Thanks again to Matthew Dicks (who I’ve never met) for the inspiration to do this.
Health
1. Lose 15 pounds
That supposedly will get me to a healthy BMI. That will also get me back to a time when I lived in New Orleans and looked in the mirror and was shocked by what I saw, but I’ve gained muscle since then.
2. Do cardio 3x per week
While I’ve been able to keep weightlifting up, it’s been difficult with the injuries I’ve had to get back into a cardio routine. I want to be able to work a punching bag and jump rope for even just 10 minutes at a time to feel like my blood is moving around. The goal is to be able to do another soccer game or two per week by spring, by which time hopefully I’ll be able to start biking again too.
3. Cycle or walk within a certain radius
This one is brutal when it’s as cold as it is, and when my schedule is tight. The library, coffee shop NE, grocery, gym, bar, etc, most of these are up to 30 minutes walk or 10 minute bike ride. I think what I will have to do is just warm up to it – get used to walking or running around the block, get used to biking in brutal cold even just for a few minutes to get my lungs used to the cold.
4. Stop drinking for weeks/months at a time
As much as I enjoy drinks in social settings, I understand that I’m setting a tone for the kids by my behavior and for my health, so I’d like to just be certain I can control my drinking at all times – control how many drinks in a day, a week, etc.
Music
5. Write an album of Soul Trouvère songs
I’m not sure what an album even is these days, but I’m working on original songs again instead of just mining the folk traditions of the world, as much as I love those.
6. Write an album of Zydepunks songs
Why not? I still like what we did, even though we haven’t released anything in an ungodly amount of time. The key is to write a lot more music than I have been doing. Which leads to:
7. Write a song a week
Ideally, I’d actually be doing this every day to get back into a good habit with it.
8. Add new members to Soul Trouvère
We’ve been talking about adding a rhythm section.
9. Record audio
10. Record video
11. Memorize all Soul Trouvère song lyrics
12. Learn to play a new instrument
13. Practice the fiddle regularly
14. Listen to 1 full album a month
This one gets surprisingly hard for me. Usually I read books on my downtime, so I have to just make the effort to shift my attention to this.
Writing
15. Write letters
As I get older I feel like reaching out to people in gratitude for what they have done for me, both people I know and those I have never met.
16. Write your Family History
Write down the stories remembered from both of my families. Sadly my aunt Marianne passed away last year, and she was the last of my older German relatives that I knew, and I really have nothing left of her but my memory of her, and my kids have zero memory of meeting her because they were too young, so I’d like to write more down of our family history from both sides while there is still time.
17. Blog
Right now I’m only doing this self helpy blog, but I’d like to start putting more of my writing out there as I’m in the habit of writing every day now.
Arts
18. Learn Romanian
This is a continuation from last year. By the end of 2025 I’d like to be able to hold a conversation with someone and write my own songs in the language.
19. Do the Artist Way course
I started Julia Cameron’s Artist Way course recently and I’m really digging it. It probably is more suited to people who are really blocked artistically, but I think it’s a good challenge and provides a path for opening yourself up to your creativity.
20. Read 30 books
21. Read 1 book in a language language you don’t speak well
Last year that was Istorie geneticță a românilor by Mihai Netea, which I’m almost done with.
22. Read 1 book in a language that isn’t English
That would mean in languages I already know – Romanian definitely did not count for last year. In 2024 I read a book in German about the pirate Störtebeker and started on Sor Juana’s poetry but that last one was a step too far in terms of vocabulary for me.
Family & Friends
23. Have more social time
Have friends come over at least once a month.
24. Teach the kids German
25. Teach the kids how to handle digital lives
Tech
26. Stop letting work stress you out
The simple fact that I’m writing about my work on the weekend is causing me stress. This isn’t a healthy state to live in.
27. Rebuild and relaunch our custom built CRM/Business Management tool in Laravel
28. Launch our Minnesota music calendar site
