The Mind quadrant is usually my strongest area with intellectual and cognitive pursuits. For coverage, it includes categories such as Learning, Reading, Astronomy, Computers, and Finances.

Learning

I have had some success with online courses in the past, and am open to them again. A lot of my dedicated learning (astronomy for example) will be captured under other headings though. I think my biggest “new” desire is to learn about 3D printing. I’m planning to buy one but the first step is to figure out which model and then decide if it is worth it. Although I still have some other ideas in my tracker, unless some other things change to free up some time, I’m not likely to get to them this year.

A year from now, I want to have either bought and used a 3D printer or decided it wasn’t worth it.

Reading

I kept the PolyWogg Reading Challenge group going in the past year, although the administration overwhelmed me at times when other parts of life intervened. Personally, I binged about 50 books in June and finished about 75 titles for the year. I didn’t move the needle much for book reviews themselves, though, just not enough time to do the reviews. I feel my ebook collection is better organized though than previously. I will keep the reading challenge going in 2022, and I’ve already organized the monthly challenges for the entire year.

A year from now, I want to have read 40 fiction books and 10 non-fiction books. I also want to catch up on 200 of the comic feeds I’ve saved over the last five years. And, of course, I want to be still keeping the PolyWogg Reading Challenge running smoothlly.

Astronomy

My astronomy hobby is a bit of a mess right now. While I came to some conclusions in 2021 about an observatory (too much trouble to arrange right now), I have a number of projects on the go or planned such as reading and reviewing Sky and Telescope magazine through the years, do-it-yourself projects (bino EP conversion, GLP alternative, and a 3D telescope), with no real sense of priority or order. I have recently set up a new place in my garage for storing astro gear, I just need to put it all there. I also have a bunch of reviews to do, some training to organize (for me, not others) and that doesn’t even include just plain observing. What is REALLY missing from the list though is something that shows up under the Writing heading (that is part of the yellow Soul quadrant). I want to write a newbie guide to astronomy, similar to the Astronomy 101 heading I have below but much more expansive.

A year from now, I want to be organized and able to observe with one of our four telescopes with relative ease and setup, without requiring an existential crisis about how to setup and what I’m doing. For backyard use, that will include using the astro cart and my observations recorded in my log. I really want to get to some DIY projects, but I’m not sure that will happen this year. Fingers crossed. I also want at least to have the first newbie guide to be completed as well as a review of 1943 for S&T magazine.

Computers, Electronics and Media

I have often had three separate categories for these elements. The computer side often includes elements of backups and security; electronics is often about streaming or charging stations; and media is sometimes about streaming or storage of old stuff. There’s no real organizing principle that says a computer backup on a hard drive is more about computers than it is about storage with electronic stuff or managing media. This year, I’m putting them all back together. I am often unclear how to manage everything as very few elements are actually “goal-oriented” as opposed to “task-oriented”. They’re maintenance tasks, not things that will fundamentally change any part of my life. I have tracked some of the setup under a general “home” category that is more about making our house our home, but I’m moved them back here this year.

A year from now, I want to have the TV setup for the basement and the first floor “properly” where anyone can use it relatively easily without having to figure out which buttons to press or get a tutorial each time. Apple TV seems to be working well in the living room so I’m likely to add it to the basement too. I want better setup for charging stations in various locations around the house, and less need to pull wires when we travel. And I want to have done the proper backups and security improvements over the course of the year. If I also get to purge some stuff, all the better.

Finances

I would like to say that we have a good handle on our finances, with strong planning, good investment management, savings put to good use on mortgages, etc. We don’t, not really. We’re not in bad shape, having no other debt than our mortgage and car, and WFH + lockdowns has improved the health of our savings. But we need to have a meeting with a financial planner, which we have. The only problem is that the information they need isn’t readily in good enough shape to inform good planning. And that is my goal for the year. To plan for my potential retirement. There are some other complications to resolve before that, sure, but I’d like to make progress.

A year from now, I would like to have picked a retirement date and cleaned up some small issues. I’d REALLY like to do the pension buyback by the end of the year too, if I can.