Day 47/183: Weekly goal check-in reassessment

[nanila]

My last goal check-in was almost exactly a month ago. I stopped doing it because I was on holiday but now I reckon the advent of the pandemic has rendered most of the goals irrelevant. For a start, there’s no way for me to go to the gym for the next few months, and no way I’m going to get through this without the liberal application of booze. When examined in the cold light of covid-19, should any of them should be retained?

Survive Brexit. Frankly this seems a lot less challenging than surviving the pandemic and its consequences. I don’t see how there won’t be an extension to the transition period. The UK, the EU and the globe have got bigger problems right now. DELETE

Go to the gym twice a week. The gyms won’t reopen until the plague departs. Not worth keeping. DELETE

Don't eat meat at lunchtime. We will be eating all our lunches at home as a family, and as our lunches default to either “cheese and pickle sandwich” or “PB&J” when the kids are around, I don’t think this is much of a challenge. DELETE

Consume meat at evening meals a maximum of three times per week. We’ll eat what we can find at the supermarket when everyone’s done panic-buying, thanks. Please can people stop panic-buying eggs? Thanks. DELETE

Consume alcohol once per week socially and once at home. HAHAHA. Well, I won’t be consuming alcohol socially with all the pubs and restaurants closed and my workplace locked down. We are trapped at home 24/7 for the next three months at least, so this goal can sod right the smeg off. DELETE

Leave 3 comments per day on LJ and DW on other people's posts. I’ve got this one firmly ingrained into my routine now, so it doesn’t really need to be tracked. DELETE

Write one community post per month. Likewise, I post regularly to common_nature and awesomeers, so I don’t think I need this one. DELETE

Read more than ten new books this year. I probably still need to keep this in mind, if not track it regularly. I read The Sagas and Shit: Icelandic Literature Crudely Abridged by Grayson del Faro, on the recommendation of my companions, whilst I was in Reykjavik, so my total is now 6/11. KEEP

Reduce Facebook checks from once a week to once a month. I’m giving up on this one. I wanted very much to check up on friends over the past couple of weeks, and FB was the primary interface for some of them. The parent groups are also indispensable. DELETE

Eliminate the two phone games I still play. I started playing PokeGo again whilst in Reykjavik because who can resist gifts from unusual Pokestops? Additionally, Niantic seem to have increased the variety and frequency of the appearance of Pokemon during the pandemic, as well as halving the walking distances on eggs. Playing the game gets my children to volunteer to take walks with me. So I’m decidedly hooked back on PokeGo. I’m also taking turns playing Let’s Go Eevee on the Switch with Humuhumu which is also fun because she’s way ahead of me in it and likes being my walkthrough guide.

I slightly changed the way I play the other game and now I’m enjoying it again. I don’t think I actually need or want to achieve this goal, not right now and certainly not for the next few months whilst we’re socially isolated. DELETE



In summary, the only goal I’ll be keeping is the one about reading more than ten books that are new to me. I don’t expect this to be particularly challenging, given that I have at least ten on my bedside table and I won’t be going anywhere for a while. So, sayonara, weekly goal check-in posts. Maybe I’ll give you a whirl in 2021.

Comments

[annofowlshire]

A good assessment. I’ve been on FB more recently as well, largely for the same reasons.

[nanila]

Thanks. Yep, some people are simply not contactable any other way. :/

[redbird]

*nod* I'm thinking I might need to go on facebook a bit, for similar reasons.

[nanila]

It's not my favourite solution but for a small but important fraction of people, it's the only option I have for checking they're OK.

[azurelunatic]

I may have to reactivate my Facebook for a gig. I'm somewhat resigned.

[nanila]

Yep. Sorry to hear that. I hope it only has to be temporary.

[darkemeralds]

It's interesting how this pandemic is making us all re-evaluate old goals that make no sense in the new world.

I love that you kept the reading one. I'm trying to read more books too.

[nanila]

It's a little terrifying how quickly that seismic shift happened, too. :/

Once I get adjusted to this new routine with home-schooling, I'll try to get myself back into the rhythm of reading instead of comfort-watching old films.

[calissa]

This year sure has been a good one for reading goals.

[nanila]

Nothing like a bit of being trapped inside every single night to make you turn to that pile on the bedside table!

[tree_and_leaf]

We’ll eat what we can find at the supermarket when everyone’s done panic-buying, thanks. Please can people stop panic-buying eggs? Thanks. DELETE


Yeah, we'd given up meat for Lent, which has now been modified by 'eat whatever protein the nice person who did our shopping was able to get.' (Turkey fillets, it turned out...)

[nanila]

Sigh. Is it getting any better now? Despite the lack of carbohydrates and eggs, the bloke thought things were definitely better stocked on his last grocery run than the previous three.

[tree_and_leaf]

I hear it's a bit better. This morning I got a message from Ocado saying they were giving existing customers one slot a week, but the website won't load.... I hear the local Aldi is pretty much back to normal now, though.

[liseuse]

I have been spending more time on facebook during all of this because it's the only way communicate with some people I know.

I gave up meat for Lent which is just about holding steady (helped by not having given up fish) but might not last until the end. But I wholeheartedly agree with the eggs comment. Also, given how empty the flour shelves have been I am expecting a whole load of artisan bakeries to get set up in a year's time.

[nanila]

I like the thought of artisan bakeries! I still don't understand hoarding eggs. They're just not very nice if you don't eat them fresh.

[liseuse]

Home City has quite a lot of them as it is, I don't think we need more! (Well, assuming they survive ~all this~)

No, the eggs thing is baffling.

[silveradept]

How was The Sagas and Shit? It had the type of title that would attract my eye, and I am always interested in slightly more irreverent and informal translations and commentaries.

(Amazing how global pandemics reorder our goals, isn't it.)

[nanila]

It's pretty funny. I rather wish I'd read the actual Sagas more recently than 2001, as they're so abridged that having at least a little context would have helped. The schtick begins to wear thin by the end but the book is short enough that it doesn't grate.

[silveradept]

Ah, so it's really meant for people who want irreverence and will get the jokes and liberties being taken by having a firm understanding of the underlying source material. So good for those that want Saga fanfic.