I had a lot of goals last year, and if we’re measuring things in a pass/fail binary, I flopped pretty hard in 2025. But if I relax my grip on perfection and honor progress instead: well, I accomplished a lot, actually? (Also, like… fuck binaries.) Especially considering my year also included writing an entire graphic novel and assembling a pitch package, self-publishing five mini-comics, graduating with an MFA, working very long hours at wonderful but emotionally intensive job, being locked in mortal combat with a barren rental market for a third of the year, and traveling back to the west coast for an entire month. Plus, you know, that whole unraveling-of-the-social-fabric-as-my-country-freefalls-into-a-fascist-oligarchy thing we’ve all been dealing with. 🫠

Here’s the rundown of what I set out to do in January of last year, as compared to what I actually managed to do. Yes, that’s right, it’s PLANNER TOUR TIME. Buckle up.

Goal: make 12 new soup recipes I haven’t made before.
Result: made 10 (plus, like, a lot of familiar recipes)

Goal: knit nine things
Result: Kind of hit this one? Although only eight spaces are filled in, two of these were multiples (ten mini-scarf bookmarks, two matching turquoise-and-purple cardigans). Also technically that last sweater didn’t get finished until like January 4th but you know what, close enough, I’m counting it in the 2025 logbook.

Goal: Read 50 books
Result: I read 40 books. Unsurprisingly, most of them were graphic novels.

I did keep up with knitting a stripe for every book I read, though!

Here’s the genre breakdown for the stripes, in case you were wondering what the colors meant!

Look at him, isn’t he good!!

Undecided what (if anything) I’ll do to log my reading progress this year, besides record titles on Storygraph. Got a fun suggestion that will take me less than 20 minutes per book? (I don’t have it in me to like, paint a brick of each cover or whatever, low-effort suggestions only.)

Goal: Stretch & Sketch a minimum of five minutes a day at least three days a week
Result: Uhhhh… whatever this is?

BINGO CARD

Goal: get a bingo. Stretch goal: get a blackout!
Result: I got TWO bingos! And several of the unmarked things are in progress ;) I had a great time trying to fill out my 2025 Bingo card, would recommend if you’re looking for an alternative to traditional new year’s resolutions

…I almost immediately regretted putting non-fun things on my Bingo card (taxes, I’m looking at you), so this year’s Bingo card is strictly Fun Things.

I also bullied talked my housemates into making a bingo card for our house, and we brainstormed our list while on a spontaneous road trip to the Ice Castles in Woodstock, NH a couple of weeks ago. V, as our house’s designated Chart Maker, drew it up for us and slapped it up onto the fridge.

INTRODUCING a NEW TRACKER: Baked Goods Counter!! (honorable mention for reprising the knitting log counter as well)

The rest of my 2026 planner looks pretty much the same as last year’s! I’ve been noodling on formats for several years and I finally hit cruising altitude 😎

May your coming year be more hopes and successes than horrors and suckage. Count the little things. Be soft with yourself and fierce toward injustice. I love you <3