A long December and there’s reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last. - Counting Crows, A Long December

It is time for my annual “year in review,” where I take stock of the year and look forward at plans to come. Let’s just get into it.

Accomplishments

• Completing a Whole30 (again) – One of my goals was to finish a second round of the Whole30. I did in January 2014, but wasn’t as pleased with my progress as I had hoped. I would later look back and realize I shouldn’t have been disappointed (more on this later in the post).
• Build something – Another goal was to “build something,” in 2014, and I’m pleased to say I did. In March, I made a bookshelf for my daughters. I also cobbled together a wooden stable for my oldest daughter’s play horse, and made myself a little table to sit next to my recliner at the house. In the beginning of December, I launched Candy Cane Lanes, a project I have had on my mind for a few years.
• Pursue minimalism – I got to see The Minimalists in person, and went home completely inspired. Shortly thereafter, I started writing about my (seemingly never ending) journey toward minimalism at The Chaff. I made great strides in getting rid of many of my personal possessions, but I still have such a long way to go.
• Had a son – OK, this wasn’t really on my list of goals last year, but once we found out we were pregnant, it became a pretty big priority. Rogan Archer Gruber was born Aug. 23, 2014. I like him (but we are so totally done having kids).

Setbacks

• Obstacle race – I really wanted to do a Warrior Dash or Tough Mudder race, but it didn’t happen. I didn’t make it a priority, so I didn’t train, and the goal was never realized.
• The Final Debt – We didn’t make a lot of progress paying on our last debt (the student loans). After finding out we were pregnant, we stopped paying extra on debt and instead put money in savings. This was a wise decision, and one I don’t regret. We did keep ourselves from adding any new debt, especially when we cut up the last credit card in July.
• House project – No, I didn’t get hardly anything done around the house that I wanted. I did get our garage door fixed, and took card of “necessary maintenance,” but painting and upgrades were a no go. At least I have all the paint purchased, should I have the energy to get started (babies tend to wear you out in the early months).
• Stress, Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt - This year turned out to be a year full of change for me, with some positives with a lot of negatives. It’s been really stressful. I had to work hard to keep it together, but somehow, I did. But the stress of the year came with a price. I haven’t kept up my exercise routine that I was so diligently following. I used food for comfort instead of nourishment, and now I find myself longing to do a Whole30 to heal my body and mind (and probably go longer than 30 days). Things have sort of stabilized for now, but I need to do more to get things running optimum. Maybe I should set some goals. Speaking of which …

Goals

Looking ahead at 2015, I see it as a period for a reboot. Let’s just call it a rebuilding year.

• Total health reset – Not long ago, I walked at least 10,000 steps a day, lifted two or three times per week, and ate mostly unprocessed, whole foods. I felt great. So, my goal for 2015 is to get back to that healthy mind/body state, without being preachy about it.
• More minimalism – I am so happy with all I managed to jettison this year, but I have lots more to go, especially with a family of five. It’s time to get the kids on board, and really tackle the rest of our possessions, together. If Joshua Becker can do it, so can we.
• House projects (no really) – I need to paint the inside and outside of the house. I have purchased bathroom flooring that needs installed. I also need to fix our lawn after all the wear-and-tear it took from my wife’s business, which closed in May. This may or may not preclude selling the house, but these projects need done, regardless.
• Write more – Between this site, The Chaff, and my totally neglected development blog, Save Early and Often, I have no shortage of outlets for doing more with words. I do wonder how many blogs a minimalist can have and still be a minimalist …
• Start a podcast – I’m going to put this in the “Maybe, we’ll see” category. I was recently a guest on the Better Know a Jackal podcast, and I really, really enjoyed it. I have the hardware, I have experience with making a few episodes of a podcast before, and I have the skills to put it all together. I think I’d like to take a stab at it, once I figure out some vague idea of what I think it might be about. But again, we’ll see. I’ve got plenty to work on already.

I guess that wraps it up.

I have this tradition where on New Year’s Eve every year I listen to the Counting Crows song, A Long December, while I wait for the ball to drop. It has been a long December, and an even longer year. Here’s to 2015; may it be one of rebuilding.