How did your 2014 go? What do you have planned for 2015?

Past years FTW:

2013: /message_topic.aspx?topic=639963
2012: /message_topic.aspx?topic=632553
2011: /message_topic.aspx?topic=620902
2010: /message_topic.aspx?topic=605245
2009: /message_topic.aspx?topic=584031
2008: /message_topic.aspx?topic=552174
2007: /message_topic.aspx?topic=506882
2006: /message_topic.aspx?topic=447821
2005: /message_topic.aspx?topic=375305

For me, I will give 2014 a 7

Career: B.
In general things are going pretty well. There are also a few things I am working to fix.

Family/Love: D.
My love life sucks right now. On the family front I lost my last remaining grandparent this year and she was the one I was closest to. I've gone through deaths in the family many times before but this time was the one that hurt the most.

Social life/Friends: C.
It's better than 2013 at least?

Health: A

Money: B

12/3/2014 5:40:21 PM

Career: A-
Got a great job, really chill, cool manager, window office. Wish I was paid a bit more.

Family/Love: D.
Family life is great. Zero love life at the moment but it's impossible in my current situation (I moved home anticipating buying a house but the downtown market sucks for buyers right now and I keep getting backed out on sales). Hopefully that will turn around in the next few months when I get my own place again. If I don't find something to buy I'm just going to rent until I do find something but the savings living at home are great.

Social life/Friends: B
I still hang out with friends most nights but I've had a lot of close friends move away this year.

Health: B
No major complaints. I could stand to work out more often but I hurt my back last month and have to take a break from lifting weights but should be back soon.

Money: B
I make pretty good money for my age but I think I could be making more elsewhere. Actually turned down a much better paying job because I like the one I'm in. I should get promoted this time next year and that will make things easier.

12/3/2014 5:54:49 PM

Career: B.

Company seems slow. Didn't accomplished any thing great but didn't fucked anything up either .

Family/Love: C.
Family seems good. I don't live with them anymore so we getting along well. Love...shit.

Social life/Friends: C.
Friends are either married or have kids...so I don't hang out much.

Health: B

Money: B

Over all. B- for the year.

12/3/2014 6:05:42 PM

Career: C+
Don't get me wrong, I'm still an entry-level worker and my current job has been a big opportunity, but I'm pretty unsatisfied with a lot of elements of it. A lot. But it's been a big year for me, and my resume looks like a completely different person from a year ago. I think this could be a B+ if I was happier with my current company.

Family/Love: A/D
I'm splitting this shit up. The low love grade is from my girlfriend of six years leaving me suddenly/unexpectedly in March, and all the shit that followed from that (a lot of emotional and mental fallout, lots of life change). This year has been pure recovery. Learning to love myself and learning to not rely on another person (for basic happiness that is). I'm just now starting to be interested in relationships again, and that's very new. Family grade is high. I received an overwhelming support from my family and it's very affirming for our relationship.

Socia Life/Friends: B+
Greatly improved since my early year breakup--was kind of held back from exploring new friends and relationships by SO, and it's developed a lot over the year. Feel much more comfortable with my circle of friends. I go out regularly either with others or by myself, and don't have any problems meeting new people. I enjoy live music more than ever.

Health: C-
Bloodwork and physical says I'm in great shape considering being very overweight--but that's a big if. It has to be fixed, and I'm working on it.

Money: C+
Compared to being a college student it's great, but I don't have anything remotely like savings, just a buffer. My position doesn't pay like it should (30k +yearly bonus, 1 quarter bonus this year), but hopefully that will improve early 2015. I don't have a 401k or IRA (company keeps promising a 401k but never comes through on that promise). However, I have zero college debt, no car loans, etc, so this grade could potentially be a lot higher.


Overall: C+. Could be better.

12/3/2014 7:41:53 PM

It's cool to see these every year.

I give 2014 a B+

Career: A
I enjoy my job, even though it's got a lot of corporate bullshit at times. I work with my best friend, which is cool because I actually see him more than I see my kids if you total up the hours. We've been doing well financially so I've gotten some good bonuses that have helped me get my finances to a better place.

Family/Love: A+
I still love my wife, been married 10 years this past January. Got great kids. My son's health was OK this year, and he made some progress starting to walk more. Going to Kindergarten has really pushed him physically.

Social life/Friends: C
I gave it a C because I don't really go out and do anything, so that part is an F, but I have some good friends that would rate an A+, so I averaged it.

Health: F
I'm fat, way too fat. I bought myself a treadmill for christmas, it's time to do something about it.

Money: A
Can't complain, being doing well even though we struggled at a few points during the year with my son's expenses.

12/3/2014 7:51:29 PM

Overall: A-

Career: A+
Left after 5 years at the same company and took a position more focused on my interests. It has been a wonderful experience so far and Im very excited for the learning opportunities that are coming. Not to mention a 33% pay increase and very nice benefits. The company is pre-IPO right now so the stock options Ill earn could be a huge wealth builder down the road.

Family: A+
Wife and I have been married for almost two years now and it has been a blast laughing, loving, and learning with her. We are also expecting our first child in the next couple of weeks. Her parents and mine are healthy and are looking forward to being grandparents.

Social Life: C
This is the one area that I think is lacking. With my wife's pregnancy we have been spending a lot of time together enjoying the last few months of being free to do whatever we want. I have also spent less time with my single friends - the bar and late nights just don't interest me any more. I need to make a better effort to spend time with my married friends and perhaps find a few more.

Health: A
Lost 30 pounds this year by focusing on eating naturally (avoiding fast food, processed food, and sugar) and walking/running. I feel great and look even better. My pregnant wife gives me the side eye now because we weigh almost the same.

