Reviewing The 2020 Game Plan

At the start of 2020, I set four personal objectives. I don’t like to call them resolutions. It’s more motivating to work toward a goal than to test one’s resolve.

The first objective was to travel as much as possible. Unfortunately, the virus put a quick halt to that plan. I was booking a trip to California when COVID-19 started spreading throughout the US. I have put all of my travel plans on indefinite hold.

The second goal was to avoid buying any new music or photography. I wanted to make the most of the equipment that I already owned instead of chasing after shiny new gizmos.

The third objective was to spend time doing what I do best. In a nutshell, there are things that I do well, and there are other things that I can do competently, but I’ll never be elite in those areas. While I recognize that it’s a good practice to work on your weaknesses, I wanted to make sure that I was spending enough time in the areas where I can deliver the highest quality results.

The fourth and final goal was to finish some important projects that I had left in an incomplete state. I have made some progress in this area - I finally finished scoring and mixing the Tuba Concerto in G minor, which I composed in eleven days some years ago. That feat that left me so exhausted I never got around to finishing the paperwork. I hope to be able to share more completed soon.

It has been a challenging year for a number of reasons. My professional work has been intense and frequently exhausting. The virus has forced us to change the way we do almost everything.  The lockdown had a negative impact on my health. But I have been able to make progress on endeavors that are important to me, and the results have been rewarding.

Thank you as always for reading my musings. Your time is appreciated.