My first memory is from Christmas, 1980. I just turned four years old. I remember waddling into my bedroom led by my grandparents, and what I saw standing there was magnificent…a brand new bicycle. Powder blue. Shiny chrome fenders on the front and back. Training wheels. Ready to ride.
Mastering how to ride that bike became an immediate goal, the first of my lifetime that I can remember. Soon my grandmother would pay the neighbor kids to accompany me as I rode up and down the street for hours. As a young boy, watching my neighbors cruise around on their bikes motivated me to keep at it.
Since going through one of Oregon’s largest layoffs in 10 years, I’ve watched several of my former colleagues land jobs, go back to school, start new businesses, and forge new paths. It’s inspiring to see my friends and former colleagues work towards their goals. It motivates me to work towards my own.
In this one-year anniversary post, I’ll list the most read blog posts on my site, recount my personal highs and lows of 2016, and document my resolutions for the new year. 2016 will be remembered by many as a year of surprises. Check out Friend Dog Studios and their take on it in their spoof movie trailer “2016: The Movie“. It’s hilarious and creative.
My Five Most Read Blog Posts
- Are Networking Events Really Worth It? (6/27/16)
- Joyfear (12/14/15)
- My Top 3 Mistakes as a People Manager (5/2/16)
- “I Was Just Joking” – Sarcasm in the Workplace (3/7/16)
- Sunny Skies Ahead (3/27/16)
Personal Highlights…
Returning to school. When I look back on life, returning to school at 39 years old will certainly stand out as a highlight. I remember I was skeptical about a free education. Here? In the U.S.? For me? Yes, yes, and yes. What a great opportunity. Fall Term was a good one. I managed a 4.0 GPA and earned a project management certificate from Portland State’s CEPE.
Guy trip. I’ve been in a great group of friends that have known each other for 20 years. We celebrated in the summer time by renting a house near Mt. Hood for a couple days where we caught up, watched old home videos (of us in our 20s), and played basketball, card games, and hours of doubles table tennis. Killer time, boys.
Family trip. This was for my uncle’s birthday in April. I went to Las Vegas with my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Wish you could fly? Try the zip line over Fremont Street.
The great outdoors. I’ve suffered from allergies and hay fever my whole life, which has prevented me from enjoying camping trips and outdoor summer activities due to the sneezing, runny nose, itchy/watery eyes, etc. But! I had rhinoplasty surgery in 2015 and this year I was finally able to enjoy an overnight camping trip allergy-free. I had a great time snowboarding in January, snowshoeing in February, and kayaking in August. In September my Underdog co-ed volleyball team went 9-0 and won the tournament. High five, team!
… and Personal Bummers of 2016
Walking pneumonia. Acquired during the aforementioned snowshoeing trip last February. I was out of commission for over a week.
Gardening irony. Previous posts show the result of my work on an ornamental garden in my front yard. I spent much of the summer removing the old one and installing a new one from scratch. One week after finishing, harsh rains demolished it, destroying the plants and washing much of my new mulch into the lawn.
Car expenses. I started planning a trip to Paris/London for 10 days in December. Just days before I planned to buy the ticket, my VW gets emphysema and I give my vacation money to a mechanic to fix it up…again. I must really love my car.
My Resolutions for the New Year
Continue workout schedule. Since August I’ve been working out four mornings per week. My goal is to stay on schedule throughout the year, making time for morning workouts by taking afternoon classes each term.
Try at least one new steakhouse by the end of the year. I already have plans at El Gaucho for December, so I’ll try another spot by July 1st. If you’re in the Portland, Oregon area, send me your suggestions!
Release acoustic music EP and add it to this website by August 1st.
Complete an internship through Portland State University by December 31st.
Enjoy three outdoor activities (snowboarding, camping, kayaking, etc) by the end of the year.
Manage website & blog. Publish a minimum of 6 blog posts throughout the year.
Your Resolutions
What are your new year’s resolutions?
If you’re wondering how you’re going to make (and keep) your resolutions, don’t worry, so am I. Which is good, because that means we’re focusing on our goals. Here are a couple things that can help us both. This first is a TED Talk by author Laura Vanderkam titled “How to gain control of your free time“. The second is a podcast by Freakonomics titled “How to be more productive“. I found them informative and inspiring and I hope you do too.
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What are your highlights of 2016 and resolutions for 2017? Please leave a comment below or on my website http://www.milesshattuck.com. Thank you for reading! Happy holidays and I hope you have a great year ahead.