Money: A
See my career note above. Received a significant pay bump when switching jobs along with more affordable health insurance. Im able to cover all of our expenses (plus some) with my salary which is a huge relief while my wife is on maternity leave. My stock portfolio has done very well since last year thanks to the market and we have doubled our net worth this year.



[Edited on December 3, 2014 at 10:18 PM. Reason : a]

12/3/2014 10:15:56 PM

My first year doing this. Hopefully next year I won't be checking on TWW as much that is for sure! No offense.

I give 2014 C

Career: F
I was laid off at my job. I have found if your career is at an F you do terrible at below. I did go back to school, so that is a positive?

Family/Love: B
Met my girlfriend in April of this year. Ups and downs already. Glad she will never see this. When it started it was definitely an A! Now it teeters back and forth. I have no kids still. SIGH As for my family, had a falling out with my Dad over thanksgiving, hell it all had to do with the above like I said, so if it wasn't for my gf this would easily be a D!

Social life/Friends: C
I gave it a C because I have stopped going out as much because I have no damn money, all my friends moved and it really isn't that fun anymore. I have some close friends, and then some I am not so sure.

Health: B
I'm skinny, but have hit the age of a tad bit of a belly. My workouts could be better, BUT they are still better than probably 75 percent of americans as is. My nutrition needs help, but I can't afford it.

Money: F
There is none. When it comes in, it goes right back out.


Man I am a Debby downer I see.

12/4/2014 12:37:27 AM

Haven't done this before, but I'm intrigued so here goes.

Overall, 2014 is an A. I thought 2013 went well (finished my master's finally, great g/f & friends).

Career: B+
Overall things are going well. I get praise for my work, enjoy the work 75% of the time & I'm getting more interaction/exposure to executives. Received a raise, got a team award, & will be receiving a nice bonus this month partially due to the company's stellar performance. I get plenty of time off, but the evening conference calls 2-3 nights a week are what's keeping this from an A.

Family/Love: A+
Got engaged in July & wedding planning is going smoothly & easily; both sets of parents are involved & helpful rather than upset about money as I've heard is sometimes the case. This has also increased how often we see our parents (both are at least 2 hours away) which is awesome. Fiance is fantastic & we're living together, so working out a routine is fun. Got a dog who now runs my life (in a good way!) & keeps me grounded, responsible, & active.

Social Life/Friends: A+
Friends are still great & super supportive of the pending nuptials. Have transitioned from partying all weekend every weekend to a more manageable (health-wise & finance-wise) lifestyle of exercise, game/movie nights, dinners, & activities that don't leave me feeling the "hangover guilt" I used to get quite often.

Health: B+
Dog keeps me active, walking ~3 miles per day minimum. Vitals are all great, but I could stand to lose some belly fat and exercise more often (walking is great, but need more weights/fat-burning).

Money: A
Wedding stuff is not cheap, but its all manageable. Fiance got a promotion, so that helps. We are never hurting for money, but could always use a little more. My student loans are looming over my head but I'm on-track to pay them off in ~5-6 years. Bought my first new car last week, that's exciting!

12/4/2014 9:39:23 AM

Career: B-

Things are doing well, but have stagnated a bit. I could live somewhat comfortably off what I'm doing right now, but the wife and I are looking at starting a family, need a bigger house, etc. So I need to create new business. Looking at expanding the firm and taking on a new partner next year, so hopefully we'll be looking at an A or an A+ next year.

Family/Love: B+

Had one year anniversary in October. Things were struggling a bit just because my wife was miserable in her job and it leaked into our relationship. Just a lot of small fights and nitpicking. But she got a new job on October and things have turned a complete 180. So love life is good. Family is what is keeping this from being an A, solely for the fact that I just don't see them enough. My sister just had her second kid, so we just need to make more time to visit them. Haven't seen my dad since my wedding over a year ago. We're not that close, just need to make a better effort.

Social life/Friends: B+

I could always see them more, but I still see them enough and we have a great time when we do hangout. My best friends either have kids or are just as busy with work as I am, so it's just not possible to hang out all the time. But I definitely don't feel like I'm losing touch, so its really not bad.

Health: A

Really think I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm not as strong or muscular as I was when I was in college, but I don't desire that physique anymore. I quit lifting weights and just run and do push-ups and pull-ups. I place in local 5ks and I'm still strong enough to move heavy furniture. I like to think I'm maintaing a great base that will keep me in great shape as I get older.

Money: C+

This kind of relates to the career thing. I'm probably not struggling compared to the average guy my age, I just wish I was doing a little better. I have a house with a ton of equity and I've got a solid base in my retirement account. I just need to be making a little bit more so we can upgrade the house and start working on the first kid (as well as to invest a little more). I did invest in a restaurant last year that should be paid back fully at the beginning of the year. That should start paying dividends next year and there's some opportunity for expansion in that as well. So the possibility of getting back into the food and beverage business could push this grade higher next year as well

Overall: B

Really can't complain, but could also be better. Money issues stress me out a bit.

12/4/2014 9:54:15 AM

Career: A-. I'm teaching at a school I like and this is my 5th year here. This was the first year I would have had "tenure" but the wise folks in the legislature made it illegal, which means more paperwork, more observations, more hoops, less time devoted to instructional planning.

Family/Love: B. My boy (2nd child) was born in January! Lost my granny in the spring.

Social life/Friends: C+. I spend so much time with my family, my free time doesn't mesh with a lot of my other friends who don't have kids. Still we started a competition BBQ team which is a lot of fun, and I got to tailgate at a few State games. I pick the kids up after work every day, so when coworkers go to the bar, I can go, but bring the kids with me

Health: C+. haven't had time to go to the gym as much as i would like, and i fell a a week ago (slipped on wet outdoor stairs while carrying stuff) and the right side of my ass/back is still completely black and swollen. probably should have gone to the doctor.

