A year in review – 2021
It has been another bad year for anyone hoping to tick off the challenges on their Bucket List, hasn’t it?
There has been no chance to complete travel tasks.
I couldn’t get on to the course that I wanted to do.
Don’t even ask about my fitness goals!
That being said, the annual review is a bit of a Pollys Pad tradition. So let’s have a look at what I actually managed to do this year.
The plan had been…
As always, I had selected a number of tasks from the Kettle list to complete in 2021. These had namely been: #5 Learn an instrument, #7 Finish my Masters, #8 Get flexible, #41 Declutter the house and #Finish writing my book.
While I made a small dent in this selection I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped. I did, however, have a few victories this year.
So let’s focus on them in this post and end the year on a high note!
#10 Run
Did I start running in 2021? – No
Do I intend to start running in 2022? – No
This very vague task was added to the Kettle list on December 29th 2016. Five years ago.
But as we all know, you must walk before you can run.
So that is what I have been doing… a lot. As previously mentioned in other posts, this year I have been completing challenges with ‘The Conqueror’, and I am now the proud owner of 3 medals.
My first was a virtual hike up Mount Fuji, my second was a 26-mile trek from Marathon to Athens and I ended the year with a leisurely 35-mile jaunt along the Amalfi coast.
I’ve also signed up for a few new challenges to see me through 2022, including a cross channel swim. My intention is to use my weekly lengths towards that one.
How does this link to running? It’s all part of the training. I am planning on press-ganging a friend into joining me in completing the 5km Tough Mudder.
There are 7 months of training ahead, but I want to get this one ticked off this year. And if I accidentally tick off ‘lose a stone’ while doing it, then all the better.
#4 Learn Japanese
I had been hoping to sit my N5 JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) in December, but the exams had all been cancelled. However, I have been studying in earnest and feel I have certainly made improvements. Mainly in my reading and comprehension rather than my speaking and listening.
The first 6 months of this year will be about revising and retaining all of my current knowledge, as well as learning more grammar and vocabulary. I am pleased with my progress so far, but I plan to keep learning until I can have full conversations.
#32 Get a piece published v #42 Finish my novel
These are 2 different tasks, although added to my Kettle List 3 years apart. Initially, I had hoped to finish writing one of my non-fiction books this year. I have a number of ‘Works in Progress’, and it is time to commit and pick one of them to complete.
One task I did manage though, was to publish my book ‘Patient Potential’ in April – I’ve even sold a few copies!
As task #32 is to technically publish something, I am claiming it is completed. I can now direct all my writing efforts towards my book ‘Joy in small places’. Hoping to have that one finished by September (Ready for that sweet, sweet, Christmas market!)
#7 Complete my Masters degree
I had been fully intending to take advantage of a grant I had been offered to return to my studies in October. However, the university did not get back to me despite my chasing – just lots of automated emails about how busy they were and that they would get back to me – so that never happened.
The grant expired, and I started a new full-time job, so the Master’s degree is now on hold.
However, I will be getting my ‘study fix’ as in a fit of madness I was seduced by an amazing Black Friday discount and I bought a TEFL extension. This needs to be completed by the end of January, so I will be timetabling some sessions to get the coursework done.
#41 Be happy with my home
Thanks to a major cash injection from my redundancy payment we were able to have a major clear out of the house – a 5 skips full clear out. Once the Christmas debris is tidied away the living room should be pretty empty.
I had looked into getting the bathroom done this year, but it will involve some major work – moving a toilet – and the plumber I got a quote from couldn’t give an exact figure – they’ll know when they rip it all out..umm? No thanks. I want to know what I am paying!
We have therefore made a list of ‘jobs’ that we can do for free – wallpaper stripping, shelf removing etc, and we’re going to get at least one room done in 2022. It will be coming out of my Japan budget – as I don’t think I will be visiting anytime soon.
So by the time I write the 2022 review next December, I should have a few photos of my shiny new room – whichever one works out cheapest to do!
#34 Plant a tree
One of 2021’s success stories! I bought a cherry tree, I planted it in a pot, and it is living its best life in the garden. In fact, I wrote a whole post on trees, and I am giving a speech on how ‘Tree-mendous’ they are in January at Toastmasters.
Now to keep it alive – I am so looking forward to spring when she blossoms again.
#6 Dance Lessons
This is another one of those random tasks that I added in 2016, without really thinking about what kind of dance I wanted to do, or how I would measure the task.
My Mum and I decided we would sign up for Salsa lessons in 2020, so it seemed I was set to tick off this task. Sadly, we hadn’t picked the best of times to start lessons, and they were postponed.
They started back in September, and we have now completed the beginners class and moved up to ‘Improvers’. I’m not sure that there are exams or tests to take, but I think a few pictures and moving up to the next class will be sufficient to say I have ticked off this task.
Over to you
How was your 2021? Have you put your goals on hold? Could you adapt them or complete certain elements of them in 2022? There is always something you could be doing.