Goals 2023: Recapping my successes

My overarching goal for 2023 was “simply me”. The objective was to focus on my needs and to prioritise them a bit (something I have always struggled with). When I set the goal at the start of the year, I had a strong idea of how it would manifest itself. But I was wrong.

However, I have managed to make some strong progress towards the goal. And I think that I will carry many of the lessons learned forward into 2024 making the goal an ultimate success because it was all about being a better me.

When I set out to be “simply me”, I had a simple plan that involved my long-term housing situation. But in the first few months of 2023, that changed. The biggest change from that I realised I can no longer allow myself to suffer at the whims of my landlord, who has always been a challenging person (although sometimes kind, in his way). So, the decision was made to find a new home where I can live in peace with a sense of place and belonging. That means that instead of meeting my goal by making changes where I am now, I spent nine months of the year planning for the next year.

The change – or the decision to make changes – means that I didn’t quite do all the things that I thought I would do to meet this goal. However, I did a lot of other things to meet the goal from a different perspective. Although The Big Thing required me to complete a list of other Big Things which means that I haven’t quite made it across the “Home of My Own” finish line. (But I’m set to make things happen in 2024.)

However, my overarching goals are designed to be inspirational more than anything else and I think that I managed that with this one. Whilst I didn’t get the self-care “vanity” appointments scheduled that I’d hoped for, I did put my own needs first in other ways. So, instead of appointments for manicures and facials, I made appointments with financial advisors and mortgage brokers. And I made lists. Lots of lists of the things I need to do in the coming weeks and months to ensure that my 2024 goals are successful.

In addition to my overarching goal of Simply Me, I set myself a series of measurable goals for 2023. And whilst I didn’t have 100% success on all my goals, I met or exceeded many of them and made significant progress towards others. And some were discarded or put on hold along the way because life got in the way. (And that is OK.)

The measurable goals that were best met include my running (785) and walking (523) miles, steps (5 million+), and geocaches (61). I wasn’t as successful at my crafting, cooking, or travel goals – although I did make some substantial process towards all of them. But the “little things” I spoke about earlier were too numerous for me to find the time and energy (and peace of mind) to focus on many of my more creative goals.

But I believe that goals should be flexible and that it’s perfectly OK to change them when your circumstances change. So, I am counting this as a successful year since I have ended it 365 further along in life than where I began. And that’s the point of it all: Moving forward, hopefully with a bit of self-improvement along the way but at the very least, with experiences and memories.

For a full review of my 2023 goals, just click here.

Also, stay tuned throughout 2024 for updates on my search for a new home (and anything else I might get up to).