Money: B. Got a raise, but still a teacher. Wife got a raise too.

12/4/2014 10:16:25 AM

Health: A-
I could stand to lose 15-20 pounds, but otherwise everything's good.

Career: C
I changed companies this year and it was SO not a good move. I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life, but it ain't this.

Family/Love: D/A-
Love life is great, even though I'm in a long distance relationship right now. Family life is.... ugh. There's been one positive development (one relative went to rehab and seems to be sticking with it) but the rest is either the same as last year or worse. The worst news is that it looks like my grandmother is developing Alzheimer's

Social life/Friends: B
My social life is nearly nonexistent. But I'm ok with that. I do hang out with friends about once a month, but most nights it's me at home with my dogs.

Money: A-
I could pay off my student loans and be debt-free except for my house today. Still, if I'm going to make a career change I'd like some cushioning. Also seems like I had a lot of expenses this year.

[Edited on December 4, 2014 at 2:43 PM. Reason : fixed by OB]

12/4/2014 10:27:55 AM

12/4/2014 10:29:03 AM

Career: A
I'm taking opportunity of a great manager and a great opportunity. Learned a ton this year.

Family/Love: F-
Lost a daughter and an uncle.

Social life/Friends: B
Hang out with a ton of friends, but it's starting to become the same routine. It gets old after a while.

Money: A

Highly correlated to the success I'm having in my career.

12/4/2014 10:31:39 AM

Career: B+.
Former manager left so was promoted to Team Lead with expectation that I'm in training to take the manager position. Have been acting as a temporary manager/active team lead for the last 6-7 months and things have been great. Getting plenty of praise from superiors/peers and no major issues with my team. Only reason it's not an A is because the official promotion/raise period doesn't hit until Q1 next year and was told I will be promoted but still hasn't happened.

Family/Love: A.
Celebrated my 1-year wedding anniversary last year and things have gone well. Few bumps here and there as far as disagreements but overall it's been a solid year as far as our relationship. The difference maker is that my family has been doing really well. No major losses of immediate family, no major issues/arguments, and some past bad-blood with extended family got worked out recently(shocking to our family).

Social Life/Friends: A.
I actually took 3 bucket list items and checked them off. Took a great trip to NYC with my wife and we had a great time(it was both of our first times actually going into Manhattan). I was able to see 2 musical artists that I've been a long time fan of and were both on my bucket list and they lived up to the expectations. The only reason it is deducted to an "A-" is because we had a ski trip we started planning kind of fall apart with some friends over various reasons, so that would have probably pushed it to an A+ if that worked out.

Health: B+
No major illnesses, one solid sunburn, think I had 1 bout of a cold, but lost about 15lbs heading into the summer just to add most of it back over the summer and through the fall so back to where I started last January.

Money: B+
Nothing major here. Spent money on trips and some home improvement projects. Me and the wife both got a raise in our jobs but nothing crazy. Hoping next year with the promotion and hopefully less home improvement projects that it'll be an A.

Overall puts 2014 at about an A-. If 2015 is as good as 2014 I'll be very happy.

12/4/2014 10:33:17 AM

Career: C
In the past year I have moved from NC, where I spent had my entire life, to Georgia for work. I don't love what I do and I hope to be back in NC in ~6 months doing something I am much more passionate about. However, my current job isn't terrible and while I miss NC (family, friends, etc), I can appreciate the change of scenery (which also came with a decent raise). And I basically accepted this promotion knowing that it wouldn't be easy to adjust, but counting on it being a short term move (maybe 10 months) which could provide good experience at the least.

Family/Love: A/D
Splitting this up. 2013 was rough in both regards. On the family side, I lost both my grandmothers (grandpas both died before I was born) and honestly that was my first real experience with losing somebody that close to me. So 2014 was better by default. My family, including extended family, is very close and I've never really had any family problems to speak of. This may be more applicable to the "Social Life" category, but because I now live 8 hours from most of my family, I don't get to see them as often. Which sucks. As for my love life, it's non-existent. Again, moving has kinda hindered the development of any love life.

Social life/Friends: C
But only because I don't see my friends as much as I'd like. And I haven't been too outgoing and social since moving due to work which has limited me making new friends and such. Basically, this one being a C has nothing to do with bad friendships or anything. All of that is great and just as good, or better, than ever.

Health: A
I'm healthier now than I was in 2013, so that's good. I wish I could go to the gym and be more active than I am though. Always room for improvement.

Money: B
I'd love to make more, of course. But it's not like I'm struggling to make ends meet or anything. Plus, I'm due a raise in a month or two.

12/4/2014 11:02:27 AM

Overall: A

Career: A
I love working for myself as a commercial real estate broker. I'm my own boss and work as hard/little as I choose. I enjoy the folks I work with and love waking up and working each day.

Family/Love: A
My little guy is 15 months old and is so much fun to be around. Everyone in family is healthy, so can't complain.

Social life/Friends: A
Still am pretty active, given the fact that I have a little guy. Don't make it to the bars hardly anymore, but I don't really miss it. Going to bed at 11 on a Saturday night isn't so bad.

Health: B-
I had 2 ruptured discs, which resulted in pinched nerves. This was miserable for a week and uncomfortable (numb) for another 3. Physical therapy has got me back at full speed. Also had a large cyst removed this year, which wasn't fun, as they left the wound open to heal from the inside out. Almost fully healed now, but no fun.

