Here's five resolutions I'm setting myself for 2023. At the end of this year I plan to revisit this list and see whether my resolutions were upheld.
To maximise my chances of success I've tried to make each goal as actionable as possible, as having something concrete to aim for should make them easier to complete.
1. Read more books than 2022 📚
Last year was a pretty successful year in terms of reading for me, but in 2023 I intend to read more. Measuring total books is a soft metric as not all books are made equally, but this seems easily achievable regardless of what books I choose.
Specifically, I'd like to replace my habit of aimlessly browsing social media on my phone with focused reading instead. As all the time I've wasted this year scrolling Twitter / Reddit / Instagram could probably have been better spent productively.
2. Run a(nother) half marathon 🏃
Back in March I ran my first ever half marathon (see photo). I trained pretty hard to get to this point and it remains the furthest I've ran in my life. Getting to this level of fitness was pretty difficult, but incredibly satisfying, having positive effects on both my mental and physical health.
Recently I've slumped a bit (blame the winter weather) and haven't been running as frequently. Consequently, next year I'm not focused on beating my previous time or increasing the distance (although that would be a bonus). The purpose of this goal is mainly to get me back into the habit of regular running and a return to my previous fitness level.
3. Improve my Portuguese 🇧🇷
In 2022 I spent three months living in Brazil, giving me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the language. During which I think my Portuguese really improved.
By the time I left I was able to understand most basic conversation and following events on the news. However I still quickly struggle with regular conversations as soon as it moves past the basics.
So next year I'd like to get better by putting myself into situations where I'm forced to practice. Especially trying my best not to immediately revert to English at the first signs of struggles when communicating with bilingual foreign speakers.
4. Write (at least) one blog post a month 📝
This feels like a recurring theme each year. Each year I strive to write more, but always seem to lack the confidence or motivation. Consequently I've neglected dedicating much time to writing/blogging in the past.
Next year I'd like to buck this trend and post more frequently. I already have a backlog of ideas/topics to write about, I just need to commit to writing them up.
Where appropriate I'll try and cross these articles to link aggregator sites like Reddit/Lobsters/Hacker News in the hopes that a few people find the content useful/engaging. But virality, popularity or developing any sort of following is not my goal.
5. Record (at least) one full cover song 🎸
I've been playing guitar for a few years (~4) now, and during the pandemic I started to semi regularly post small clips of myself playing guitar on Instagram.
Despite this, I've never had the perseverance to learn, practice and subsequently record a full cover. In 2023 I'd like to change this.
I'm confident enough to play through quite a few songs completely, I just need to work up the confidence to bust out a camera and film it.