Last year was going to be different. Last year I decided to stay focused on a limited amount of projects and do a depth year. The year is now finished, so I felt like reviewing what went on.

If you usually set new goals on New Year, a December review is a good idea. Just to know what you’ll carry on to the next year. What you’ll need to finish, what you did wrong in your goal setting.

On my side, I dislike setting goals! In a way, it’s ironic to undertake a review of ‘non-goals’!

My depth year wasn’t about what I was going to achieve, it was about what I was not going to start and probably never finish anyway! It was about being focused on a limited amount of projects, not achievements.

I still called them ‘goals’ for a lack of a better word in my original piece about my Depth year.

If you want to stay on this page, here is below what I had decided to focus on this year:

• Learn how to sew with my vintage sewing machine
• Finish the restoration of my dad’s vintage motorcycle
• Improve my German
• Draw more & finish my 2 big projects
• Be more regular with my yoga practice

So how did my year go?

Let’s quickly review by item although I don’t think this is the most interesting bit:

I know how to use my sewing machine pretty well now. I can repair attachments (!) and my machine (!!) when something goes wrong. We have entered into a grove together, where I know if something isn’t right.

However, and that’s a biggy, when I decided to learn how to sew, I had not yet realized that knowing to use the machine wasn’t going to be the most difficult part! Sewing clothes is so much more than the actual act of attaching 2 pieces together!

If you are an expert seamstress, you probably think: well obviously!

Well, it took me a while to realize! Silly me!

So in short, I think I can say I did manage this goal. I did learn how to sew on my vintage sewing machine. I just didn’t become a seamstress!

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Now, on the next goal which was to finish the restoration of my dad’s vintage motorcycle, my most important goal of the year!

Well, it’s not finished!! We’ve actually just started rebuilding the bike!

We kept on wanting to do more and more. No, I kept on wanting to do more and more!! And there are things that I compromised on and will be done later.

Since it’s not finished and it will take a few more months, it could look like a total fail. I certainly felt that way during the summer months and the heatwaves. Not anymore, because of where we are and because it’s been an amazing process.

When I wrote my Depth year article, I kind of secretly thought I would be riding the bike by the Summer. That was stupid. I had no clue how much work such a project represented! Now I’ll be glad if I ride it by next summer 😉 And I’m completely ok with that.

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What about my German? It went fairly well at the beginning of the year and then… it fizzled. That’s pretty much a fail. But I need this to work somehow. Grrrr

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With regards to my drawings and my 2 big projects, I would say that is my biggest fail. I did draw a lot but I have this issue of always wanting to do more, bigger & better. Therefore my 2 big projects are not anywhere near finished. It is a big disappointment. 😦

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Finally I am happy to report that I have indeed been more regular with my yoga practice! And meditation and self-care in general! I’m not as bendy as I hope to be, but there is real progress compare to how stiff I had become! Happy to report that my skin is happy too!

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In short… I’ve stayed focused!

Staying focused on a limited number of goals was the main goal! In that sense, I have achieved my main goal.

I blogged quite a bit. Around here, and on RTatW which I redesigned earlier this year.

Professionally, I have a new long term client which is going to bring in much needed $$$ considering how much the restoration of my dad’s bike is costing me!

I managed to go see my dad every 3 weeks or almost every 3 weeks and most importantly I survived! My dad is doing great compare to how he was last year, which is a huge relief.

I’m always on the road but my travels have been limited to trips to my regular destinations: Paris, London, Berlin… I did spend a week in Portugal and did manage to squeeze in a couple other short trips.

With regards to my budget, I stayed in line. On one side, that was easy since I didn’t buy any clothes and not many others things for that matter. On the other side, I had not anticipated some of the expenses linked to my dad’s bike. Overall, one compensated the other, so my budget did not explode and for a girl who used to not have a budget, that’s pretty amazing!

All in all, 2019 was a good year!

Will I be setting goals for this new year?

That’s a good question! Again, I’m not a goal setting girl!!

Despite this, at this point, I can say that:

Finishing the renovation of my dad’s bike is definitively a goal. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, although I do hope to ride it this next summer! And this time it is realistic! I think!!

Drawing, sewing, blogging, those are things I really enjoy so I will continue but with no particular agenda, or so I say now!

I do really want to work on my 2 projects. I’m wondering if I should just take 3 weeks off, alone, in a remote cottage and focus solely on one of such project, at least and see how it goes.

Self-care will still high on the list of priorities. I have to stay in shape to juggle with everything. My frequent trips to see my dad are taking their tolls on me, so it’s not an option.

Apart from that, I’m not quite sure at the moment. I don’t want this new year to be like the previous year, because I’ll probably get bored.

One thing for sure is that I do have to be mindful to not take on things that contradict themselves or make the other things difficult.

For example, I’d love to just take off for a huge road trip, but that would conflict with my trips to see my dad. I’d love to do more photography, but the time I would spend editing is better spent drawing, at least at the moment. I actually want to do more videos too. I have so many ideas, but it is time consuming and again conflicts with my main ‘goals’.

I have to think about it for a while!

Plus it’s becoming clear that I might be moving sometimes next year, so that will be a challenge, with plenty of things to handle along the way! Actually this can become a really big challenge.

I’ll let you know as soon as I have answers!

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It always feels a little weird to spill my guts and share personal details here. So I try to explain the reasons in a section I often use in my articles and which is called: “Why am I telling you all this?”

So here it is!

Why am I telling you all this?

If you’re considering rewriting your life, going on a depth year might be an option, to start to reflect on what is important and what works for you.

The good thing is that it is free! It does not require any specific tool, you don’t need to buy anything to start… on the contrary!

For me, this depth year has been life changing. And I’ve talked about the the shift in priority I’ve experienced. I’ve also already told you how good it has been for my budget.

There are other things I’m starting to experience. Now, I have a feeling that the life changing part of my depth year, is actually just starting to emerge.

I’ll tell you soon…

At the end of the year it just made sense to keep going … so I did…