipline is a practice, not an attribute." That is what I'm taking away from this challenge. Too often in my life, I let myself off the hook. I didn't this time, and I like that feeling and want to continue pushing myself even when the desire isn't there.
I'll be back to give an update in February but in the meantime...
How did January go for you?
