As I like to do every January 1, I am posting my goals for the new year. Over the past few years, I have had some hits and misses. However, I have always felt like I made good on my promise to pursue any first-of-the-year plans shared here on the blog.

This year is not much different than 2021. I have a ton of small goals that can often change, so it is not worth putting them down as “definite” plans.

However, there are some that are worthy of jotting down. When I write my year-in-review post 364 days from now, I want to look back and know that I gave everything of myself I had to give in pursuit of these goals.

So, let us dive right into them.

Gardening / Food Forest

It has been three years since I made any specific gardening goals. I have continued to grow some of my own food during that time. I just did not make big plans for the year.

Part of that was because I wanted to focus on writing and reading goals. Another part of it has been because I have had a lot of other things going on.

However, for 2022, I want to take a giant step toward my eventual goal of having a food forest. This type of gardening is about creating a permanent system (permaculture) that grows and thrives year in and year out. Essentially, the goal is to one day go “grocery shopping” at almost any point of the year from my own backyard.

I purchased my home and 2.5 acres of land in December 2020. This is plenty enough space to create a self-sustaining homestead in the years to come. It won’t happen overnight. It is something I must work on consistently over a longer period. The hope is that I will have everything in place within the next decade — although, the work is never truly finished. In the coming years, I plan to lay down specific goals that build toward this future.

In 2021, I planted two peach trees in an open area that will one day be my food forest. The property already had two figs and a pear tree when I arrived. I also began building a small wildlife habitat/sanctuary using tree limbs and yard debris from much of the cleanup I did last year. I have added bird feeders and houses around the property too.

For 2022, the immediate goal is planting more fruit-bearing perennial plants. I plan to add two additional peach trees, four plum trees, and a row of muscadines along one of my fence lines.

A stretch goal will be to put in some blackberries. And, if I happen to find some pawpaw trees for sale locally, I will jump on those.

I already have some 2023 goals too, but I will save them for next year. Plus, they could change over the next 12 months depending on a ton of factors.

Writing

This goal is the same every year. I suppose if I keep telling myself to do it, I will eventually finish writing an entire novel.

Last year, I made solid progress during National Novel Writing Month toward a workable first draft. I have a lot I want to do with the world and characters I have created, and I feel like I am in a better starting position than I have ever been on any first day of a new year.

One way or another, I am going to wrap up a complete first draft. It might not be publishable, but it will be done.

Reading

Again, I plan to continue working through my fourth year straight of reading daily. This is a lifelong goal, so it is not necessarily specific to 2022. However, it is good to remind myself once again to never give up on this pursuit.

I failed so miserably at hitting my total books-read goal in 2021 that I probably should not make this a goal. But, who doesn’t like a good challenge? Mine for this year is to read two books per month (24 books total).