Resolutionizing – May

Did we make it through the snow and drizzle? I sure fucking hope so!
The massive sunburn I got yesterday when playing my first baseball-match (a 10-3 victorrrrryyyyy!) of the year-post-corona definitely suggests we might be on the road to better weather. And with better weather, come better moods. At least, for me. I’m a total summer person. I need temperatures above 20 degrees (Celsius, obviously) to at least function, and now that the sun finally seems to agree with that again (regardless of the AUTSCH IT BURNSES US!) – I’m looking at the world a whole lot more brightly.

Which means that it’s time to have a look at the things-accomplished-in-April which, overall – I deem as a GREAT month. I’ve made good progress on some resolutions, awesome progress on others, and even though I’m failing in some other areas, that’s not yet a reason for concern. 2021 so far is turning out to be a whole lotta lot better than 2020 (not that that’s really a challenge, to be fair).

And in looking ahead to June and the coming months – I’m seeing a return in normalcy FINALLY setting in. With me settling into a new relationship (still so friggin’ happy) and the world settling into a downward curve on the COVID-numbers, increases in vaccination numbers (I’m expecting to get mine this month, WHOOPWHOOP) and decreases in life-ruining-measurements…it sure looks like the world might be somewhat kind of normal again, sort of, maybe, hopefully, around September. But at least we get to play our sports again. Without a curfew. With the right to have a drink at the club afterwards. Like pre-pandemic-people. It’s awesome.

So now you know what’s up over here. Hope things are looking bright and sunny over at your end to. But if not, just keep reading and maybe some of the green in my list will rub off!

Need a refresh?
Find it here:
– The original list
– The January overview
– The February overview
– The March overview
– The April overview

And did you miss out on some of my blogposts?
These were (mine and your) 5 favorites from the past month:
– Cliched Epiphanies
– Mad trickster
– Relative Anonimity
– Juicy Buns
– It’s in the details

Outside of commenting on the Resolutions I feel need some backstory – I am going to keep it simple: Green are the resolutions I’ve (already) checked off the list. Fingers crossed you’re going to scroll and find some greens, right?!
Orange are the ones I’ve totally started on, attempted, am working on or have otherwise made some progress on. The unmarked ones…well. They shall not be mentioned. Until they’re mentioned. If they’re ever mentioned. Who knows!
And red. Well. Red are the ones that I’ve already failed. In month one. BUT (there’s always a BUT) will probably still be (re-)attempting for the remainder of the year ;).

ONWARDS – to full green! (Who am I kidding)

WORK-O-LUTIONS:

• Land (at least) 5 >10m. deals successfully.
  ^{Two HUGE wins this month makes for a total of three deals this year. I am not complaining! Plus, some additional small wins and a pipeline of two huge ones waiting to be won (results on the 11th and 18th, fingers crossed) make the going already good. And then there’s 4 more I’m working on already. So, this is going to get crushed, I’m expecting. YAY!}
• Get three additional certificates on relevant topics OR
  ^{I can NOT find ANY time to get ANYTHING done in this area. It sucks. But I’m expecting that quarters 3 and 4 will be less busy, so I’ll just do a sprint at the end of the year}
• Follow six non-certificate-yielding relevant work courses.
  ^{I did have a good talk with my manager and we’re looking at some cool options for professional writing trainings for the team. TBC!}
• Do whatever is necessary (and actively check this with management) to get the needed functional grade for the 175% bonus in 2022.
  ^{I don’t wanna sell the hide too early, but the forecast is good!}
• Wear a costume in a Teams-call on Carnaval. And Christmas. And possibly Easter (I’d totally look awesome in bunny ears).
• Donate the 2021 Christmas package to charity.
• Don’t get a burnout. Or fired. Or in a fight with colleagues for no other reasons than them sucking (luckily, so far, all of them are pretty damn awesome).
  ^{New colleague started (and she’s awesome in already picking up some of the crushing workload). Still doing more work now than in the busiest ‘this-is-too-much-period’ last year but hey…still managing!}
• Start writing a book. Or collect blogs to add into a column-bundle. Or do something anything whateverything to get published work in book-form out into the world.
  ^{I don’t think I’m meant to actually do the writing thing for reals. Blogging is more my jam, so it seems!}

BLOG-O-LUTIONS:

• Keep. Blogging. In. 2021. (as in: the entire year!)
• Write (at least) 200 posts
  ^{Almost halfway! With 86 posts I’m making a good old dent in that number 200! I feel like this should totally still be manageable.}
• Find a way to ALSO make sure old content gets some luvvin’ every now and then.
  _{Did you read my top 5 yet? Which was your favorite?! :O:O:O:O}
• Get to 5.000 followers. Yes. Really. Gotta be ambitious, right?
  _{2570 people are already awesome enough to have clicked the follow button on this lil’ blog. That’s insane, right?!}
• Get to 500 unique visitors in 1 day at least once.
  _{What. was. I. Thinking.}
• Make a person laugh hysterically with a post. Or cry. Either works.
  _{The giggles are still happening, I hear. Dundundun!}
• Do a monthly Resolutionized-update so I don’t ‘forget‘ that I’m supposed to be doing this.
  _{I am actually surprised at my thoroughness so far. I’m impressing myself – now for the rest of the world!}

