2018 is coming to a close, and I am approaching my first anniversary of blogging here at Iowa Dad Life. The last 12 months have been filled with successes, failures, and challenges for the year to come. In this review, I will touch on a few aspects of my life from 2018 and share what went well, what didn’t go well, and what I am planning to do in 2019.
Let’s get started.
Blogging
2018 marked the beginning of Iowa Dad Life. After months of thinking about doing it in 2017, I decided that January 2018 was as good of a time as any to get started. I saw the blog grow slowly and steadily over the last year.
What went well
Here are my top 3 visited posts for 2018:
- The Global Leadership Summit 2018 Review
- Glitter is the Devil (obviously people agree with me)
- Matthew Kelly from Dynamic Catholic: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
There is clearly a large following for The Global Leadership Summit. I have visitors from all around the world come to visit my article. If you have never attended a summit or don’t know what it is all about, I invite you to read my post to learn more.
What didn’t go well
As with most things, there has been a learning curve with starting something new. My goal is to write posts that are informational, inspirational, and helpful to others. Some of my posts gathered little to no attention at all. Here are my least viewed posts from 2018:
Plans for 2019
I plan to mix in some interviews for 2019. These interviews will showcase a different perspective on topics like finance and foster parenting. I am excited to release these posts.
Social Media
Even though I live in Iowa, my blog isn’t The Field of Dreams. I can’t just build the blog, write posts, and expect people to come and find it. I need to promote the blog. In order to do this, I decided to start an Instagram account because of their image, video, and Instagram TV options.
What went well
I was surprised by some of my most liked instagram posts. I use my account to post things about my family, events I attend, and other items.
Here are my top 3 Instagram posts for 2018:
What didn’t go well
There were a few Instagram posts that I thought would garner more attention that didn’t take off for one reason or another.
Here are some of my favorite posts that didn’t get much traction:
Plans for 2019
While Instagram is going well, it is hard to read my effectiveness on this platform. I am truly grateful for those that do follow and engage with me on my Instagram account. I would gladly take the followers I have over 1 million unengaged followers. So, for all of you out there that follow me, thank you! I don’t take it lightly.
To help expand my reach, I am also starting a Twitter account. I am choosing Twitter because of the ability to embed links in posts. Instagram doesn’t allow this capability, and I sometimes find it challenging to reference links for my followers.
I will try my best to navigate both platforms and bring value and hopefully a smile to your face as well.
Personal
Personal achievements have changed for me over the years. When I was younger, all my goals revolved around me. Now, my achievements revolve around my family. As I try to better myself from year to year, I am not only doing it for my benefit but hopefully my family’s as well.
What went well
Well, I think I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one last time that I started this blog in 2018. While there was a lot of work that went into getting the blog started, I am definitely proud that I have maintained my consistency from week to week. It is a labor of love and a challenge that I look forward to learning from.
What didn’t go well
Since college, I have been less active and spend most of my day sitting at a desk, which is a bad mix for a man in his upper 30’s. In late 2016 and early 2017, I lost close to 50 pounds. In early 2017, I reached a weight of 188 pounds. It was the lightest I had been in almost 20 years. Unfortunately, I gained some of that weight back in 2018. I am currently at 219 pounds. This doesn’t sit well with me or my clothes.
Plans for 2019
I need to get back to my fighting weight of 190 pounds. There is no event or reason that I want to achieve this goal other than I felt better when I was lighter, looked better, and my clothes fit better.
By July 1st, 2019, I will weigh 190 pounds. To achieve this goal, I will be reducing the amount of alcohol I consume, sweets I eat, and the number of servings I eat at each sitting. Like most people, I tend to relax with some sweets like M&M’s, or I’ll even dig into the kids’ goldfish stash and munch on that at night.
Instead, I will drink more water, eat fruit when I want to snack, and eat one serving of food instead of two or three. These were the steps that helped me reduce my weight in 2016 and 2017, and I am hoping that they will work again for me in 2019.
Family
Balancing time with my wife and kids is a challenge. There are nights when I come home from work and Adelaide is already in bed for the night. Other times, it seems like Anna and I are full time referees and try to make sure the kids don’t hurt themselves or each other.
What went well
We are all healthy and well, and we are so grateful. Also, I still have all my hair, so really 2018 treated me well. In all honesty, Anna and I are proud of the kids and the strides they have taken this year. Jude has enjoyed his Montessori preschool, and we’ve really watched him grow into a boy this year. Adelaide went from a baby to a toddler to a really busy, active toddler, and is now at a fun, interactive stage.
What didn’t go well
As parents of little kids, it is tough to get away for date night. While we didn’t get out as much as we would have liked to, this past fall has been more successful in achieving a date night with just the two of us.
Plans for 2019
Next year, Jude will go to kindergarten. Anna and I have a decision to make on where to send him. We are debating between public and private school, and there are many pros and cons. Our goal is always to help our kids continue to grow and learn.
How was your 2018?
Well, there you have it. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and follow me. It means the world to me, and I look forward to 2019.
How was your 2018? What were your biggest takeaways? What successes and failures did you encounter? Do you have plans for improvement in 2019? Let me know in the comments below.
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