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  "description": "Checking in on the goals I set for myself, now that we're a quarter of the way into the year.",
  "path": "/my-2026-goals-quarter-mark-review/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-16T21:25:13.000Z",
  "site": "https://mnchrm.co",
  "tags": [
    "see that post",
    "read about here",
    "putting in the work",
    "my first group exhibition",
    "photographing only black and white images in March",
    "membership",
    "Retro",
    "a slow start to the year",
    "Hardcover (the goodreads alternative app I use).",
    "the Catherine Project",
    "An Undying Love for a Burning World",
    "pola meets lyrica",
    "Buy me a coffee"
  ],
  "textContent": "_This post responds to the goals I set for myself back in January;_ see that post_if you haven't yet!_\n\n* * *\n\nI keep thinking it's been sort of a slow start to the year. I set a bunch of goals for myself, and while I knew I wouldn't do all of them, I thought I'd hit the ground running. That didn't quite happen, but I've spent the past three months crawling back towards where I want to go.\n\nIn Tokyo, the sakura have come and gone, and the weather is already threatening the brutality of Summer. But it's still early—the Cubs have sucked so far, but it's still early—plenty of time to recorrect and move forward.\n\nBeyond just being a reflection point, I thought I'd take the time to look at what I have done successfully, or a look at the things I've prioritized and deprioritized in the early-going.\n\n* * *\n\n## OUTPUT\n\n###  _Writing_\n\nThe main part of my highest priority for the year—that is, to rewrite my novel manuscript from scratch—has yet to begin. But that's okay; that's all part of the plan. I'm still on-track to return to this work in the Summer, hopefully getting a new draft completed before the end of the year.\n\nHowever, I haven't been idle in the meantime. I've written three or so more short stories (one of which you can read about here) so far this year. That's not an insane pace, but it's respectable, especially at the quality I hope to achieve.\n\nMost of all, I've wanted to more-thoroughly inhabit the life of a writer. Spending more time focused on writing, and not simply on drafting stories, but editing, taking things to publication, and working on all the other components that are essential for a writer. This has been a half-success, but I think it's on the upswing. I've started editing through my stories, and will get back into submitting them over the next month. I still have a long way to go to achieve my goal here, but I'm putting in the work.\n\n### _Photography_\n\nWhile my writing is ever a work in progress, the photography has come a bit easier in the start of the year. I was able to participate in my first group exhibition, which was a lovely experience, and I completed my first small project, photographing only black and white images in March. Additionally, I've participated in a number of photowalks this year, been to a ton of exhibitions, bought a lot of photobooks, and met a lot of new photographers. The community here is strong as ever.\n\nThat said, my photography is still not where I want it to be. I loved the frame of doing a photo project, and I've got some ideas for the next project I'll attempt. I'm still making photos, searching for what might be next by making new work. I still feel like I'm in a bit of a comedown after #MonochromeMarch, and hoping to keep reassessing the work I've got and I want to make, and start moving towards new horizons.\n\n### _Japanese_\n\nAs far as priority areas for 2026, Japanese study would have to be near the top of the list. Back in January, I worried about getting complacent in my Japanese ability, and in the early-going of 2026, I've worked to push myself in my Japanese study. As of now, I'm currently taking three Japanese courses each week—a private lesson, a group lesson, and a JLPT N1 prep course. Of course, I've continued to use my Japanese as much as possible in my daily life, and feel like I've gotten better.\n\nThat said, I still don't think I've hit my stride yet. Still working on finding my routine to maximize my study. I've got a bunch of disparate things I do to work on different facets of language ability, but I'm not quite sure they've connected into one cohesive whole, yet. As part of the JLPT course, my teacher is helping me revise my routine, so hopefully I can get my practice locked in now that the Summer JLPT exam looms.\n\n### _Fitness_\n\nFitness has been another area of focus so far in 2026. I've been going to the gym pretty consistently since moving, but started a new training program a couple of months ago—now I'm on week 10 of 21. My goal has been to bulk up a bit, to gain around 20 or 30 pounds, and that's going well. I'm doing it lazy, not tracking every calorie, and only tracking my weight since the start of March (I'm very lazy), but it's going in the right direction—though a constant balancing act adjusting how much I'm eating and how much I'm running.\n\nBecause of that, I've been running slightly less to start the year; often only participating in my Monday night group run. I could certainly minmax this more, but I'm kind of taking things by feel, and as long as the results keep coming and the bar keeps moving, I'm satisfied.\n\nLooking forward to finding the balance point a bit more as the year goes on, where I can hit my stride for running and strength training at the same time.