Money: A
Increased take home by 63% over last year and last year was my best year in my business (real estate). If only I can maintain this level, I'll be doing extremely well. The market is hot and I'm selling investment properties like it's my job (because it is).

12/4/2014 12:44:54 PM

Career: B (A, 2013) The startup that I joined a few years ago where I was one of the first 30, that grew to 1600, was acquired earlier this year. Not too many changes have happened yet but it's starting to ramp up - much better benefits / much more red tape. I left my previous employer because it was too big and it's starting to feel the same way here. Overall I'm happy with my career but lately it's begun to sink in that my group isn't going to be allowed to be successful due to too many items outside of my control. I haven't officially started the job search but if an interesting startup came along I'd entertain it. I prefer to not leave until after my wife does if possible.

Family: B (A, 2013) Big ups and downs this year. Our baby girl was born in February and has been great. My wife will stop working in April / May next year so she can stay at home with her and the next one once that time comes. I lost my dad in July unexpectedly and it was a low point in year. We were always more friends than father/son. The worst part for me is that our kids won't grow up knowing him.

Social life/Friends: B (B, 2013)
Very little has changed here other than I go out a bit less due to wanting to spend a few hours at night with our baby before she goes to sleep.. Still hanging out with work friends more than non-work friends due to moving - we moved again a few miles further away. We've made a few friends with a kid around the same age as ours that are close by though.

Health: B- (B-, 2013)
Little has changed here other than I'm now taking some cholesterol meds - same ones my mom and other family members take. I've put on a few pounds at the end of the year but nothing major.

Money: A+ (A, 2013)
Due to the acquisition mentioned above, money likely won't ever be a concern except my wife's somewhat annoying insistence that we keep all expenses under my net income. I won't be retiring but planning to do so much earlier now - partially because now I want to help make another startup successful - ideally with some of the same people at my current job. I fully vested in September and my wife is able to stay at home once she fully vests next year. College is taken care of for the kids. Having some fun playing around in the stock market making some risky choices with a relatively small amount of money. Learning more than I want about various tax breaks that effectively make it so I'm paying percentage-wise the least amount in taxes I've ever paid while making more than I ever have - I see why people bitch about the current tax situation now.

12/4/2014 8:07:37 PM

Career: A
I graduated in May and got a full time job as a Radiographer a month after moving to Raleigh. I like it most days.

Family/Love: A+
Boyfriend is awesome and we're doing great. We've moved closer to our families, so we can see everyone more often.

Social life/Friends: A
We moved to Raleigh to be around our friends. We get out a lot more than when we lived in Locust. I do miss my old friends from school though.

Health: B-
I'm not dying, so yay! I sprained my ankle in October and it still hurts me daily. I also have muscle spasms in my shoulder from when I surgery about 3 years ago.

Money: C+
I was unemployed from April to October while I waited for our move to Raleigh. I've depleted my emergency fund and need to build it back up. Good news is our household income has doubled between my job and Peter's raise. We should be back on track soon.


Looking forward to 2015!!

12/4/2014 9:12:46 PM

Career: A (A, 2013) Still loving the role I got a year and a half ago. Passed the 16 year mark at Cisco, and have now survived 6 layoffs. This time around some of my colleagues I worked with for years were let go, and that was hard to see. Also had several close friends leave for other companies. The good news is that I have a stronger network now, as many of them are working for fantastic companies, interesting startups, all of which could be potential landing spots if the target falls on my back next year or sometime in the future. This was the year where I really learned how important a strong network is, though I haven't had to lean on it so far. But seeing what some of my close friends went through has led me to put work into keeping up with my network and staying in contact with people now, before "I have to."

Family: A (A, 2013). We had a scary several months leading up to the birth of our son in July, but we have a happy, healthy 4 month old now. My daughter just turned 7. My sister had a son 6 weeks ago, and my cousin that might as well be my brother had a little girl as well. My mother's younger sister passed away yesterday from ovarian cancer, and while I wasn't particularly close to her, it's been tough seeing my mom so sad over the past few weeks leading up to the inevitable. My parents are 73 and 65, and it also made me realize that I don't have that much longer with them. My as-soon-as-they-come-back-from-india-so-not-quite-2015 resolution is to spend a LOT more time with them while I still can.

Social life/Friends: B (B, 2013). I'm literally copypasta-ing what I wrote last year: Still been an uphill road making new friends without any real means to meet people other than through my wife's co-workers. Our neighbors are all old. I work from home, so I don't have much opportunity there. Work and home life have kept me busy, so i haven't exactly had a lot of free time anyway. Trips back to NC and friends visiting from NC also make me lazy in terms of putting much effort into cultivating a circle of friends here, but we've made a few close friends by accident, so that works.

Health: B+ (B, 2013) Got a very comprehensive 168 point inspection as part of the life insurance application process. The good news is that i'm in good health. I want to keep improving though. I've got a lot of coworkers in the same age range (mid-30s) who I'd guess to be in their mid to late 40s. I don't want to end up like that.

Money: A- (A, 2013) I can't complain. I really need to tighten up expenditures. The drama with our son led us to move to Philadelphia for two months, which meant that on top of our mortgage, we paid $3k/month in rent, plus about $5k out of pocket in medical expenses. My wife was on on FMLA for 12 weeks, + an extra 6 weeks that her employer allowed her to take given our situation. Losing 60% of combined income sucks, but this is where I'm glad we had several months of expenses tucked away as an emergency fund. We went for years without one, and i'm so glad we finally did it, because we'd have been in dire straits without that.

[Edited on December 5, 2014 at 10:21 AM. Reason : .]

12/5/2014 10:20:57 AM

I have not posted a year end review in a few years. 2012 and 2013 were just pretty average years. 2014 has been pretty great though.

