2017 certainly flew by, didn’t it? It seems as though just last month I was publishing my goals for the year, yet it’s already time to reflect and think about goals for 2018.

Year of “Firsts”

This year was definitely the year to accomplish new things and push my body to its limit. In August, I completed my first trail marathon in preparation for my first 50k ultra marathon the following month. Not only did I exceed my primary goal of just finishing the damn race, I ran my 50k just slightly under six hours (5:54!) to beat my secondary goal as well. And I actually had fun while competing in both races!

The view at the halfway point of the Middle Fork 50k, September 2017

I also had the opportunity to enjoy the Pacific Northwest nature in other ways besides running. In June, I went with a few friends on a backpacking trip to Annette Lake and slept out under the stars. It was an amazing first-time experience, even if there was still snow!

Annette Lake, June 2017

After my crazy summer of training, I decided to cut back on running and head to the gym more consistently. A boxing gym opened in late summer only a few blocks from my house, so I’d been wanting to try it out to see what it was like. Lifting weights can get boring, and I haven’t participated in a contact sport since I stopped playing football way back in 9th grade. (And let’s face it, sometimes the state of the world can make even the sanest person want to punch something.) So I took my first boxing lesson the day after my 28th birthday.

Well, I’ve fallen in love with a new sport and I’m glad I convinced myself to work up the courage to step into the boxing gym. I’m currently taking ~2 lessons a week and attending classes, and I’m excited to continue learning boxing in 2018. The HIIT workouts have already made a noticeable effort in my running ability as well, as many of my recent runs have been the fastest I’ve run all year.

Professional Growth

Finally, another first for me this year is that I published my first course on Pluralsight! My last post was about the launch of the course, so I won’t go into much more detail here. The experience filming at a production studio in Salt Lake City was definitely something I won’t forget anytime soon.

2017: Goal Recap

Overall, I did very well at achieving the goals I set for myself in 2017.

• I did not read a book a month this year, but I did manage to finish ten and I have 2 or 3 books currently in progress.
• I’ve continued to volunteer at the University District Food Bank. In addition to the food bank, I joined a group of Salesforce professionals that will be working to bring a PepUp Tech Salesforce boot camp to the Seattle area in 2018.
• I exceeded my running & professional goals as well.

2018: Looking Ahead

As per usual many of my goals will be staying the same and are hardly worth mentioning at this point. I will continue to read more books, keep volunteering, and run several more half marathons. (And maybe another ultra?)

In addition to these goals, there are many things I’m excited to accomplish in 2018:

• If I keep up my boxing training, I hope to be skilled enough to start sparring by February or March.
• I look forward to speaking at more conferences and possibly publishing another course on Pluralsight.
• And as mentioned above, I am working with a group here in Seattle to run a Salesforce boot camp.

2018 should prove to be adventurous for both Tym and I. We are also in the middle of a bathroom renovation and hope to do more traveling this year. A trip to Hawaii and possibly a destination elsewhere is currently being planned.

I hope your 2017 was a great one, too! What are you looking forward to in 2018?

— Robert