2018 So Far…

Back in January, I set out some goals I’d like to accomplish.  Here’s where things stand.

2018 Goals

1. Blog at least once a month, and at least 15 times overall for the year. Going well, I’ve already posted 17 times so far this year, which is by far the most active this blog has ever been! It would seem that the blog is morphing into a cooking blog that will have the odd non-cooking post here and there.
2. Read the Maddaddam Trilogy. I’ve read a paragraph. *Hangs head in shame*.
3. Finish my Rosetta Stone Arabic Course. Progress is slow on this one. I intend to set aside 30-45 minutes for this per day to make sure I get it done.
4. Lose Weight! Weigh 81kg or less before 2019. I usually don’t change goals. There isn’t really a point to having goals if you can just cancel them at the first challenge.  However, my leg is still not healthy enough to withstand training for a triathlon.  I saw the doc at the end of April because it has been bothering me and he confirmed that I still have ‘quadriceps tendinopathy’. In other words, there’s a problem with one of the tendons in my quadriceps muscle.  So, I’m back to the physiotherapist again. The doc recommended not doing a triathlon that I was training for in June because the injury will affect the how much I can train and how hard I can train.  Instead of specific training, I’ll be getting a consultation and treatment this week and will have sessions twice a week for an entire month. Then I’ll probably be back to the doc to get another note for more sessions throughout the summer. I decided to make the new goal specific around weight loss.  I weighed 81 kg when I tore my quad back in June of 2016. Success here will hopefully translate into being able to go running and biking again.  I read somewhere that each extra kg of body weight translates into 4 kg of pressure on the knees from the impact of running. Right now, I weigh 97 kg so getting to 81 kg will translate into 64kg of decreased impact on my knees while running.   I intend to accomplish this by going to the pool. I can still swim without impacting my leg so I’m g0ing to swim. A lot.     
   (Old Goal below in strikethrough)
   Do at least one triathlon (in a country I’ve never visited). I love triathlons, and I wish I had been doing them at a younger age.  The training schedule gets me out of the house, and there’s enough variance between the three sports that I never find it boring. The reason why I’m only doing at least one this year is that I have to do physiotherapy to sort out my right leg. The good news is my ligaments are all great. The bad news is muscle imbalances are causing me to have pain under my kneecap due to improper tracking.  So before I start training, the goal is to work with a physiotherapist to improve that situation.  It’s worth noting that I have consulted with a doctor regarding this specific goal, and have gotten their blessing. Had the doctor told me it wasn’t a wise idea, this goal would not be on the list. Abu Dhabi is out for this year due to the blockade, but I’m hopeful that by the summer time I’ll finish one.
5. Use every book in my cookbook collection at least once. As of now, I’ve used 29 of the books and cooked 36 new recipes.  Only 49 books left.
6.  Get at least one article published. Zero progress here. This one is getting pushed back and back every year it would seem.  However, I should be able to make progress on it in June.
7. Become an investor – Invest $xxx this year! I haven’t invested anything yet, but I am well-positioned to achieve this goal because I’ll be working in Doha over the summer again. I plan to use the extra salary to sort this out. In the meantime, I’ve been reading millionaire teacher and learning the vocabulary of Wall Street.
8. Get a project management certification in the first half of 2018. I’ve registered for a course, and I’ve done a single video lesson. However, teaching will be finished in less than a month, and I should be able to complete this particular goal during June when gears shift from lesson prep and marking and administrative work to just administrative ta work.
9. Start another Master’s Degree in the latter half of 2018! I’m on the fence about doing this one. The last time I did a masters degree I paid with more money. And that price included a portion of my physical and mental wellbeing.  I’ll look at this goal more closely over the summer and make a decision about what I’d exactly like to be doing in the next phase of my career.
10. No Coke zero and no store-bought sweets in 2018! I haven’t had any cola so far this year and no store-bought sweets either.  I’ve still been eating Pringles, and it satisfies my cravings for salt, but I’ve decided to cut those out as well. As part of the cooking goal, I’ve made a few desserts, but I don’t eat those often enough for it to be a problem. The biggest problem I had last year was a nasty habit of pairing up coke zero with Reese’s Peanutbutter Cups.
    11. The Stretch Goal! This is a hidden goal that I decided against publicizing.  I will save/invest over $500 000 before I turn fifty years old. I am hopeful that this will be enough money for me to live comfortably and work fewer hours.