What I Accomplished This Year

12/26/2018

Feeling Behind? This Can Help.

I work at a fast-paced software company that is growing like crazy. That means that no matter how much I accomplish, there are always things left undone, and I feel like I should be able to figure out how to do more. In a meeting with my manager, where I shared this frustration, she told me that needed to remind myself of what I DID get done. She challenged me to take time each week to list out my successes. I've been doing that for about a month now, and it'a amazing what a difference it makes. Instead of focusing on the negatives, taking a moment to appreciate, and be grateful, for all the things I've accomplished really helped.

That's right. I get ALL the thumbs up for my list of successes!

Applying Work to the Rest of Life

While completing this exercise for my job, I also included a few successes from life in my list. I quickly realized that, as at work, I get way more life things done than I realize. I decided to go bigger with my list. At this time of year--when we so often focus on all of the things we're going to totally change in our lives--I decided to take stock of what all I accomplished this year first. Here are 50 things I did this year.

50 Accomplishments

Attended new high school freshman orientation with my daughter and lived to tell the tale.
Booked my first Air BNB.
Bought a new car.
Braced for an emergency airplane landing and walked away unscathed.
Celebrated my 9th wedding anniversary with my lovely husband.
Checked out two new grocery stores.
Completed the 60-day fitness challenge at my gym.
Created a joint email address for my household.
De-crapped our entire downstairs by going through all drawers, cabinets and closets.
Donated 23 bags of unneeded stuff to charity.
Drove to work for the first time in 13 years.
Endured the longest battle with the flu I’ve ever had and survived.
Enjoyed seeing the Minneapolis skyline at night at Windows on Minnesota.
Enrolled in TSA Pre Check (which is the best $85 I have ever spent).
Experienced a Cameron Carpenter performance.
Finally snapped a picture of my cat, Meathook, in her Santa hat.
Finished my first trail skate on inline skates.
Found my daughter an orthodontist.
Gave up meat and switched to a Whole Foods Plan Based (WFPB) diet.
Got together with my best friend on a (nearly) weekly basis.
Had a new luxury vinyl floor installed on the first floor of my home. (Thanks to my aforementioned lovely husband, MIke.)
Heard Shawn James perform live at The Turf Club.
Helped my daughter celebrate her golden birthday.
Hired four, full time people to work on my team.
Inline skated at US Bank Stadium for the first time.

26. Joined a gym.
27. Made my first smoothie in my very own smoothie maker.
28. Painted the living room walls red and gray (again, mostly my lovely husband).
29. Planned an upcoming vacation to New Orleans.
30. Read 13 audiobooks.
31. Rode the train from Duluth, MN to Two Harbors, MN.
32. Rolled over my old retirement account.
33. Roller skated at US Bank Stadium for the first time.
34. Saved money for retirement in a 401(k) and Roth 401(k).
35. Saw "Singing in the Rain" at the Heights Theater.
36. Shared my employment success story with the White Box Club.
37, Shopped for and bought my first inline skates.
38. Signed up for my first inline marathon.
39. Started a new job as a training department manager at a growing SaaS software start-up.
40. Stood in two states at once – Iowa and Nebraska.
41. Switched banks.
42. Took a foam roller class.
43. Traveled to 13 US states.
44. Treated myself to monthly massages.
45. Visited my mom and had mother/daughter/granddaughter holiday lefse making day.
46. Walked along the beach and watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
47. Watched "Lethal Weapon" at the Parkway Theatre.
48. Went to the gym at least eight times a month from April through December.
49. Won two Step Bets to and increased my overall activity level.
50. Worked my first learning and development contracting gig.

What's Next?

Whoa. I did accomplish a few things. I love that I had milestones including health, adventures, and garden-variety adulting. Seeing this list helped me remind myself of the amazing things I can do. Taking a moment to celebrate, and be grateful for, these successes has me excited to plan for next year's adventures!

What Do You Think?

What did you accomplish this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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