It’s finally January. Lots of stuff going on. My 50th birthday. NHL Hockey returns. A new President. Accelerated COVID vaccinations. New projects at work. And a heartfelt goodbye to a year that was pretty sucky around the world.

Just because it’s January doesn’t mean that things are magically going to be better. I know that. It will take work and patience and effort… but just the turning of the calendar page can offer a mental reset and a chance to “start fresh”.

This year’s theme is “Health, Wealth, and Hearth”. I want to have defined goals in those three areas that I can work towards.

Health means getting my weight and cholesterol back under control. I have baseline numbers from my blood donation on December 26th and they are NOT pretty. It means exercising regularly. Using my treadmill. Taking the dogs on walks and to the park. Making healthy food choices on a more regular basis. Eating more oatmeal for breakfast. Taking advantage of “the internet of things” to bring interest and variety to my movement choices.

Wealth means to getting my finances in line. Paying off my final outstanding debt. Sticking to a budget. Maxing out my 401K. Making better purchasing choices. Not giving in to impulse spending. Setting up a Replacement Car fund so when my current vehicle dies, I don’t have to completely finance another one. Developing a “side hustle” that I can do to provide some supplemental income, preferably something I could do on the road after I retire from my full time job. Building my nest egg so I can retire while I’m still able to enjoy it. That ties into Health, as well, because no one is guaranteed tomorrow and if I want to be able to enjoy retirement, I have to take care of myself.

Hearth is working on various home improvement projects – some new, some old – that I have been writing down for weeks, months, or sometimes years. Retile the laundry room. Clean up the backyard. Paint the house and shutters. Redo the landscape in front so I’m not looking at “the backside of bushes” all day now that I’m working from home permanently. Bring more koselig into my home. Remove the clutter. Clear enough space in the garage for a vehicle… or a kayak… or a small popup trailer.

2021 isn’t guaranteed to be an improvement over 2020. But I can always try to make it one.