I’ve never been one for self-help books or schemes.

My chakras are constantly out of alignment, and I’m more into Nasi Goreng than Feng Shui.

Though there is one thing I picked up from one of these sorts of books years ago that I have stuck with:

Each year one of the first things I write in my diary is a list of ten goals I want to achieve that year and ten “materialistic” things I want to do or get.

My goals for this year, 2021, can be seen above.

It’s a good little guide, or set of targets, for the year to come.

“Win Lotto” is never one of those things.

Until this year “Get a new job” was usually at the top, or near the top, of the list. This year I left it off out of sheer frustration. That turned out to be a portent of things to come.

“Effect positive change for Napier / Hawke’s Bay” has been another consistent goal that I like to think I have achieved throughout the years through my writing and social media advocacy.

But this year I feel I failed in that goal, as I got little chance to write or be published and certainly no chance of being broadcast other than social media.

When I HAVE had the time to write my motivation and self belief has been so eroded by external forces over the last 18 months that I could rarely be bothered.

I was, however, able to spend more quality time with my daughter, and that is certainly a great goal to have.

I was also recognised / rewarded for doing something I enjoy earlier this year when I was made a Life Member of NOBMCC – something I have loved doing for 15 years.

Given Covid restrictions “Travel Somewhere Nice” was something remarkable to achieve, especially as one of the places I traveled was Auckland – managing to squeeze in a visit between different stages of lockdown.

I probably would have enjoyed the overnight stay in Taupo the following Saturday more if I wasn’t still exhausted from the 10-ish hour return drive through the early morning darkness on the way to and from NZ’s biggest city..

I was also fortunate to meet more of my online friends in person, several of whom took the inability to travel overseas as an opportunity to see more of New Zealand, including my home town and region!

While I value the bigger goals more, the materialistic goals are also enjoyable – I’ve been fortunate enough to afford some luxuries this year – and helping our regional economy by buying from local businesses is a great way of helping everyone thrive.

The pile of books I have bought from Hawke’s Bay’s award winning Wardini Books this year has grown exponentially faster than I could ever hope to read them!

Enjoying local hospitality businesses and the produce from local food and drink artisans has also been a highlight.

I still managed to achieve one of my other goals of losing a bit of weight throughout! (Only 5kg, but given the comfort eating I had been doing over the year, a rather miraculous goal…)

As we wind down 2021 and look forward to 2022 (dare we even look forward, or speculate on what could be?!) what are some of the things you would like to achieve, or buy, or do in 2022?