I started this series of posts at the end of October 2018. I had just cut back my hours from full time to 90%, and wanted to use my new free time wisely. Some of that time was to relax, but I also wanted to improve my fitness, make my home a more pleasant place to stay, and work on becoming a more well-rounded human being.
My last update was in September 2020, with a number of wins, and several misses.
So how have I done with my new goals? Read on for the latest update, covering the last 4 months of 2020.
The Goals.
I started this list thinking about what I might like to spend my time doing in retirement. I thought I would like to try out or practice some of the activities I planned to do once I was no longer working full time; partly to see if I would like doing them, and partly to work on enjoying myself now, rather than putting it all off until later.
As time wore on, I added some tasks or activities that just needed to get done. Here they are:
Exercise.
My original goal was to get 150 minutes a week of exercise, with plans to ramp up my strength training. Over time, I decided I wanted to increase my goal; at the same time, it became clear that I just can’t exercise as much during my weeks working in the hospital. Setting an unrealistic goal was a little demoralizing, so set a two-tiered goal:
- When I am working in the hospital, my goal is to get 90 minutes of exercise a week. It’s not the recommended amount, but it is definitely a stretch for me.
- When I am working in the clinic only (and have weekends off), my goal is to get 210 minutes of exercise a week, of which at least 60 should be strength training. I choose to include yoga under the strength training category. If you worked with my teacher, you would understand why.
In the 17 weeks since my last update, I did a pretty decent job hitting my goals. Of the 12 non-hospital weeks, I met my time goals in 11 of them. An injury kept me from my strength training goals in an additional week. Of my hospital weeks, I met the new goal in 3 of the 4 weeks. There was 1 hybrid week during holiday coverage, in which I had hoped to get at least 150 minutes of exercise; I worked hard to get to 90 minutes.
Overall, I would say setting the goals helped. On some of the weeks, beating my target was the main motivation to get me off the couch and walking (or doing yoga, or working out in the basement).
I think I plan to keep the same goals going forward. I would eventually like to improve my aerobic fitness, and stretch more regularly, but for now these goals work for me, and push me to do a little more than I did before.
One silver lining of the pandemic has been the freedom to work from home, and the ability to have live workout sessions via the internet. We will see if I can keep up my activity once the pandemic ends, and my presence is required more frequently in the office.
Connecting with friends and family.
The internet has also helped me be more consistent about socializing with friends. Every Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, I log on to see my friends’ smiling and maskless faces.
Because I see the same 2 groups of people, I also added a stretch goal of socializing once a month with different friends.
In September, I also added the goal of sending holiday cards on time. I was going to give myself an A+ if I got them out by December 14, but finishing by January 2 was the minimum to pass this goal.
I continued to attend my weekly online meetings, which have been wonderful. Even when I am tired of looking at my screen, or want the time to do something else, seeing my friends (sans mask!) is such an emotional lift for me. I will miss this once we can return to in-person meetings.
As for socializing in other ways, my stepson came over for the first presidential debate, and again for the election, though I hardly saw him because I had so much work to do. One of my girlfriends came over for a socially distanced outside visit on Labor Day; I am not sure she counts since she is also one of my internet “tea” friends. I do feel OK counting time with my nephew, who decided he wanted to play some more chess. We had 2 chess dates, playing on Chess.com (helped by his Dad).
As for holiday cards, the December 14 deadline came and went. I sent out a batch by December 23, and another batch before New Year’s. This was definitely not an A+ year, maybe a B-. If I hadn’t lost my list of who was in the first batch of cards (I am a bit worried I missed some people), I would have gone as high as a B+.
Going forward, I think continuing the weekly internet tea will be key. I may also include MKSAP study here, as an MD-friend and I have plans to study together via FaceTime, and I will try to aim for once a month (minimum) visits with people other than my tea-friends. I am also starting to get more hopeful (or wishful) for in-person visits, as I approach the date for my second COVID vaccine. For now, those will have to be plans “for the future” (maybe May or June?).
Local Adventures.
This goal is absolutely on hold until the pandemic is over. I do not think this will come back into rotation until SARS2-CoV is no longer a threat. When the weather is better, Mr. PiN and I may explore some different neighborhoods if disease activity is dropping. No museum visits until Mr. PiN is vaccinated, though, and I think it will be another year until street festivals are an option.
Reading.
I feel ever so much better if I read things unrelated to medicine. I decline to set a goal for overall reading (X books in Y months) to avoid spoiling my reading time. But I do want to work on reading “worthy” books. In the past I have tried to work on reading some of the classics.
