Welcome to the rollover from 19 to 20
Hi!
Here's where I'm at: I’ve been ill for almost the entire month of December, coughing and sniffling my way through priorities and a low-level of festivities. Children are sick too. The wife and I agree: we’re exhausted. 2019 was a bit of a grind, especially here at the end. But it's hard not to be excited regardless: tree is up, egg nog's in the fridge, and we've got a few nights out of town planned for New Year's.
In the short term, I'm excited about some time off with the family, and in the big picture: I'm looking forward to hauling my tired, sniffling ass through the holidays and into the new year. Because 2020 Is gonna be a doozy!
All the hard work and struggles of 2019 are laying the groundwork for a great 2020. more on that below.
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Here's 2019 in review, briefly
Great things
Having a baby
Neve rules. She's so fun and funny and different from her older sister. A watcher and observer, a dedicated wonderer and overall general joy. Except at night. She’s not a very good sleeper. But during the day: a giggly delight.
Charisma
This autumn I delivered a brand new Guardian Masterclass, on interpersonal relationships (built on a foundation of self-knowledge). It went really well, and I feel really positive about it.
Swimming
Even though I’m sick, I did a personal swimming lesson the other day. May have been a mistake healthwise, but on the other hand, I feel like I really was able to chart my progress from the very beginning of my swimming journey. It helped that the coach was the woman who gave me my first training. At the end of the training, she told me “ I’m proud of you.” Learning to swim feels good.
Videos
Took two video-making workshops this year. And while I wasn't especially prolific, I was able to up my skill as a videomaker. Let's say I'm not leading with 'videography' on my CV, but I'm pretty content with the slow and steady progress I've made. You can check out (and subscribe) to my YouTube channel to follow along.
Financial literacy
Last year at this time I was hit with a big tax bill. It was stressful and problematic. This year I'm in a more robust financial situation and it feels honestly amazing. Over this year, and into next, I'm exploring what financial literacy (and more broadly speaking, general numeracy) can do for me. I'm not quite joining the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) brigade, but I am thinking about how I can be responsible and plan ahead. And yes, this certainly does feel like part of the mid-life transition I mentioned above.
Less great things
Performance
Last year I performed hardly not at all. In fact, I didn't do a single improv show that I can recall. For the first time in my adult life. Part of that is due to a mid-life transition, which I'm accepting, and even embracing with more enthusiasm than you think I am. Another part is the more short-term item which is having a baby in February. This year I learned that having two kids is a lot of work. Consequently, everything else slips down the priority list.
Writing
I made a small amount of progress on my next book, and the few others that are waiting in behind, but not nearly as much as I would've liked. Most of my writing has been work-related or just barely getting through what I wanted. Like trying to write every morning.
Summary
Basically, 2019 had a few big positives, in terms of family and personal growth and maturation. What suffered, largely as a result of work and family, is creativity and doing my best work. To be honest, it’s a fair trade-off, and I’m happy with it. Or at least I've accepted it.
But for 2020 I seek to put it a little more back in balance. I have some modest goals for how to do that. And am already working on them.
But for now: it’s time for me to enjoy some holidays, and I hope it’s the same for you.
Onward to next year!
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