2018 → 2019
2018 resolutions
I entered 2018 with nine resolutions. Some were successful (I finished noseR, read more books than the year before, limited my social media time) but I didn’t manage others (we didn’t launch Everyday Giver, I didn’t practice piano much, I didn’t keep a daily diary, and I didn’t work as hard as I wanted to).
The year contained a couple of bonus items, though. Along with some friends, I started an arts night, Unfinished Business (which, despite being fun, I decided to stop working on). More importantly, we adopted Hyko. Although he takes up lots of time and requires lots of work, I can’t help but feel pure joy whenever I see his beautiful face.
Resolutions aside, I picked up some freelance work and was fortunate to be able to travel to some fun places: Mexico (to eat tacos), Hong Kong (to visit Annabel’s family), Dublin (to celebrate Ed and Laura’s love), Switzerland (to crash Annabel’s work trip), Fuerteventura (for the first ever all-Leighfield holiday), Czech Republic (to see Run for Your Life on display), and Spain / France (to take Hyko on his first Blighfield holiday).
2019 resolutions
This year, I’ve split my resolutions into three categories:
No
Shopping on Amazon, noise (constant podcasts, music, audio inputs), excessive drinking, busyness, and some other top secret ones.Yes
Journalling about each book I read, exercising daily, cultivating a spiritual practice, reading daily excerpts from four books (A London Year, Common Prayer, My Utmost for His Highest, The Daily Stoic), blogging more, investing in quality relationships, writing new music, working hard.Ongoing
Thinking about becoming more politically active, thinking about how we can use our house for good.
I’d also like to travel overseas way less because it’s extremely unkind to the environment.
2018 book log
I read more books this year than last year, which I was happy about. I also read a lot of fiction for the first time in a long time. If you’ve read any of these books and want to talk about them, send me an email.
A Dull Roar — Henry Rollins
The Bluest Eye — Toni Morrison
Hallelujah Anyway — Anne Lamott
Fire On All Sides — James Rhodes
How to Think — Alan Jacobs
Hope in the Dark — Rebecca Solnit
Bored and Brilliant — Manoush Zomorodi
Reservoir 13 — Jon McGregor
Golden Hill — Francis Spufford
Just Kids — Patti Smith
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race — Reni Eddo-Lodge
We Should All Be Feminists — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
What Belongs to You — Garth Greenwell
Connect — Julian Gough
Housekeeping — Marilynne Robinson
Commonwealth — Ann Patchett
The Power — Naomi Alderman
Less — Andrew Sean Greer
Let Your Life Speak — Parker J. Palmer
Priestdaddy — Patricia Lockwood
This Really Isn’t About You — Jean Hannah Edelstein
Rest — Alexander Soojung-Kim Pang
I Am, I Am, I Am — Maggie O’Farrell
The Writing Life — Annie Dillard
A Spool of Blue Thread — Anne Tyler
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine — Gail Honeyman
The Leavers — Lisa Ko
Normal People — Sally Rooney
Crudo — Olivia Laing
Mothers — Chris Power
2019 book list
Here are some books on my bedside table that I’m planning to read this year. If you’d like to read one or more of them with me and chat about them afterwards — a sort of mini online book club — send me an email.
Natives — Akala
My Bright Abyss — Christopher Wiman
Brother — David Chariandy
Against Everything — Mark Greif
What is The Bible? — Rob Bell
Pedro and Me —Judd Winick
Silence — Erling Kagge
Strange Labyrinth — Will Ashon
The Widening Circle — Graham Tomlin
You Are Not a Gadget — Jaron Lanier
Changing My Mind — Zadie Smith
Far from the Tree — Andrew Solomon
Telling the Truth — Frederick Buechner
Life of the Beloved — Henri Nouwen
This is Your Brain on Music — Daniel Levitin
Abba’s Child — Brennan Manning
The First Bad Man — Miranda July
The Post Evangelical — Dave Tomlinson
The Courage to Be — Paul Tillich
Tokens of Trust — Rowan Williams
The Shepherd’s Life — James Rebanks
Talking to Women — Nell Dunn
The Surfboard — Dan Kieran
Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates
Barking Up the Wrong Tree — Eric Barker
The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat — Oliver Sacks
Thirst — Scott Harrison
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