My Projects for 2026

This post is part of an ongoing collection of things I’m working on, which live on the projects in progress page. The idea comes from an earlier piece I wrote about choosing projects over goals— a way of allowing work to exist without constantly justifying its outcome.

Blogging

I’m glad I launched this in December of 2025 and started sharing it with friends as I go. It’s been surprisingly grounding.

Working on the blog gives me a simple, quick alternative to micro-dosing digital entertainment like YouTube or Instagram. When I catch myself drifting toward those, I tell myself, “You know, I could just write a quick note for my next blog.” More often than not, that turns into actual productive time spent on something I care about.


Build on My Public Speaking Skills

I signed up to visit a few Toastmasters locations to see how they feel. No big commitments yet.

I’m hoping to use my work in blogging as a foundation for public speaking — turning written thoughts into spoken ones, and seeing what changes in the process.


Increase Household Income

I’m interested in finding creative, interesting ways to increase our household income — not necessarily grinding harder, but being more curious about opportunities that fit our lives better.


Pay Off the Remainder of My Student Loans

Ongoing. No dramatic update here — just steady movement in the background.


Perform 20 Pull-Ups

In the first month, I worked my way up from 5 to 7. My traps are crying.

If I want to keep pushing this, I probably need to find a personal trainer or physical therapist to avoid doing something dumb. Progress feels real, but fragile.


Sell a Car

This one has been annoying.

The car I wanted to sell belonged to my late father-in-law. There was no will or paperwork left behind, so I tried working with the bank that issued the loan. It turns out the only real option is to go through probate to gain ownership before selling it — a route that my family is not interested in pursuing.

The bank gave me a deadline of January 15 before it gets repossessed. Meh. I’ll still try to figure something out while I can, but I’m also accepting that some problems don’t resolve cleanly.


Travel

Some of these are aspirations, some are plans, and some are already happening.

  • A cruise with people I love — this one’s planned and booked during my kids’ spring break

  • Barbados

  • Honduras

  • Niagara Falls with my mom