My 2018 New Year's Resolutions!

Happy 2018 everyone!  As is my tradition lately, here are my 2018 New Year's Resolutions.  If all goes well, I'll check in on these at various points during the year in an effort to both keep track of how I am doing and to keep the resolutions fresh in my forgetful mind!  This year's resolutions include a mix of both blogging/hobby stuff and personal stuff...including a biggie (see below)!

2018 New Year's Resolutions:

1.  Barry Larkin Collection
At the moment, I've highlighted 575 different Barry Larkin cards.  By the end of 2018, I would like to boost that number up to at least 650 different cards.  A few days ago, I spent a couple of hours simply scanning the fronts and backs of a bunch of Larkin cards that I haven't yet written up so I know for sure that I have over 100 cards to write about.  It's simply a matter of putting pen to paper (or, fingertips to keyboard I guess in this case).

2.  Blog Trading
I'm going to be really busy for the majority of the year (see a later resolution for why) so I don't expect that I'll have as much time as I might prefer to coordinate trading.  That said, trading is a big reason why I've kept up Nachos Grande for as long as I have (after all, I'm a mathematician and words aren't really my thing).  Thus, my goal is going to be to complete a modest 30 trades.  That's basically 2.5 trades per month, certainly doable though not guaranteed!

3.  The Great Reorganization
I'm tantalizingly close to having my collection fully organized - so let's make 2018 the year in which I go through the last few piles and get things sorted.  This is going to be a tough goal only because the last few piles are rather daunting...but what good are resolutions if they are all easy?!

4.  The Want List
I do this each year.  Basically, I pick a bunch of cards off of my want list that I'd like to acquire before year's end.  In previous years, I've made a huge list with the hopes of hitting some of them.  This year, I'm going to try a different tactic - only ten different sets are going to be represented, but they make up some of the most difficult-to-find or most annoying cards on my want list.  Here are the ten sets that I'd love to knock out by the end of 2018.

• 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter:  Laureates of Peace mini insert:  LP-1, 2, 4
• 2015 Topps Archives:  Will Ferrell Insert:  7 (as a White Sox)
• 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter's:  Where Nature Ends: WNE-17 Diego Velazquez
• 2013 Topps Archives: 1972 Basketball Design:  JB (Johnny Bench)
• 2012 Topps Archives:  Classic Combos:  58- KK, LM, SF
• 2011 Topps Lineage:  1975 mini parallels:   33, 103
• 2011 Topps:  Diamond Parallels:  306, 339, 369, 380, 381, 400, 408, 424, 462, 534, 537, 548, 550, 573, 579, 612, 640, 652, 657
• 2009 Topps Base Series 1 & 2:  Legends of the Game (Series 2) insert: (#ed LG-???): Mariano Rivera
• 2008 Topps Stadium Club:  First Day Issue: 15
• 2008 Topps Heritage (low and high series):  Base: #465, 480, 488, 495

Definitely some tough cards to find there, but let's hope I can knock some of those sets out before 2018 is over.

5.  My LEGO Blog / YouTube
During 2017, I started posting more on YouTube (especially LEGO related content) which was a lot of fun.  I also did some box/pack breaks on YouTube which kind of neat once in a while.  For 2018, I want to keep writing over at my LEGO blog (Playing with Bricks).  To put a specific goal on it, I want to finish 2018 with at least 50 posts at Playing with Bricks.  That's about one per week which is a tall order, but I think the challenge will keep me interested throughout the year.  I should note that in the five years of the blog's existence, I've only gone over 50 posts once (with a total of 77 in 2014).  I did hit 48 posts back in 2013 which was close.  I think if I get at least 40 posts in 2018 I'll say I was successful, but I'd really like to push closer to 50.

6.  Teaching
In 2018, I will be teaching Geometry for the first time ever...and for the first time ever, my department has decided to make Geometry the capstone course for our mathematics majors.  Thus, I have to spend the bulk of spring 2018 prepping a capstone-level Geometry course which is going to require a ton of work.  I'm definitely anxious about the resolution - but since it's my job there's no way I can't NOT do it.  I, of course, want to make sure I do it well which is what this resolution will entail.

7.  Woodworking
My big Christmas gift in 2017 was a brand new scroll saw.  So for 2018, I'd like to make sure that I actually use the darn thing.  My goal here is to do some honest-to-goodness woodworking projects.

8.  Have a Baby
That's right.  My wife and I are expecting our first child to be born in the end of May!  We are super excited, nervous, the whole deal.  Of course, this particular resolution will be completed by my wife - but it still counts as one of my goals since it will be a true life-changing event for us.  We learn the baby's sex later this month so for now that's really all I can say about our big addition on the way.

I think that will do it for my 2018 Resolutions.  The year is shaping up to be a life-changer in many ways, both personally and in my career.  I have some other hobby related things that I'd like to do (start my Frankensets for one) but I think I'll hold off on making those part of my resolutions until I see how being a father goes.  I'm expecting way less free time - but we shall see I guess!

That does it for my resolutions - but I'd love to hear yours (feel free to leave a comment below with yours - or a link to your blog if you wrote something like I did)!

Happy 2018 everyone!