Career: C
Construction industry is still up and down and my salary was frozen this year. Along with that there were no bonuses. So i actually made less money this year than I have in the previous 2-3. And while there are other perks to this job that I enjoy (time off, no hassle, no dress code, summer hours) I'm starting to see some of my friends really succeed and make 6-figure jobs and seemingly have no worries when it comes to money. This year I dipped too much into savings to keep up with my normal lifestyle spending. It was a bit of an eye opener.

Family/Love: B
My family is fine. I have a healthy niece and nephew and am still very close with my parents. As far as the Love scene I dated more different people in 2014 than I ever have in other years. I used to be nervous about meeting women, but something kind of changed this year and I actually enjoy random first dates, getting to know other girls, and just going out to meet new people. None of them have really turned into long term romantic prospects, but a few have become friends.

Social life/Friends: B
This could probably be an A. I reconnected with a best friend, rekindled my love of going to live shows, and basically had an "adult spring break" that lasted from April to September going on road trips, seeing bands, and making the most of the weekends. I also spent two weeks in Spain with 5 friends that was one of the best trips of my life. The downside is that some of my old best friends don't come around much anymore and have changed for the worst. But in the end the ones that matter are great.

Health: B-
put a couple pounds back on. Haven't exercised as regularly as i should. But compared to 2012-13 i'm in much better shape physically.

Money: C
as i said i've made less money this year than in the previous and it's cut into some savings. Having to kind of cut back and reassess. I'm hoping a raise will come in 15 but with the economy still up and down i really don't know what to expect.

12/5/2014 11:48:42 AM

Interestingly I only have done this once before. I always have the intention of doing them but I guess I get caught up in reading other people's and forgot to write my own. Not this year!

Career/School: A-
I not only got into graduate school but I was admitted first in the class and got a free ride with stipend for the first year of my two-year program. I am wrapping up the semester with all passes and at least one class with honors. The only reason for the A- is because I'm at Carolina and I hate the culture there. I've spent the last 12 years hating them in sports but it really is so much more than that. I feel like I have made a great career choice and look forward to the money when I get out in a year and a half. I got a job working at the hospital in the spring and I love it. I was full-time until this semester started and have been able to cut down to part-time and work whenever I want to. I do a good job and I have a great boss and feel appreciated and learn a lot from the clinical side of it and love the patient interactions.

Family/Love: A-
I love my wife and she loves me more than I ever thought someone would ever love me. She came down with a serious, chronic illness at this time last year and it has been extremely difficult for us emotionally. But as we stand, her illness is finally in remission, we have overcome the tumultuous times and I feel confident that we will always be together after making it through this. We just found out a couple of weeks ago that she is pregnant and I will be a first-time daddy in July! I had a fight with my sister for several months but we have since made up and all family relationships are good.

Social life/Friends: D
It's pretty much non-existent and has been all year. During the beginning of the year I worked two jobs and have transitioned to full-time grad school with two part-time academic jobs and a wife on disability. I fought with my best friend for several months but have since made amends. It is what it is and I'm coming to accept that my wife is really taking over the role of my best friend and that's ok.

Health: C
Mentally I was a wreck for much of the year and have gone back on anti-depressants after four years off of them. It was the right move and has really helped me out, and although I'm overweight and take blood pressure medicine, I'm in a good state of mental and physical health and being a father is finally the motivation to get into shape that I've been looking for.

Money: C
I'm ok with where I am at at this point in my life. I actually haven't had to worry about money at all this year as there has thankfully been enough to get by thanks to my blue collar, my wife's disability payments, and student loans. I have come to the realization that I will be right at $100K in student loans by the time I graduate but because of the field I'm going into I am confident that I can have that paid off in 5 years after graduation.

Overall: B
All's well that ends well right? I began the year with a metric fuckton of uncertainties and really have a bounty of things to be thankful for coming out of it. In terms of sheer improvement I would give it an A++.

12/5/2014 3:49:59 PM

Career/School: A+
Family/Love: A++
Social life/Friends: A+++
Health: A+++++
Money: A++++
Overall: A+++ would do 2014 again !!

12/6/2014 10:48:06 AM

Career/School: A

I got a job, and I get out of bed and go to it every day. Pretty fucking successful if you ask me.

Family/Friends: C

I recently ended a relationship six months in to it. So neither of us wasted too much time trying to make a bad thing work.

Unrelated...I spent a couple months isolating myself from family and the few friends I have. Spent a lot of time crying alone and watching reruns of Friends/Seinfeld--with commercials.

Health: B

I had surgery so I haven't been able to exercise in a couple months. I also missed Fall. I was inside laid up on drugs, and when I finally came out of it, winter had come early. I was pissed. But I'm pretty much healthy with no ailments. Still need to quit smoking.

Money: C

There's never enough. But I managed to end my wasteful Starbucks habit. And I finally got a real credit score instead of "Who the fuck are you?"

Overall: Meh.

[Edited on December 6, 2014 at 2:08 PM. Reason : ]

12/6/2014 2:07:23 PM

I was able to start working from home and move back to Raleigh from DC-Metro, so year was made


Career/School: A

For my major, I have been fortunate to have a pretty good job with great benefits.

Family/Friends: A

Nothing bad. New nephew born in Oct.

Health: A

No complaints

Money: A+

again, for my major, doing pretty well

Overall: A

[Edited on December 6, 2014 at 2:14 PM. Reason : half-assed the categories]

12/6/2014 2:10:36 PM

Haven't done one since 2009

this year's been an 8 or 9

Career: A+. Got promoted at the bank and promptly left for a better environment. I am challenged at the new place, while having an equal or greater amount of responsibility. It's nice because at the new job, I'm actually listened to. This is instead of being a tiny cog in a vast set of unduly self-important gears. I am on the right path finally, and i am very happy about it.

