Reflections on 2018

It’s calm.  It’s quiet. It’s very relaxing.  It is Saturday, December 29th.  Our two oldest boys are at my parent’s house. The little man is taking his afternoon nap.  My wife is out grocery shopping.  Times like this do not happen very often.  
 
My wife and I joke that when it is quiet like this, we would prefer to have all three boys up and running around.  Their laughter lighting up our lives as each day passes.
 
It is on days like today that I am able to sit down and reflect.  In this case, reflect on the year that has passed on what to look forward to in the next.  What follows are my highlights of 2018, lowlights of 2018, and things to accomplish in 2019.
 
Highlights of 2018
 

1. Awarded first grant funding in Early Childhood Education—first award of my professional career
2. Published my first two articles in peer reviewed journals—one as a lead author and one as a co-author
3. Submitted an abstract to present a poster at a coaching conference (June, 2019) focused on coach-athlete relationships
4. Athletes at Nazareth College broke the women’s weight throw and women’s indoor shot-put records at our first meet in December, 2018
5. Released Throwerin November, 2018
6. Graduated another thrower at Nazareth College
7. Expanded the Forza Athletics Throwing Club to include two new post-collegiate throwers and two new high school throwers
8. Submitted two book proposals
9. One of those book proposals was submitted to the publishing companies board for review
10. Collaborating with education researchers from different universities and colleges across the Northeast
11. Watching my oldest son get on the bus for his first day of kindergarten
12. Taking my middle son to his first day of preschool
13. Developing new relationships with researchers and experts in the fields of sport coaching, leadership, sport psychology, and strength and conditioning
14. Completed my first sprint Triathlon race

 
Lowlights of 2018
 

1. Article submissions were rejected multiple times (6 in total) in peer reviewed journals
2. Multiple grant submissions were rejected (5 in total)—National funding sources and local funding foundations
3. A book submission was rejected by a publishing company
4. Not submitting two education proposals for presentation at national conferences
5. Canceling a conference focused on the mental side to sports performance (only three people registered after promoting the conference for 6 months)

 
Things to Accomplish in 2019
 

1. Publish a book focused on ‘Athlete Accountability’ for sport coaches
2. Write second edition to Thrower
3. Present my coach-athlete relationship research at a coaching conference
4. Submit and have accepted an article focused on my research on coach-athlete relationships in a peer-reviewed journal
5. Read 12 books (coaching, business, personal development, sports, etc.)
6. Write 1000 words a week (coaching, leadership, mentoring, etc.)
7. Complete an Olympic distance Triathlon by mid-September, 2019
8. Complete two Sprint distance Triathlons by mid-September, 2019
9. Compete in a powerlifting meet and qualifying for their national championships (March, 2019)
10. Write an overview of the 2018-19 NazThrows season 

 
 
What do you hope to achieve in 2019?