\n\n### _Other Hobbies_\n\nMy other hobbies are the areas where things have taken a hit. I had hoped to get back into playing guitar, and have really only noodled around here and there. I don't really have a solid practice routine right now, though I just worked on cleaning up my guitar corner, and have been feeling a bit more motivated now that I've gotten into a better routine with my Japanese study.\n\nI've spent nearly no time this year on gaming, let alone anything competitive. Over the past week or so, I've spend a bit more time practicing chess, following the puzzles from a book, and hope to continue to grow there. I want to play more fighting games, but have not made the time so far.\n\nAs far as drawing is concerned, I've just barely started dipping my toes in the water. I found a number of accounts on Instagram that were inspirational, tracking various artists' journeys from zero over the course of a year or so. I don't think I'll be putting the same amount of time they have into it, but my fiancée got me some drawing tools for our anniversary, and I've spent a couple of nights filling pages on a sketchbook. We're getting there.\n\n* * *\n\n_If you enjoyed this issue, consider joining my_ membership_program, The Order of the Black Lotus. For the price of a cup of coffee in Tokyo ($3/month or $30/year), you not only support my writing and photography, but I’ll send you a**handwritten, one-of-one postcard from me in Tokyo** —a tangible piece of my journey, just for you. You’ll also get access to all **exclusive posts** , and an invitation to **my private photography feed on**_ Retro_._\n\nJOIN THE ORDER OF THE BLACK LOTUS\n\n _Joining is the most meaningful way to ensure this work continues, and I thank you for your support!_\n\n* * *\n\n## INPUT\n\n###  _Reading_\n\nAfter a slow start to the year, I've really hit my stride with reading. I've read 17 books so far this year, three \"ahead of schedule,\" according to Hardcover (the goodreads alternative app I use). A number of those were very short books I read to jumpstart my reading for the year, but I've also read a couple of longer works, like Kawakami Mieko's _Breasts and Eggs_(a re-read) and Plato's _The Republic_ (which I read with the Catherine Project). Most of this is just the fruit of reading during my one-hour lunch break each work day.\n\nIf there's any area that's been lacking, it's been the amount of Japanese writing I've read this year. I've been nursing Yonezawa Honobu's _Hyouka_ since the start of the year, and only started reading _Tongari Boushi Atelier_ after the anime started. Hoping to keep pushing myself here, reading more Japanese again for fun rather than as just part of my Japanese practice. I've got to catch up on _Ao no Hako_ , too!\n\n### _Meditation_\n\nMy meditation practice has stagnated a bit. Actually, I hit on part of my goal, which was to read more Buddhist teaching so far this year, albeit mostly mediated through Alan Watts. But I haven't been consistent about getting myself on the cushion lately. I'm still working on getting a good morning routine down, which right now is mostly consumed by getting to the gym and making breakfast.\n\nPerhaps a bit of a chicken-or-egg scenario, but I definitely want to get my own practice in a good place before getting involved with a meditation group here in Tokyo.\n\n### _Games_\n\nI've set myself the goal of playing six games to completion in 2026, and so far I haven't _not_ done that... but I haven't done that, either.\n\nLike I said above, I've mostly not made time for video games. A friend recently acted incredulous when I said I was still playing Persona 3 Reload (yes, still!); though to be fair, I'm past the half-way point, and really in the groove now! I still think I can play more games in 2026 than I did in 2025, though frankly the bar is low.\n\nInstead, I've been watching a lot more anime in my free time. It's hardly a problem if that's how I'd prefer to spend the time, but maybe I can meet in the middle here, too.\n\n### _Movies_\n\nOddly, this is one area I'm on track for. I haven't made myself a weekly film viewer again, but I've watched four or five films so far to start the year, almost halfway to my goal of six for 2026. If I'm being nit-picky, at least three of those have been rewatches, but they still count.\n\nIt's been a minute since I've watched one, though; seen anything good recently?\n\n### _Music_\n\nWithout looking, my read had been that I've been slightly behind on this, but checking my list, I'm about 20 albums in so far this year, which is right on track.\n\nI've listened to a bit less new music than I'd intended, and it's been less consistent than I wanted. I rarely want to listen to new albums when I'm doing something else, which leaves primarily when I commute and when I run. As I've dialed back on my running, my listening has waned a bit, too.\n\nI'm working on it, though, and feel as if my listening is becoming more diverse again. Some of my favorites this year have been the brand-new Neurosis album, \"An Undying Love for a Burning World,\" and the 2005 \"click-techno\" album \"pola meets lyrica\" from pola. Just look at this cool album art!\n\n* * *\n\nI'm feeling a bit better after writing all of this out. Still a lot of time left in the year, and I'm more on-track than I expected to be. I'd rather be a bit more consistent than as boom-bust as I've felt, but we're moving in the right direction.\n\n## Subscribe to Refrakt\n\nA bi-weekly newsletter on curiosity, creativity, and (hopefully!) insight, through the lens of photography, writing, study, art and beauty, and my life.\n\nSubscribe\n\nEmail sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.\n\nJoin 150+ members on the path.\n\nBuy me a coffee",
  "title": "My 2026 Goals: Quarter-Mark Review",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-16T21:25:15.357Z"
}