DATE-O-LUTIONS:

• Fuck dating altogether for the entire year and take a Zoë-year OR
• Do NOT ‘date’ any of the old-stale-already-done-douchebags EVER again.
  AND (if I do end up dating)
• No beards. Seriously. Just. No negotiating – no beards.
  ^{Loverboy hasn’t suddenly sprouted a beard and is gorgeous as ever. So still good!}
• Stop downdating AND/OR downplaying myself just to appear acceptable and not-be-lonely.
• Stop settling for soul-crushing limitations or demands and instead go for compromise-less loving.
• Don’t opt for an imaginary boyfriend for lack of actual people potential. Pillows do not count.
  ^{He hasn’t fled the building yet! So we keep the count going!}
• Don’t drunk-booty-call any of the old-stale-already-done-douchebags. Really. Don’t be that girl.
  _{I’ve been extremely well-behaved, I’d say!}

SOCIAL-O-LUTIONS:

• Make a new (group of) friends that DON’T all live at least an hour away.
  _{Grand ole’ failure still. I might just need to pick up a new hobby after I get vaccinated. Or rent-a-buddy!}
• Spend more time with the far-away-bunch of friends.
  _{Had a great dinner-and-Eurovision party, pubquizzed some more and visited some friends-down-under so I’d say: going strong!}
• See actual people IN PERSON at least once a month. No hermitting.
  _{Not even a challenge anymore. You may call me a social butterfly ;).}
• Write a letter to a friend telling them how much they mean to me. Try not to include swearwords too much.
  _{I can’t even remember why I thought this was a good idea.}
• Post something non-selfie-related to Instagram every now and again.
  ^{Holla at yo socials influencer! I totally posted some things this month. The world shall see me rock!}
• Host a dinnerparty and actually COOK.
  ^{Does frying goods count as cooking? I just ain’t no chef. Had a great dinner party tho!}
• Do something wine-knowledge related (a workshop, or tasting or high wine) so you’re not just downing bottles but actually know something about their contents.
  ^{The drinking is still coming easier than the arranging :X}
• Do NOT. I repeat: do NOT install Snapchat. Or Pinterest. Ever. AND
• Do not start Tiktokking. In any way, shape or form. You’re too old Zoë. Really. You are. Resist the temptation.

LIFE-O-LUTIONS:

• No more alcohol (during weekdays, and in the weekends only when in company).
  ^{_{I’ll admit, there was booze this month. But lots of good occasions to drink it it as well. I say it’s a win.}}
• Lose an additional 9.1 kilos to finally end up at a healthy 22.6 BMI.
  _{The scale is not my biggest fan right now (nor am I a fan of the scale) but with loverboy being away for the most part of June I’m planning on a shake-crash somewhere this month to get back on track. Which should be easier, now that we’re back to actually playing sports again to burn off some excess fat as well. Fingers crossed!}
• Get a ton of exercise. Or at least – a bunch. Or you know – try to go walking for an hour at least once a week.
  ^{Maaaaan – had a match yesterday and I swear, there’s things hurting that I didn’t even know I had. But hey, training tonight so no nagging, I guess.}
• Get my account balance/savings up to that number I internally discussed and at least stop spending fortunes on Thuisbezorgd.
  ^{With 9 times of food ordering – I can understand why my perpetually non-saving attitude is still a thing. Add some new Ikea home additions and garden tools and well…I fucked up this month. Again. Drat.}
• Don’t start smoking. Or get 12 cats. Or take up skydiving. Or become a vegan. Seriously. Don’t.
• Actually finish watching Arrow.
  _{From 57 episodes to go to 45 remaining, progress is being made. Show is still crappy as fuck though. The suffering continues. Luckily I binged Cursed, Reign and Z nation this month as well, so things are disappearing off of my to-watch list rapido!}
• Keep the Christmas tree up year round. IT’S HAPPENING! Gotta make it to August!
  ^{I had my curtains open last week. The mailman remarked on my tree. Still. Going. Strong. .}
• Learn a new language
  ^😦
• Play Zelda Breath of the Wild. Whether it’s at a friends or whether I manage to convince myself that I deserve a Switch. It must be played.
  ^{Yassss! We finished Zelda. As in, finished finished ALL of the quests, sidequests and shrines in the game. Outside of some gear enhancements and a loooot of Korok hunting – we rocked out on that game! I’m kinda sad it’s done though. Countdown to the new one in December! And planning on getting Witcher 3 in the meantime. LOVE!}

May was a good month. Really. It was. And I can’t wait to get started on June!
Huzzah 😀