New year, new me. I've got a handful of resolutions I'd like to try beyond the usual weight loss one that I make every year and sometimes manage to stick with beyond March.
I've found over the years that when I give a hard goal (I want to lose 15 pounds this year!) I usually run out of steam. But if the resolution is framed a different way (I want to try and cut out high-carbohydrate foods), it's easier to stick to those beyond the first quarter of the year. Process over results!
So, here are the areas I want to focus on in 2024.
Listen to More Classical Music & See More Live Music
I majored in music in college. I traveled to Europe to perform with an orchestra. I used to gig a lot before I kind of pulled the ripcord on music and swerved down a path of business and technology. Point being, I miss it. And now that our kids are older, I feel like we can sneak away to see more live music. Not just concerts, but smaller shows.
I also want to listen to more classical music. I'm on the board of directors for the Bach Society of Saint Louis and am trying to join the board of Opera Theatre St. Louis. I've always deeply appreciated classical music, but want to really broaden my scope beyond my long-standing obsession with Philip Glass and his contemporaries. This is the year that I really put the Apple Music Classical app to work.
Make Better Pizzas
Two years ago, my in-laws gave me an outdoor gas pizza oven. I've got what I feel is a really good dough recipe, but I'm still somehow only about 80% of the way there for the bake. Our sauce and toppings game is on-point, but sometimes my crust can get compacted or not fully rise after I throw it off the peel.
I'm hereby resolving to, by the end of 2024, make the perfect Neapolitan Pizza.
Drink Less Alcohol, Drink More Water
The pandemic wired me to think it was ok to drink a lot of beer, wine, and spirits on weeknights. It's something that I've been able to cut back on considerably since, oh, March-July 2020, but I can do better, and I will do better. I'm 44 years old, I need to start taking a quality vs quantity approach to a lot of what life can offer. When it comes to alcohol, I’m building up a nice bourbon reserve, and I plan on enjoying responsibly.
As for water consumption: I try to drink at least 40 ounces of water per day. I need to double that at a minimum. I feel way better when I'm hydrated – so why deny myself that? Just drink water, dude!
Complete the family's Croatian Citizenship application and wait for approval
This is the big one. I put the wheels in motion in summer 2023 and can now fully substantiate the claim to Citizenship by Descent (prirođenje). Once my application packet is completed in late winter, I'll need to book a time with the Croatian Consulate in Chicago and drive us all up to turn it in.
Then, we wait.