My goal for this period was to finish either Little Women or Americanah, and to start on another book–either a classic or one given to me by family.
I did actually finish Little Women shortly after my September update. A few weeks later I started The Age of Innocence, which I shall count as a classic, and got about 1/3 of the way through. Then my work schedule got busy, and I started reading some old favorites, which are easier to read when I am overwhelmed at work.
This sort of goal I find pretty helpful, prompting me to work on books that are not quite as easy for me. My goal over the next few months will be to finish The Age of Innocence, and work on another book (classic or gifted). If I finish that second book I will count that as an “A” performance.
Clear the Clutter.
One benefit of staying home (more) during the pandemic has been clearing out spaces that have been stuffed full of… stuff… for years.
I have been having problems figuring out where to offload items I no longer want or need: between Goodwill being full, and not being sure about how to give things away safely to my local Buy Nothing group, I have been dealing with an ever-growing box of “donations.”
My goal for this period was to find a home for all the things I was willing to part with; or clear out my office closet; or clean up some other area of the house.
A few weeks after my September post, I went nuts and emptied my office closet. Mr. PiN scraped the peeling paint off the walls, then painted it, and after a day or two I put only what I wanted to keep in the closet. I am still thrilled every time I have to get something out of the closet, or put it away.
I have also noted that Mr. PiN spent quite a few weeks clearing out and organizing the basement, and the dining room, this fall. I choose to believe I have inspired him.
My goals for the coming months will need to be flexible. If I can finish any of these projects, I will be content; if I can manage more, I will be very, very happy:
- Clear out the linen closet.
- Clear out the guest closet downstairs (full of a spare mattress, pillows, and I-don’t-know-what).
- Clear out the bathroom cabinets.
- Clear the two large boxes of things to give away out of the house.
Creative Activities.
One of the things I feel is very important is to use some of my free time to do something more creative. In my case, to explore different activities, maybe revisit some passions from childhood. I was totally overwhelmed this fall, as I spent long hours at the hospital. I had just three goals for this period:
- Finish a photo book for either 2018 or 2019.
- Restart knitting, or possibly restart quilting (it turns out one of my friends here is an excellent quilter).
- Keep blogging.
As it turns out, I have started knitting again. I dropped a bunch of stitches early on, but fixed what I could and soldiered on. That poor baby blanket has kept me quiet and engaged through many a Zoom meeting, and also about 6 hours of some very boring CME. I mostly kept up with #3 as well.
I feel pretty good about sticking with these goals. I am pretty sure I will keep making progress on the knitting and the blogging. I would very much like to get some of those photo books done. Eventually, maybe in 2022, I may even put piano practice on this list. We will see. I think studying chess and practicing regularly may happen first.
Connecting with the community.
My goal for the fall was to attend two weekday religious services (via Zoom).
I managed this too! (It helps to have small goals).
It took me so long to get around to this, that I think keeping a similar goal is still a challenge for me. Especially since my work schedule is getting busier again. If I go to two services, I will award myself an A+; one service will get me a B.
Eventually, when the pandemic is over, I will have to think more seriously about volunteering, but I think this is enough for now.
Business goals.
I had very few financial goals for this time period: fund my backdoor Roth IRA, and, for a stretch goal, fund Mr. PiN’s.
I managed my own backdoor Roth, but am still delaying on Mr. PiN’s. I had some questions about the process for him, which I think I have answered; I just need a little time to get his input (it will be his money, after all).
My financial goal for the coming few months will be to set up Mr. PiN’s IRA(s) once and for all, and finish the backdoor Roth process for him.
I am adding another goal here, which is more related to work. I purchased MKSAP 18 at the end of the year, and realize I only have 6 months before half of the CME expires. My friend and I are planning to study together (via FaceTime), and my goal is to maximize the hours of CME I can claim from the program. I want to get my money’s worth.
TL;DR
In short, my goals are to:
- Keep exercising.
- Socialize weekly via Zoom, and try to add in some other friends occasionally.
- Finish The Age of Innocence and start (maybe finish) another “worthy” book.
- Clear out a closet or two. Or else find a way to give away the contents of my donate box.
- Keep blogging, keep knitting, and also fire up Shutterfly to make some (belated) year books.
- Attend services via Zoom. Twice.
- Get Mr. PiN’s backdoor Roth set up, finally.
- Study a lot of MKSAP.
I’ll plan to report in around April.
Do you think it is better to set shorter term goals? Or go big, like New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any big plans for the coming months?