How to Make 2019 Awesome
Looking ahead to 2019... Photo: Nick Haycock
Here's my approach to creating a fulfilling, balanced, and adventurous new year. It’s a simple process that anchors me happily in the present with a lens forward and an appreciation for the past.
No resolution talk here. Zero discussions about fitness or reading a book a month are below. (The Daily Stoic Challenge or Atomic Habits can help you with those.)
Here’s the general idea:
Map out the upcoming calendar year and fill in the big trips and bucket list goals first. The stuff for 2019’s highlights reel! Let’s call them Boulders of Awesomeness
Add a few smaller ideas - the Stones of Excellence. Still fun, just not as committing for time/money/planning.
Keep some flexible, close-to-home options for trips and day-to-day aspirations to pursue. Call these final items the Sand of Daily Happiness.
Boulders of Awesomeness, Stones of Excellence and Sands of Daily Happiness.
My favorite part about the Boulders of Awesomeness is that they anchor chunks of the year. Sometimes angst creeps in - “I haven’t done anything fun/exciting lately!” - and looking at the list helps me recenter. I can enjoy normal life without pangs of “time is running out!” hitting.
That leads to me relaxing and enjoying moments at home. I can look at my list and reminisce about recent fun and anticipate upcoming trips, experiences or projects.
Why Bother?
This technique avoids the “can’t commit to anything” thing that happens to me occasionally. Especially for people who are flexible (van life!) or self-employed, this method gives structure to the year without getting too rigid.
For example, here’s a screenshot from my 2018 list. Bolded entries happened and crossed off stuff is for later! From a Red Rocks climbing trip to Wilderness First Responder training to riding the Oregon Timber Trail to exploring Lake Tahoe, it was a heck of a fine year. I’m grateful it went so well.
The Detailed Process
It’s this easy:
Create a new document or Evernote file (my preference).
Flip through your bucket list and get stoked. These don’t need to be travel! One of mine for 2018 was “study blues guitar,” which I’ve focused on in December.
If you don’t have a formal bucket list, start one now! Think back on conversations you’ve had, Instagram posts you’ve seen, or online/magazine articles you’ve read (and maybe saved?) to jog your memory.
Since I have both a bucket list and my past year’s list, I go through each of them. What was fun/inspiring/awesome/fulfilling? I want more of that!
More road trips and cold lake dips perhaps?
From those sources, pick 3-4 focuses, trips, or other ways to focus your energy (“cook more dinners at home” or “one date night per week” or “volunteer for __”). Use a different or bigger font for these.
Put them in the document you created and add potential dates. (Don’t use spring break for cooking at home if you’re going to travel to visit grandma!)
For weather-dependent trips or activities, line it up accordingly. While planning to ride the Oregon Timber Trail this year, I considered snow levels and forest fire trends and BAM, mid-July popped out. I don’t like to focus on January, when so many resolutions start out and then sputter along for a few weeks before fading. (Forget goals; this works better!)
Don’t be afraid to aim high! As Norman Peale said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.” There's no air in space, so maybe that's bad advice, but I still like it.
A perfect sunset on the Oregon coast during a beach weekend with friends.
Stones of Excellence: Filling in the Gaps
So there are the large chunks of time to take time off work or block out a time period to dial in or acquire a new skill.
But what about weekends that slip away because you haven’t planned something out?
Same process, just with smaller projects. For example, last fall I listed a 3-day avalanche class, a trip to the Steens Mountains east of Bend, the Cascade Lakes Relay, and a trip to the coast. Listing them got me thinking about logistics and soon prompted me to sign up for the avy class and Cascade Lakes Relay.
Seeing the list frequently helps keep fun weekend escapes or learning projects front and center. I keep it as a shortcut in my Evernote file, but you could print it out and add things just as easily
I think of this list as intentions to fill in the space around the Boulders of Awesome. These can be in support of the Boulders - train for cycle touring, learn First Aid, etc.
A perfect backcountry ski day trip on Tumalo Mountain near Bend.
The Sands of Happiness: Making Daily Life Fulfilling and Rad
From there, I try to fill in remaining gaps between major trips and weekend excursions. Ya know, the 50% or more that are work days, normal blips that don’t ping loudly on Life’s Radar Screen. How do you make those special?
Intention! Write down those things that make for a quality, engaged, fun daily life. Here’s a few of mine from 2018: weekly date night with Chelsea, playing guitar, leading GarageFit workouts with friends, and a monthly game night.
These can transform into a resolution-like concept (“30 min of guitar per day"), but don’t have to. Revisiting intentions is a powerful way to reset priorities without feeling like you failed on a resolution.
Annnnd that’s it! Hope that helps turn up your Awesomeness Dial for 2019. Happy New Year, everyone!
A chilly-yet-fabulous wrap up to a trip in the N. Cascades in September.
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