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I'm making 2024 a depth year

I'm making 2024 a depth year
Photo by Maik Jonietz / Unsplash

If you're not already familiar with the concept, go read the original article: Go Deeper, Not Wider. Don't worry, this article will still be here when you get back. 😉

There are a few areas I'd really like to focus on for my depth year. By writing them out and publishing them, I hope to hold myself accountable and actually stick to these goals.

No third dog

I've been mulling over getting a third dog, in addition to Loki and Jean. However, Loki can be testy with other dogs, even the lovely foster dog Chuck who came and went over the summer/fall of this year. Which reminds me, I should write a blog post about that experience as well. Jean is almost trial ready, and I feel like I should get her at least one title before I start on a new project. I need to keep going to the local trials and actually remember to sign up for them. It was a rough year for my trainer, too, so we haven't had as many opportunities to take lessons. I'd also like to get the equipment set up in the new back yard and do a weekly course back there.

I definitely wouldn't mind fostering another dog next year, since their medical expenses are paid for by the rescue, and I do like giving back to the animal community at large. I'll likely wait until late winter or early spring to hop on that train again.

  • No new dog.
  • Get Jean's CGC title; this one is gonna be tough, because she struggles to stay calm when seeing other dogs.
  • Get Jean's first agility title.
  • Maybe Loki will earn another title, too.
  • Foster another dog, but make sure it's not a foster fail.

No new hobbies

I have got a shelf full of hobby supplies that is rarely touched! Not to mention a few unfinished crochet projects in a bag that really do need to get done. There's also ukulele, which I'd love to get more proficient with. I technically don't have a ukulele at the moment, so that may be a bit of an investment up front and probably one of the last things I'll do during my depth year. I'm going to turn off the Craigslist alerts for bikes in my size, because the two bikes I have right now—plus the e-bike—are plenty for me. Speaking of cycling, I'm planning to do RAGBRAI next year, which means I really need to get back into cycling long distances.

  • No new bikes/accessories.
  • No new crochet hooks/knitting needles/yarn.
  • No additional journaling supplies unless I'm restocking something I've used up.
  • No new tarot decks (even free swaps).

No new games

Like most people who play games, I've got a backlog! Not just video games, but also board games that collect a bit too much dust for my taste. Perhaps I'll start the weekly board game gathering back up, which would be a nice way to regularly get with some friends.

  • Wytchwood (video game)
  • Village Witch (solo RPG / novel)
  • Iron Valley (solo RPG / journal)
  • Okami (video game)
  • No Man's Sky (video game)

No new clothes or shoes

This one may be a bit more difficult, but I am comfortable mending my own clothes, so I'm hoping I can make it work. I just got a new pair of my favorite shoes for my birthday in November (thanks, Corey!), so I shouldn't have to worry about that. I'm not a huge fashionista, but I do tend to jump on a shirt I think is cute if I'm out and about.

No new apps

I saved the best—read: most difficult—for last. I have a habit of downloading and tinkering with every new app on the market. Desktop, tablet, or phone apps; doesn't matter. I really want to use my depth year to break that habit. I've even done regrettable things like download an app, use it for a few months, buy into the subscription, then lose interest quickly after. It doesn't always happen, but boy does it hurt when it does! Along this line: no new subscriptions. I only have a few right now, having cut back on a lot since moving into the new house.

What I'm not cutting back on

  • Music purchases: I only buy, at most, one album per month on Bandcamp for about $10. Oftentimes I don't buy anything at all.
  • TV shows/movies: I'm currently only watching The Sopranos and Star Trek: Voyager (nearly done with the latter, at which point we'll move on to Star Trek: Enterprise).
  • Books: I tend to read pretty slowly. I've got one book I'm in the middle of (Exodus 2022), and I can always get new books from the library.

Thank you Siri for introducing me to the concept of a depth year. I definitely used their blog post as inspiration for this one.