Today is January 1 and I was debating if I wanted to write about my goals for the upcoming year, or reflect on the past.
Obviously, based on the title of this post, you already know which way I have decided to lean.
Very generally speaking, 2024 was a great year. Some amazing things happened:
- My student loan was forgiven
- My carpal tunnel surgery was a success
- I finally got to see the northern lights in all its glory — right here in freaking New Jersey! Who would’ve thought? no one, thats who.
- Saw a total solar eclipse in Indiana!
- I went to my 30th US National Park
- Got to celebrate my brother turning 40 in Malaysia.
- Finally went back to the motherland (& loved it) after 10 years!
- Went to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Penang, Langkawi & Kuala Lumpur!
- Learned to make sourdough – another unplanned adventure
- Celebrated 42nd in Maui and got to see one of the best night skies of my life in Haleakala National Park.
- Went to Hawaii twice – Maui & Oahu (on account of my friend’s bachelorette)
- Got to spend a lot of time with my dad because he came to take care of me while I was recovering from surgery, and we got to travel for 10 days together in Asia.
- Took mom on her long awaited train ride down the Pacific Coast. Spending time with my parents was very healing and I do hope I get to do more of that on a regular basis.
But, there were a certain level of things that didn’t go well — mainly related to health and family.
And there are a plethora of goals I didn’t even come close to meeting:
- Didn’t read enough
- Didn’t hike enough
- Didn’t meditate enough
- Didn’t write enough
- Didn’t focus on my health enough
- and worst of all, didn’t even do a single podcast episode.
I also didn’t start one of the two goals I have for my 40s: learn to ride a plane, learn to scuba dive (for which I need to return to swim classes and get stronger).
And all of that has inevitably left me feeling like I didnt do enough. And I didn’t. It would certainly be easy to say I didn’t have a choice. But, of course, I did. Just like everyone has a choice in what they choose to do and what they choose to put aside.
The choice I ultimately made was that the things that were directly important to me could take a backseat because something else or someone else was prioritized by me over the above things. Those were my choices and sure, I can say that circumstances led me to choose x over y, but regardless, even that decision to do so was my own doing.
So, I have smaller goals this year (I also say this every year).
I cannot and will not attempt more, even though I also say this every year.
But looks like the lesson is yet to be learned.
In the rare chance that someone else out there is reading this, please note that I am not spellchecking, grammar checking or even reviewing my thoughts a second time around when writing on here.
I am merely writing to write because that is the great love affair, isn’t it?
To be able to write again.
To you — whoever you are, may the lessons from 2024 serve to better your life in 2025.
Cheers!
What I Think I Say 