As I was sharing my 2024 Twelve12s with a friend this morning, I realized there were a few on there that fly in the face of #nogoals and are more accomplishment-oriented. They’d be a stretch on a good day, so let’s scale them back:

• go to the gym 12 days each month (3x/week)

I have barely been going to the gym once a week. And as much as I would feel better about what I’m paying for if I made it 3x/week, it’s not that realistic. What can I turn that into? work out 12 times each month. By expanding it beyond the gym, I can count runs and home yoga. It won’t be that difficult to do, if I’m swimming and running once a week, I just need one more workout to get to 12 within a month. I’d love to get to 3x/week at the gym, so let’s work up to that.

• bake 12 doughs or batters

As someone who hasn’t baked in over a year, this will be near impossible. I’m going to fold baking into the recipes goal. Easy. But that means I have to add in a new goal. So why not…

• read 12 books

It’s funny, as I look at this list, I realize by including the number 12 into each, I’m spelling out what’s getting done. Were I following the title Twelve12s, then I would list individual goals, and plan on doing them each 12 times. The new list would read:

• write a letter
• go on a date
• make a phone call
• do a pull-up or handstand
• workout 12 times in a month
• run a new route
• read a book
• cook or bake a recipe
• knit, sing, write, or draw something
• travel at least 1 day
• marvel at a cultural outing (museum, music, theater, talks)
• watch a film

Not as exciting, but here we are. And intend to try an not overwhelm myself. Wish me luck!

Not much prose to go here. It’s December 24th, 2023. I am on the couch with my English bulldog Kirby. I have a phone date with my high school best friend in an hour and fifteen minutes. A thrice annual occurrence, what with the holiday and each of our birthdays. Christopher is swimming at the gym. I don’t think I’ll get there today, but that’s OK, I swam yesterday. I can always run on my own. But that’s not what this thing is about. I didn’t plan on trying Twelve12s again.

My intention this year is to create memories. Seek out joy. Prioritize pleasure over accomplishment or delayed gratification. Contenders for my word for 2024 are exhilarate, delight, and chirk, but they sound too extreme, too boring, and too obscure (and assuming a slightly negative state of being) respectively. I’m going to settle for GLADDEN.

In the spirit of begetting memories and with an intention to gladden, here are Twelve12s to consider:

• write 12 letters
• go on 12 dates
• make 12 phone calls
• do 12 pull-ups or handstands
• go to the gym 12 days each month (3x/week)
• run 12 routes
• bake 12 doughs or batters
• cook 12 recipes
• knit, sing, write, or draw 12 creations
• travel at least 12 days
• marvel at 12 cultural outings (museum, music, theater, talks)
• watch 12 films

And with that, see you around!