In the past I've typically bundled up my goals or resolutions for the new year along with my year-in-review post.

This year I wanted to try separating them. While this was partly due to my year-in-review coming together at the last minute, it also occurred to me that reviewing and planning are rather distinct operations.

Reviewing requires looking at the past, but planning looks the opposite way: towards the future. Trying to do both at once ends up splitting your vision.

Goals

Devise a system for sustaining my ideal lifestyle

Right off the bat I'll say I'm not entirely happy with this goal. It's large, ambiguous, and overall ill-defined.

However, I think it best captures the essence of what I want to achieve: finding a way to sustain good habits over the long term.

I have a tendency to hyperfocus, which can turn even a beneficial or healthy habit into a detriment due to it being prioritized to point of neglecting everything else.

As the year progresses, I anticipate I will break this down into smaller, more actionable goals that can bring me closer to the desired outcome.

Keep my desk clean

My desk—much like any other system—trends towards disorder when left unattended.

By virtue of working remotely and having hobbies that primarily revolve around the computer, I spend a large portion of my time at my desk.

Ergo, I am subjected to the state of my desk for long periods of time, and this has the potential to bolster or negatively impact my mood.

Redesign my website

As I continue to become more and more disenchanted with the state of social media and platforms that are increasingly becoming more walled off, it is becoming clear that investing into my website is the best thing I can do.

To that end, I want to redesign my website to provide a better experience, both for myself as the author and for those who visit it.