Another year older and wiser, the New Year is a chance to reflect on the resolutions from last year and assess if we were successful or not, and why. Promises made at the start of the year actually have their origins in religion. For example, at the start of each year, Babylonians would make pledges to their gods to return borrowed objects and pay debts, while Romans would make vows to Janus, the God for which January is named.

At the end of 2015, I made a few geocaching resolutions and now is the perfect time to dust off the list and see how well I did (or not…)

1. Stress out less about FTFs

2. Log all DNFs

3. Go for longer hikes

4. Not take harsh log comments to heart

5. Find more varied cache types 

6. Finish my Ireland county grid 

Errrr…. I would quite like to plead the fifth here but in the interests of full disclosure, let’s break them down in descending order of success.

I finished my Ireland country grid!

I can now proudly say I have cached in every country on the island of Ireland, having spent a lovely few days geocaching in County Clare in June. To be fair, the difficult part of this resolution was well and truly done before 2016 had even started since I only had one county left at the beginning of the year. But still, I did it and that counts for something, right?

I did vary my cache types found more (if only by a little bit)

My percentage of traditional caches went down and other cache types went up. I also managed to find two new cache types this year – giga and GPS Adventures Exhibit.

I improved somewhat at logging DNFs

I have definitely got better at logging DNFs and if I haven’t logged, it’s usually because I’ve forgotten rather than as a result of DNF shame. While I did make progress on this one, I think I need a better system of keeping track of my DNFs so I can ensure to log them.

I got better at shaking off negative logs 

It still baffles me why some people consistently and inexplicably feel the need to be rude in their logs but if I do get upset, I usually let it out of my system quickly (cep99 is usually the listening ear for any rants!) and then I let it go, instead of dwelling on it.

I went for some long hikes but not enough

In my defence, last year’s resolution talked about having the amenity of the Wicklow Mountains National Park on my doorstep and I did move 200km away in April (and yes, I can hear your cries of, “but there are lots of hiking opportunities where you live now”, but please shush because I’m trying to defend myself here!). I do need to make more of an effort and I plan on starting the year off right at the New Year’s Resolution Event on 14th January!

I still got way too stressed about FTFs 

Anyone who knows me well probably scoffed when they read my resolution to be less stressed about FTFs. Despite my best intentions, it did not work out. I’m currently on month 32 of my monthly FTF streak and the longer it goes on, the more difficult it is to be calm when a new month starts. I think I may need to be more realistic in my goals!

The Year Ahead…

So what then, should I resolve to do this year? That’s the million-dollar question. Bearing in mind that I have a busy year ahead, with my summer wedding on the horizon and still plenty of planning to do, I’ve decided to be realistic while still pushing myself a little.

1. Finish the second loop of my Fizzy Grid 

It’s been a whole 18 months since I finished my Fizzy Grid and I’m now working on loop two. I only have three more DTs to find to close off the second loop and with a little bit of hiking and possibly some tree-climbing I should be able to do it! It’s a realistic resolution but challenging at the same time.

2. Make it to the UK Mega

This might not seem like a big deal since I’ve been to the UK Mega for the last three years, but in 2017, the event falls exactly 7 days before my wedding but I am determined to go, even if I just get my name in the logbook (though hopefully I’ll have more time than that!).

This year’s event is taking place in Devon, which is a place I’ve never been and would love to see, so I have much incentive but various obstacles to overcome to make it! Let’s hope I can keep my UK Mega streak alive 🙂

3. Visit at least three new countries

I absolutely loved our trip to Japan and was reminded how refreshing it is visit somewhere completely new. With that in mind, I am hoping to make it to some new countries each year.

Our first trip of the year is to Copenhagen and I am really looking forward to my first trip to Denmark!

4. Go on at least one hike per month  

I had to think long and hard about this one. I also had to get back-up in the form of cep99 to support me. It’s all very well and good to say, “I need to do more of that” but I think a more definitive goal will help me stay on track, and cep99 has agreed to have the same resolution – geocaching friends are the best!

I’m going to blog about my hikes monthly, so this public declaration will hopefully keep me on track as the year goes on! I just have to keep thinking about the views at the top to get me there 🙂

Did you make any geocaching New Year’s resolutions at the start of 2016? How did they go? Have you made any for the year ahead? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Caching!

Sarah

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