Family/Love: B. My niece is growing up very fast, and I should be spending more time with her, my brother, and my dad... but it's hard due to distance and work. My girlfriend and I have been co-habitating for 2 years now. It'll be time to get hitched soon.

Social life/Friends: C- I'll be honest, it's been pretty hard keeping in touch with all of my friends. Everyone else seems to be starting families, and I'm very career focused at the moment, trying to catch up for all those years where I had shit jobs with no pay. I play soccer in an outdoor league, and keep up with people on facebook, but it's not enough.

Health: B- I'm putting on weight that I don't want. Again, hard to keep balance because of other focus, but otherwise relatively healthy.

Money: A+ zero complaints here. Able to save, able to invest freely since I'm no longer in finance.

12/6/2014 4:10:16 PM

Career: B
Salary/responsibility/workload is hitting a nice balance. I'm not keen on moving up to exempt status and the obligation to stay 9.5 hours/day. I suspect I'm already in the ballpark when accounting for the voluntary overtime I pull. 2015 will be trainee after trainee (~4 months each) so I hope to hire some keepers.

Family/Love: B
Kids are growing up fast and we'll need to plan for pre-K in another year
Kids really take their toll on love life (too ashamed to post numbers). Think of that guy who made the Excel spreadsheet of sexual advances, ha

Social life/Friends: A (for me)
I've never been a very social person (though I am perfectly sociable), and have kept to family (and in-laws) 99% of the time this year. I count 1 or 2 people as my friends. I haven't seen or spoken with them for months, and I'm perfectly OK with that.

Health: C
Still pretty inactive. Honestly, I don't see that changing until the kids are big enough to do real sports activities (throw, kick, etc)

Money: B
Earning decent $ but can't seem to hang onto savings. Those Wal-Mart trips are killer. I definitely need to brush up on money basics and go beyond checking+savings+401k. Wife got a nice bump in salary this year, and my company is supposedly dishing generous ones out next year as well. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

12/7/2014 2:20:18 AM

Career: B
Family/Love: B/D
Social: C
Health: A
Money: A

12/7/2014 5:54:25 AM

You assholes having great years can just go fall in a hole.

12/7/2014 10:54:37 PM

lol

12/8/2014 3:25:13 PM

Mine has been pretty epic, but it started being hospitalized with a separated/broken shoulder and surgery. Now I can move again and have been living it up.

Career: B
I'm not sure I'm getting any relevant skills to move up from what I'm doing. I don't really know what else to do other than what I currently do. Some how I ended up working for the music industry in LA.

Family/Love: C/A

Social: C

Health: A
Despite broken shoulder/back problems and knee problems, I've worked out through it and am in way less pain than the start of the year. It only took a ton of running, weight lifting and Physical Therapy for 8 months. Pain-free will not be free for me it seems.

Money: A+
Moving to California, despite having a failing startup has more than paid for itself being a contractor/freelance. Got a pretty awesome gig with more pay than I ever expected. I probably won't have to worry about money if this keeps up for another year or two. That's with gambling erratically with options, losing money in real estate and having other downs. Thanks God for Vanguard and Apple stock.

12/8/2014 4:17:13 PM

Fuck it

I'm Krallum and I approved this message

[Edited on December 8, 2014 at 6:42 PM. Reason : deleted dat shit]

12/8/2014 6:19:06 PM

Career: A+.
Started off terribly, but finishing on a high note. Four months ago I quit a terrible job that I had been at for 4 years. I started with a much larger company, working 40 hours a week (instead of 60-70). I also managed a nearly 50% raise in the process, with significantly less stress. I also cut my commute in half.
My wife also managed another $modest raise this year.

Family/Love: A.
Family seems good. Parents are doing great. Brother's family is fine.
My wife keeps threatening to kill me if I don't stop snoring. Problem solved by letting her fall asleep first. Once she is asleep, the snoring doesn't normally bother her.
I'm about to start a family of my own, and am expecting my first in May.

Social life/Friends: B.
Hiro always finds time to visit. That is awesome. I do wish more of my friends from raleigh would come down to charlotte though.
Normally though, we see the neighbors once every week or two, but we generally don't go out much.
My wife and I are so beat from work that we watch a little tv or read, then go to bed. It isn't bad by any means, but we both want to get more socially active. Hiking on the weekends really doesn't seem to be a people meeter.

Health: B
I'de managed to lose 60lbs over the last two years. I managed to put 30 of that back on in 2014. I contribute a lot of that to the stress I was under in the previous job. Hopefully I can reverse course.
My shoulders and back aren't acting up, so that is a good thing. I really need to work on getting more active again.
I did manage to get stitches for the first time in my life. Cut my finger open pretty good, but only took 2 to get it closed.

Money: A
As mentioned at the start, I achieved a substantial salary boost in my new position. My wife also got a raise. Part of that new income will be offset in our new role as we become parents.
It is nice to see our savings account growing again, especially at the rate it is now. Working on getting that true emergency fund up over 6 months (at current life style).

Over all: A- for the year.

12/8/2014 8:59:07 PM

2014 grade: F-

We are all one year closer to death.

12/8/2014 10:33:30 PM

Turned 30 last month. At first I was scared, but now...fuck it. Embrace your older wiser self.

Career: Inc.

Stopped working earlier this year to come back to full school time. Tried doing both simultaneously, but got overstressed and gained some weight, so I retired. Have enough of a cushion where I could stay out work until I finished my degree next year, but I'm getting bored. Doing some consulting to keep my sanity, but I need to decide whether I want to plow through and graduate in 12 months, or get back in the rat race and go back to taking night classes. Undecided at the moment, but my final exam is tomorrow, so I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my holiday break before weighing my options.

