It’s the weird the week between Christmas and New Years. The excitement of Christmas is over and work is slow with a lot of folks on vacation. I’ve heard people call it a “dead week”, but I love it. It’s a chance to stop and face the fact that the year is over. Remember all those big ideas I had? What about that weight loss goal? Nah man. 2022 came, saw, and did what years usually do – kicked my ass! But that’s ok. I’m still here. So it’s time to use the “dead week” to take a breath, reach down and pull 2022 me up off the mat, dust him off, give him a big hug and get ready to go again. So 2023, here we go!
2022 Goals: “The Good”
- Empty Nest (met) – The biggest win for the year was getting my youngest off to college: Senior year, high school graduation, college drop off and getting home to the quiet. It’s strange having none of the kids around and meloncholy feelings catch up with me a lot. But they get chased away quickly when I put my self in my kids’ shoes and think how exciting this part of their life is. It is weird though, ticking through the big milestones in life and realizing most of them are behind me.
- Start a Website (met) – uh, here it is boom! goal met. Winner! I always wanted to have a platform for my artistic work but as I started working on it I liked the idea more and more of just owning my space on the web – and breaking away from the social media vortex. I still have a lot to learn but I will continue looking around and trying to swipe ideas from smarter and cooler people than me – like my projects page (swiped from Lewis Trondheim). I think this year I may add some of my non drawing goals to my projects page to help keep my goals front and center.
- The FearMonger Comic (met) – Started working on this idea a year prior and made a goal to finish the thing this year and I (we) did it! It came out great and I beat my goal of selling 10 copies. Yay!
2022 Goals: “The Bad”
- Run a Half marathon (partially met)– I made this a goal for 2022 in the last quarter of 2021 then proceeded to strain both calves skiing in late December. So, this one got derailed early in the year. I battled back to a 10k and signed up for the Army Ten Miler in October. It wasn’t a half marathon but I was able to run and complete it in under 2 hours (barely) which was my goal pace. So I’ll call this goal partially met. I did absolutely injure my Plantar on my right foot during the last 2 weeks of training for this – which totally derailed my running (and all exercise for October, November and December.) Mentally, the injury just sort of depressed me. I was excited about finishing the race but mad that I couldn’t keep the ball rolling and worried about going all the way back to square 1. My foot is still injured but I’m determined to find other ways to get off the couch next year. (2022 totals from Strava: 173 days active, Miles completed: Running 389 Biking 334)
- Weight Loss (partially met) – In 2022 I attempted to do a 16:8 Intermittent fasting regime for the entire year and hopefully lose some weight. I’d say I was able to stick to this for half the days and nights of 2022 and the result was I’m the exact same weight I was at the beginning of the year. upside was when I stuck to the plan for a few days in a row, I lost a little weight and I was able to eat whatever the hell I wanted to basically. Do I wish I was able to be more disciplined? Sure. But, all in all it was a learning experience that I think I can build-on in 2023.
2022 Goals: “The ugly”
- Inktober (failed) – I attempted inktober and was even planning on putting together a zine/booklet to sell on my website this year, but I got into a weird mindset that all my drawings were boring and “same old, same old”. So, I tried to do some new stuff that I did not like. At the same time I got picked up my plantar injury and it put me into a big funk – creatively and motivationally, that I really struggled with. It was like my creative drive just vanished – poof!
- Finn the Furious (failed) – This is a comic project I’m drawing with my friend Nathan and I made virtually zero progress on this year. partially this was because I spent a lot of time working on commissions this year – which was something I did not plan on… but, I am determined to fix this in 2023.
- Injuries (fail)– this one annoys me the most. As Danette’s grandma used to always say, “It’s hell gettin’ old, kids!” I entered 2022 with a double calf-strain and finished it with a pretty bad plantar fascia injury. Here’s to getting healthy and taking better care of my old ass in 2023.
2023 Goals – let’s go big!
- Finn the Furious Chapter 1 (pencils and inks)- See above. if I can get this done this year I would love to parlay it into a 2024 goal: table at SPX.
- Biking 1000 miles – As long as my plantar is effed I may as well get back to cycling. I love bike riding I think this will be “my thing” this year. So, I’m setting my sights on more bike rides and maybe a run at the Blue Ridge Challenge (maybe the most badass bike ride in Northern Virginia).
- Travel: one international trip – I feel like Im the only one I know that’s never been anywhere and this year I want to change that.
- Diet: end 2023, 20 pounds lighter than I start it – Being fat isn’t helping me at all – mentally or physically – it’s really annoying actually. Now that I’m moving into my 50s (fuuuuuckkkkk meeeee) it’s time to pay a little more attention.
