2021 Goal Update: How Did It Go?

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that it’s now 2022.

In my first post of 2021, I mentioned I had four goals to complete in 2021, which was my Year of Jubilee. How did I do? Let’s see.

Goal 1: Publish a Book

This was the first goal I accomplished and was actually one that I began in 2020. Developing and editing this book actually helped me through some very dark times. Operation Music Man came onto the market on April 6, 2021.

Goal 2: Completing the Certified Public Manager® Program

This goal was a tough one. It’s a certification program through work that relates to leadership. On top of my regular duties, I had to attend 120 or so hours of class, complete additional online training, and complete a project. It reminded me of my graduate school days, especially the part about having to do a project. I completed everything in May and received my certificate in October.

Goal 3: Run a Half-Marathon

For me, this goal was probably the most daunting because I’d never run such a long distance. I went ahead and threw my hat over the fence to run a half-marathon in November at the Outer Banks. As the weather warmed and the days grew long, I trained on time, not by a plan. Every few runs I lengthened my time by ten minutes.

Then, on October 3, I decided to run from our house to the White Oak Church Trail Head on the American Tobacco Trail. My reasoning was that I wanted to do it before I turned 50, which was later that week. And I did it.

That was the toughest run I’d ever done, one that turned out to be much longer than I anticipated since I’d never run that distance before. Just as evening hit, I finished. It took me nearly three hours, but I finished. I was ready.

And then came that weekend when the weather took a massive turn for the worse – gale-force winds, constant rain, temps in the 50s. The day before the race, they canceled, but I’d already run my distance.

Goal 4: Take Clyde through the Canine Good Citizens

This was also a tough goal. Think of the Canine Good Citizens (CGC) program like finishing school for dogs. It’s a perfectly suitable program for breeds such as Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers but can be a challenge for more aloof breeds like Basenjis. Our class finished this weekend, but I think I’m going to hold off on the test.

Clyde’s a great dog, very smart, a whiz at obedience. But Sir Alphaness has an issue with having to announce to other dogs that he’s alpha. Until we work that out of him, which may or may not happen, I’ll be holding off on the test. However, it’s been a great bonding time for us, and I don’t regret a bit of the class time we’ve had together.

Goals are a great thing because they give us something by which to stretch ourselves. I certainly did that this past year. Now I feel like I can welcome 2022 with a few new goals. What those are remains to be seen.

3 of 4 goals hit, but it was a great year. #Authenticity #encouragement Click To Tweet

Question: What was a goal you accomplished in 2021?

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