Family/Love: B+

Mom and Dad are good, if still a bit overbearing. My brothers moved back into town from DC a few months together, so the band is back together, and I enjoy going out with them and their ~25 year old crowd from time to time, but I can't keep up with all the late nights like I used to. No wife or kids, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while.

Social life/Friends: B

Everyone's getting married and spending their weekends with Netflix and take out. Seems to be the cool thing to do nowadays, so I generally hang out with folks a few years younger than me. Busy schedules keep me from seeing people as much as I'd like, but with emails and group texts we still talk and bullshit all the same, so not seeing each other in person isn't really a big deal.
Met a really cool girl about a year back and I like how things are going, but she's pushing for something shiny a little sooner than I'd like. I think she could be the one someday, but ideally I'd get my career back on track before going down that path. Also, as Jerry Seinfeld, would say, she's too good. Goes to church, volunteers, does mission trips, just generally a really nice person. I'm having a hard time seeing us as a good fit long term, seeing as how I have so many asshole tendencies. But for now, we're doing just fine.

Health: B-

Lost most of the weight I gained earlier this year, but still have a bit of a late football season gut. The holidays won't help, but I'm gonna be really strict Jan-March to get back into gear. I can't let the slightly overweight me become the new normal. I've seen way too many people hit 30 and just give up on physical fitness, but I'm far too vain to let that happen. My sleep habits have gone to shit, as evidenced by me posting here at 1:40 AM on a Wednesday. I need a bit of dental work done on some fillings I've had since adolesence, and I have a hemmorhoid that I should probably get looked at. But overall, doing ok.

Money: C+

No income coming in means I'm burning thru funds at an incredible rate, but I haven't had to take any drastic measures yet. I've cut back a bit, eating out less and being more cognizant of little bullshit expenses that add up way to fast. Can't really take any big trips this year, but did go to New Orleans for the game last weekend, which I really enjoyed. This will remain a concern until I'm back with a steady paycheck, but I knew that going into the situation, and its something I'm learning to live with.

Overall: B- for the year. But I see big things ahead in 2015.

12/10/2014 1:41:19 AM

Going to do a B+ Overall:

Career (B):
I like where I am company-wise, Duke Health is a great environment, but I think I've reached kind of a glass ceiling in my current position. There's no real room for advancement, and if I'm going to stay here for the long-haul I think I'd like to have some upward mobility. Maybe going back to school for a second or masters degree could help this, but it's hard for me to find the motivation.

Family/Love (A)
In what I guess is a long-term relationship (took up all of this year so far) with a cool lady. Previously, I've always start to get an itch to end relationships about now, and I've had a little of that but not nearly as much as I generally do at this stage. I'm not sure if that bodes well for her/us, but I'm just taking it day-by-day. Family never seems to change, which I'll never appreciate until it does.

Social Life/Friends (A)
I'm lucky to have a really solid base of friends. I have 2-3 really close groups of guys to hang with, and an absolute best friend. I don't need much more than that socially, but they're more socially inclined than I am so we're always having bigger group events which stresses me out a little but forces me to get out of my shell. Granted, a little of the debauchery has slacked off due to above mentioned relationship, but all-in-all I couldn't be better off here

Money B-
Frankly, I'd like to make more, and some of the angst over this plays into what I mentioned in the Work section. However, I'm financially comfortable. I purchased a townhouse a couple months ago, and thanks to a good bit I had in savings I'm actually paying less there in mortgage than I did in rent, so net result is a little more to keep in savings then I used to (which needs to happen since I liquidated a lot of it as a down payment)

12/10/2014 10:15:31 AM

Quote :

"I need a bit of dental work done on some fillings I've had since adolesence, and I have a hemmorhoid that I should probably get looked at. But overall, doing ok. "

praying for you

12/10/2014 1:36:15 PM

Career: B
Big stress took a lot of hits but kept the most important people happy dont know if ive seen it take fruit yet.

Family/Love: B
I kind budget all my energy here and borrow from it to get other categories to viable levels. Other things took a lot more energy this year

Social life/Friends: W
Could not make it to this class this year

Health: A-
Made weight this year. would like to put more energy here but happy with it thus far.

Money: B
I see some people creating great memories using money and other saving tons of money sitting very safe. I think I'm at a pretty good balance.

[Edited on December 10, 2014 at 4:08 PM. Reason : B]

12/10/2014 4:07:44 PM

^when was the last time you attended that class, btw?

12/10/2014 4:32:57 PM

you know it was prior to kids

[Edited on December 10, 2014 at 4:46 PM. Reason : maybe]

12/10/2014 4:36:33 PM

^^^^LOL

12/10/2014 10:22:46 PM

Quote :

"Social life/Friends: W Could not make it to this class this year"

gg

[Edited on December 11, 2014 at 1:34 PM. Reason : ]

12/11/2014 1:34:13 PM

Besides my shitty year I did paid off $35000 of debts...i guess something to be happy about. And planning to knock it all off next year.

12/11/2014 2:36:54 PM

Overall: B

Career: -A Promotion to a global leadership role, progressing toward my long term career target. New job has been interesting, learning new things and increasing my influence on how things get done. This job includes significantly more travel, which is both a positive and negative. Career would be an A, but I've been working longer hours to stay ahead while adapting.

Family: B Family is doing ok. Kids are young, so they have a huge influence on how fun or frustrating a day can be. Job has me out of the house more than I'd like, so my wife takes on a huge portion of the daily childcare. In laws gave us a chance to get away for a weekend trip, very nice. Bumps here and there for health issues, but everyone keeps on trucking.

