I postmortem each month shortly after it ends, reflecting on what happened in general and, more specifically, in the context of my goals. Though I don’t share all my insights here, I have made it a practice to share at least one key highlight or insight. (To read previous months’ reviews, click here.)

When the new year begins, in January, I look back at my goals for my postmortem of December (now the year before), with no surprise and far less pressure. By the beginning of December, I’ve done my triage and I know what will and won’t get done, mostly.

My biggest goal accomplishments in December:

• I took the DELF B2 examination. I’d had it on my 2021 goals and managed to eke out test completion in the final month—in fact, with only two weeks left in the year. I won’t know if I passed until mid- to late January, yet I didn’t have passing on the goals plan. Instead, I’d had steady French learning on the program and taking the test at some point. I managed to do both.

• I wrapped up several goals for FrogDog that consumed a lot of my mental energy and focus in the second half of the year. In fact, I managed to accomplish my FrogDog objectives for 2021, although the form in which I got them done evolved and changed with the year’s turbulations.

Though I’d planned to try to get closer to finishing my novel manuscript in December, the dreaded DELF test took more emotional energy than I’d expected, as did the FrogDog efforts. Also, I decided to spend the final ten days or so of 2021 enjoying Arnaud’s end-of-year holiday break with him—a decision I don’t regret at all. I should have worked harder earlier in the year to have gotten that draft finished, rather than having left so much of it until December.

I’d gone into 2021 with goals significantly different than I’d set for the year before. In many ways, I’d gone easy on myself, too. The stress of 2020 had bogged down my progress that year and I felt the aftereffects going into 2021. I felt exhausted, and I knew I’d do myself a wrong by mapping an aggressive year burgeoning with objectives. Instead, I focused on a few key essentials in each life facet.

However, a goal sheet focused on the essentials didn’t mean I’d crystalized easy essentials. I had a lot of large decisions over which to struggle, many of which took me most of the year to resolve and to absorb.

Overall, though I didn’t accomplish everything I’d set out to do in 2021, I achieved most of it. Does that mean I’d taken it too easy on myself when I set my goals in late 2020? I don’t believe so, in reflection. After all, I didn’t accomplish everything I’d hoped—including two of my highest priority objectives. I can explain why I didn’t do them, but the explanations excuse nothing. They just show me where I need to change in the year ahead.

As 2021 wound down, I revisited the 2022 goals I’d drafted in November and finalized them for this new year. The goals I’ve set mark a big change, because the decisions I made in 2021 portend big shifts.

I’m more excited and more peaceful with what I see in the year ahead than I can remember being for a very, very long time. (Maybe ever.)

I don’t promote or push these postmortems in my Letter or on social media because I figure they don’t have interest for almost anyone (but me). However, if you have followed along, thank you. Though I may not know who among the people I do and do not know read these monthly updates, I appreciate those of you who do.

I hope 2022 brings you warmth and wonder.