Uberlist 2016: The Aftermath

As I start working on my 2017 Uberlist, it seemed like a good idea to look back at what I tried to accomplish in 2016. Life has a funny way of surprising us, and 2016 was full of a lot of personal surprises and changes that meant that a lot of what I had planned went out the window. Still, I did successfully hit a few of my attempted items.

1. ADMIN: Finish writing my 2016 Uberlist
6. HEALTH/RUNNING: Regularly three days a week
9. HEALTH/RUNNING: Run 10-miler/half marathon
10. HEALTH/RUNNING: Run 750 miles
11. HEALTH/RUNNING: Run 846 miles
15. HEALTH/WEIGHT: Be under 160 lbs.
16. HEALTH/WEIGHT: Be under 162 lbs.
17. HOME/ENTERTAINING: Cook for friends (1)
18. HOME/ENTERTAINING: Cook for friends (2)
19. HOME/ENTERTAINING: Cook for friends (3)
20. HOME/ENTERTAINING: Cook for friends (4)
21. HOME/ENTERTAINING: Cook for friends (5)
27. HOME/REORGANIZING: Sort through pants and donate excess
28. HOME/REORGANIZING: Sort through the gift box
33. LEISURE/CAMERA: Complete 1 Second Everyday
35. LEISURE/CANNING: Make new type of jam
45. LEISURE/FILMS/AFIDOCS: See full-length doc
46. LEISURE/FILMS/AFIDOCS: See shorts compilation
55. LEISURE/LEGO: Put together Bike Shop/Coffee Shop
56. LEISURE/LEGO: Put together Doctor Who set
57. LEISURE/LEGO: Put together Toy and Grocery Store
62. LEISURE/LOCAL/EATING: Go to Jackie’s before it closes
68. LEISURE/READING: At least 5 book club selections
69. LEISURE/READING: At least 20 prose books
71. LEISURE/READING: Best American Comics 2009
72. LEISURE/READING: Best American Comics 2010
73. LEISURE/READING: Best American Comics 2014
78. LEISURE/READING: One from the Mieville stack
86. LEISURE/TV: Transparent S2
87. LIBRARIANSHIP: Apply for NLM Associate Fellowship Program
88. LIBRARIANSHIP: Find a new job
89. LIBRARIANSHIP: Pitch adjunct teaching
91. LIBRARIANSHIP: Volunteer with Lubuto 12 times
92. LIBRARIANSHIP: Volunteer with Lubuto 20 times
93. PERSONAL: Wear sweaters more often
95. TRAVEL: Big vacation with Charlie (not listed)
96. TRAVEL: Florida/visit parents
97. TRAVEL: Gallifrey in February
99. TRAVEL: Lost River
107. WORK/REORGANIZING: Clear out books for eBay or donations
111. WRITING: Regularly contribute reviews to CBR
116. ZENITH: Be happy

Not a bad list of accomplishments at all, and items 88 and 89 both happening and being successful really wiped out a lot of other attempts. But that said, it makes me want to focus a bit more on the items I didn’t finish and see what’s worth keeping and what goes away for my 2017 list.

Which is, at its core, why I like the Uberlist: the process of coming up with the list alone makes me think about priorities in life and what I’d like to be doing in the year ahead. That’s always a worthwhile endeavor.