2025 Goals

Numbers are still hard sometimes. Never change AI.

I know, I know — it’s almost March. The year started off busy, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. I wrote these goals at the end of last year, but actually getting them into a blog post took longer than expected.

Joint Goals

• Track expenses for 3 months. Our spending climbed thanks to inflation, lifestyle creep, and kids in private school. We’re committing to a three-month retrospective to understand what’s really happening.
• Buy a house or plan a remodel. We either finally find a home within five blocks of where we live or we invest in remodeling the current place.
• Limit eating out to 3×/week in Seattle. No counting travel meals, Costco prep, or grocery store food, but we’re reducing restaurant runs while home.
• Clear out the storage unit. Renting space is just hiding clutter. Time to sort, organize, and eliminate the extra storage.
• No buying sweets for ourselves. Cat loves baked goods and I love candy. We’ll keep them out of the house except for celebrations.
• 18 solo dates. One or two dates a month keeps us connected, even if we need to catch up after Cat travels.

Kids

• Pravin finds a sport he loves. He’s tried soccer, circus, cross-country, and karate. This is the year we find the right activity.
• Leela can swim. Pravin learned last year; this year Leela joins him.
• Leela reads for fun. She can read but doesn’t enjoy it yet. Hoping to turn battles into curiosity.
• Leela learns to ride a bike. Maybe Pedalheads again, maybe a more patient parent at the lake.
• Pravin can type. Keyboard skills still matter. The Typing of the Dead might finally earn its keep.

Physical

• Return to dance. The Century Ballroom is changing, maybe closing. Going 12 times is the goal.
• Lose two inches off my waist. Cat bought pants that were (alarmingly) too small. Time to fit them.
• Run another marathon without injury. Last year’s “Light at the End of the Tunnel” race ended in PT. This year: finish healthy.

Personal

• Two friend trips. Already knocked out Disney and NYC for Jenny’s 40th.
• Two family trips. One is planned for my dad’s side visiting Seattle; Disney might count too.
• Decorate upstairs. The space is clean but empty. We need beanbags, toy zones, and a more functional guest room.

Creative

• Learn to cook 3 Gujarati dishes. We found a Gujarati cookbook with papdi no lot; that was the sign.
• Read 26 books, 4 with Pravin. Same target as every year, but now we enjoy the same series.
• 12 drop-in art classes. Found a great local studio — once a month is doable.
• Update my website and blog. Same goal as last year. This build-out finally makes it feel real.
• Secret project. It’s a skill I’ve always wanted. I’ll share if I make progress; otherwise, maybe next year.