It’s about half way through the year. I’ve been looking at my goals for the year more and more lately and coming to see that I really need to put in more effort to accomplish them. Not that I’ve put in no effort, just not enough. To say that I’m nowhere is a bit extreme, but <25% through the list at 50% through the year is not the best place to be. I guess I’m doing my best with this whole process but part of me feels like I could carve out a little more time during the weekends to get some more accomplished. I’m spending a lot of time focusing on others, which is good, and not enough time on myself. As a refreshed here’s the goals list:

2026 GOALS

• gauche: find a kit and get into it, produce 5 i’m proud of
• get myself into the “no middleman art gallery” (maybe twice under different names for old/new work)
• get up to date on journal metadata spreadsheet
• go to the gym regularly (1-2x weekly)
• learn to eat healthier via a professional (for myself and the family)
• lose about 35lbs (250 goal)
• make sure I make about 4 hours for myself each week (personal/creative time//4hr minimum)
• oil paintings: 3-4 i’m proud of
• quit smoking for 90 consecutive days minimum
• read 6 good books on art (criticism, history, theory, tutorials, etc)
• reduce credit card debt by about 25%
• setup a web store on blog site – need to advertise / get views up // check for feasibility
• sketchbook work: regularly 2-3x weekly
• trip to nashville with Dori (for xmas/anniversary/birthdays)
• use planner for entire year (hobonici)
• watercolors: 10 i’m proud of

And I’ll provide the updates line by line:

2026 GOALS UPDATES

• gauche: find a kit and get into it, produce 5 i’m proud of
  • Scrap this entirely, it’s too expensive and I really don’t need or want another medium to spend money or or have to learn.
• get myself into the “no middleman art gallery” (maybe twice under different names for old/new work)
  • Definitely scrap the second attempt at getting in under a different name. Totally dishonest. And maybe I’ll still think about the first half later, but certainly not now. 
• get up to date on journal metadata spreadsheet
  • I’m making good progress here, there’s just so much to go through to get current with that realistically it may be another year.
• go to the gym regularly (1-2x weekly)
  • I stopped doing this when it started snowing, maybe i’ll go back. 
• learn to eat healthier via a professional (for myself and the family)
  • No progress here
• lose about 35lbs (250 goal)
  • I’m down to about 270 so i’m close
• make sure I make about 4 hours for myself each week (personal/creative time//4hr minimum)
  • This hasn’t happened at all. Nothing even close to 4 hours a week.
• oil paintings: 3-4 i’m proud of
  • Haven’t touched oils in a while, definitely not this year
• quit smoking for 90 consecutive days minimum
  • Progress is being made here, I’m down to about 10 a day if I try and limit myself. When the day goes to shit I don’t stick to it as much. 
• read 6 good books on art (criticism, history, theory, tutorials, etc)
  • I’ve been reading plenty, just not on topic. 
• reduce credit card debt by about 25%
  • nope
• setup a web store on blog site – need to advertise / get views up // check for feasibility
  • Also nope
• sketchbook work: regularly 2-3x weekly
  • I’ve been working in sketchbooks more than I was but still not with the frequency i want to
• trip to nashville with Dori (for xmas/anniversary/birthdays)
  • scrapped
• use planner for entire year (hobonici)
  • I don’t even know where it is at this point
• watercolors: 10 i’m proud of
  • Maybe 4 so far? Maybe. I’m not sure of that even.

So based on that report I have no idea where I actually stand percentagewise, but some number certainly. 

Time to redouble my efforts and continue trying.