Social life: D. Mostly non-existent. Some keeping up with older friends, not as much as previous years. Busy with family and work doesn't leave much for others. Find myself preferring to spend free time doing things by myself.

Health: B. Getting some exercise and managing some issues with doctors input. Could be doing better, but not complaining.

Money: A. New job means I am secure, looking forward to having enough to relocate to a better area for schools and commuting. I'm always looking to increase, but feeling good about the current situation.

12/11/2014 10:33:23 PM

2014 was very close to 2013, with minor differences.

Career: B (B in 2013) - Same job. There are a lot of things that annoy me about it but I have it pretty good and I get taken care of here. Fayetteville sucks. Still planning a Raleigh move in the next few years.

Family: A (A in 2013) - Marriage is good. Family is good. No complaints.

Social Life/Friends: B (B in 2013) - Nothing changed here either. Small circle of friends and none of us have kids or have moved away so it's the same as usual.

Health: A (B in 2013) - Lost a good 10-15 lbs this year.

Money: B (C+ in 2013) - My wife got her first raise ever as a teacher so that was nice. We're pretty much debt free except for student loans.

Plans for 2015: Travel as much as possible. Got big trips planned to England, California, and maybe the Caribbean somewhere. Trying to grind on the credit card points/miles game to help facilitate more weekend trips places too.

[Edited on December 12, 2014 at 8:57 AM. Reason : 2015]

12/12/2014 8:55:32 AM

You doing England next fall? I've started planning for a visit to WHL myself.

12/12/2014 11:10:24 AM

Yeah, plan is go around Thanksgiving. I'll probably stick to London and I bet we end up at Craven Cottage but I'm also considering Loftus Road or Selhurst Park.

12/12/2014 11:44:24 AM

^ I was over in July and every single club in London was doing pre-season away fixtures. sucked.

12/13/2014 2:12:47 PM

Career: B+

I took a job at a department that I've always wanted to work for. I attempted to use my last job as a stepping stone only to realize that it was way worse than I expected and I wanted to get back to what I had been doing previously. The job took me to the D.C. region, but I grew up here and my family still lives up here. The benefits are excellent and the pay is outstanding and the opportunity to earn far exceeds what I had in NC. I've had to attend 6 months of training, but at least I'm getting pad.

Family/Love: C

My wife and I are still happily married and are expecting a kid, but she truly hates living up here. She found a job up here, but its not in a hospital because those jobs are way more competitive compared to NC. Its a serious point of contention and has had me thinking of moving back to make her more happy, despite the fact that my career would be over.


Social life/Friends: C+

I miss some of my old friends, but the guys I work with are way more on my level than my prior co-workers (young, educated).

Health: A

No Complaints.

Money: B+

Starting to save again after my wife went back to college.

[Edited on December 28, 2014 at 9:40 PM. Reason : ...]

12/28/2014 9:39:23 PM

Hello, strangers. I'll tell you deeply personal details about my life. Perhaps you can even relate. I've been reading a lot of my past posts lately and it has been quite interesting and funny (considering I've been posting for 13 years), so for posterity, here goes a 2014 recap.

Career: A+.
I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing. Great coworkers, quite rewarding. A major glass ceiling, however, which motivates me to look out for what's next. (just go ahead and assume I'm like a social worker.)

Family/Love: A.
Family is good. Moving back to Eastern NC from North Padre Island TX brought me closer to my parents, brother's fam, etc. Christmas was great this year because it was the first time my husband ever got to join my family on Christmas eve. (He's always been offshore.) So that was great. I'm also married- which would have sucked when I was 25, but it's great now that I'm old [er]. We have a dog and no kids, so we pretty much get to do whatever we want. He's like having a really hot best friend that will cook me dinner and drive me places (I'm oversimplifying things...but since there's a big college crowd here, I'll remove the part about bills, retirement plans, taxes, and insurance).

Social life/Friends: B-.
I live in Eastern NC where everyone either has a big family, goes to church, or ...well...no, that's about it. The friends I do have are great. We have some really cool neighbors. We often talk about how we could live in a town where we could walk to restaurants, check out live music, or just be outside more (like Raleigh). I get to paddleboard, kayak, boat, water sport it up a lot in the summer though...so I can't complain. But it's winter. Winter is tough on the human emotion. We talk about moving out west frequently to a more outdoor-friendly yet rural scene (colorado springs? denver? not sure..). I sure do miss Raleigh sometimes, though. It seems so big now, like it kept growing and I just stayed still.

Health: A
Really lucky in this department so far in life. I got a tick bite back in June that I was convinced was going to paralyze me. Then I exited out of WEB MD and continued on with my day.

Money: B
Money is weird. Due to the job I have, I get great benefits/hours, but it boils down to not-that-much. I think I'm worth more. I think I can offer more, too. I know everyone thinks that, but I'm continuing to work for what's next. I'd like to double my salary in the next few years. I'm hoping to finish this graduate program in about 1 more year. I feel like I was a late bloomer in this department. But that's a whole other TWW post that I'll spare you with. I try to live within my means, but I did purchase a board game from 1989 the other night because I was reminded of it while out for drinks. That's bad and I'd like to eliminate impulse buys on the internet of this nature.


Over all: A- for the year.
I'm happily married, healthy, not broke, and working towards new, exciting things. Here's to a happy and healthy 2015 too.

12/29/2014 10:55:34 PM

[addendum]

Secret Santa: F-
Received a gift and did not recriprocate, then got all defensive when confronted about it and and still did not reciprocate. As the year draws to a close, I still refuse to reciprocate.

12/30/2014 9:10:29 AM