It’s about that time of the year when everyone sits and mutters off their New Year’s Resolutions they won’t keep. Like usual, I’m here to report on my end-of-year achievements and next year’s goals. So what’d I do in 2012 I actually said I would last year?

1. Bike to Salem – DONE! Did this in April!
2. Payoff all debts but the house – DONE! I have no credit card debt, no car loans, no student loans, or any other frivolous debts.
3. Use an iPod Touch as my only phone – DONE! Did this a few months ago and no longer have a monthly phone bill or hefty data plan. I get by nicely with Ting and about 2-4 times a year I activate the cellular data plan for $20 on my Verizon iPad Mini.
4. Read a book a month – DONE! I averaged a book a month at least. I read mostly web design/development theory books, enjoyed reading Goldfinger a few weeks prior to Skyfall’s release and a few other biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.
5. Keep deadbeat clients under $2000 this year – DONE! I managed to lose $0 on deadbeat clients this year. Everyone paid on time and in full.
6. Keep living expenses under $1200 / month – DONE! Some months were close, and some months were way under, but for the most part, I lived comfortably on about $1000 a month thanks to having no pre-existing debts and only a few recurring bills (water, lights, mortgage).

I failed to a few things this year. I never got to a beach, though next year shouldn’t be too difficult to do that considering I’ll be living on the coast. I didn’t write as many human interest stories this year as I wanted and I didn’t quite make 40% of my income from non-web work, though I did earn more from non-web work this year than I did any prior year.

For 2013, my goals are:

1. Go to a beach.
2. Finish my novel.
3. Organize or take part in some community events in Connecticut.
4. Push my cumulative number of miles biked over 6,000.
5. Get in the best shape of my life.
6. Travel somewhere (far enough to need to use a plane) at least once.
7. Take part in a bike race or ride.
8. Write more letters (I’ve always done a bit of this, but I want to write to a wider (read: random) selection of people).
9. Enjoy more coffee.
10. Replace at least 10 things with the absolute best of those things (i.e., toaster, desk chair, silverware, knives, etc.).