Reflecting On 2024's Resolutions
I wrote my resolutions down last year, and I'm really glad I did! It was fun to look back and see what I accomplished. I have a new set of resolutions for 2025, but before I post those, let's take a look back at last year's resolutions...
Connect More
Partially accomplished. I rekindled some old friendships and invested time into making new ones. I've learned that having friends is one of the best parts of my life, and I can't imagine my life without them. Staying connected with people takes work and effort. It doesn't come for free, but life is pretty gray without it.
At the same time, it's a treadmill that never stops. It's tough to stay in touch with everyone I consider a friend, especially when separated by distance. I'm hoping I can catch up with even more old friends next year (and if you think this is you, please reach out!)
Exercise More
Partially accomplished. I'm lifting weights pretty regularly again. To be honest, I was frustrated that I plateaued in progress earlier in the year and fell off my routine a few times. It took me until ~November to realize my body requires an extreme amount of daily protein, at least 150g and, ideally, over 200g when lifting regularly to sustain myself. That's a shitload of protein! But with that consumption, I don't feel as tired when lifting, and the gains keep coming. That feeling is addicting. We back.
Listen More
Partially accomplished. First, deleting apps from my phone was one of the best decisions I made. No Twitter, no Reddit, no LinkedIn, and barely any Instagram. If I want to use them, I have to physically move my body to my laptop (where they're significantly less addicting and habit-forming.) I can't recommend this enough. Not until I removed the apps did I realize I had this persistent nagging in my brain encouraging me to take my phone out. Conversations with friends and family became secondary to thinking about the next time I could take out my phone and scroll through junk just to feel like I was "all caught up". My attention span was totally fried.
No more. I substituted those apps with longer-form content like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal apps. I disabled notifications for almost every non-essential app, I muted group chats and cleaned up my home screen. It worked. My attention span is back. Not just better — totally reclaimed. Conversations and small-talk became interesting again. The world suddenly became a more interesting, less negative place.
Yes, this definitely helped my listening skills. For some reason I'm still really bad at remembering details exchanged in conversation. I don't really know how to improve this. For now I'm just admitting it's a weakness and staying aware of that.
Help More
Accomplished. Proud of myself for this one. I took on an engineering apprentice for 5 months meeting weekly, I hired former students to give them experience when building Hermae, I audited a neighbor's website for free, I volunteered to help run the senior show at Drexel, I listened to student pitches for their capstone projects, helped my sister with her coding classwork, and probably a few more things.
To reflect on this, it feels just okay. I don't think it feels as good as I had imagined it would when I added this to my resolution list. I think if there was a better feedback loop, e.g. hearing the impact of my help, it would feel better. Kinda don't get that too much, but that's alright.
Want Less
In hindsight, "wanting less" isn't a great goal, there's nuance to it. Instead, it's about wanting the right things...
Bad:
New material things like a computer, phone, clothes, or new car
"Bigger or better" versions of what I already have
Difficult-to-achieve expectations
More money
Good:
Steady income
Plenty of healthy food
Fun experiences
A comfortable living space
Seeing friends regularly
Meaningful family time
A day-to-day routine mixed with spontaneity
Healthy relationships
Mental peace
Physical health and fitness
2024 was a transformational year for me. Lots of high highs, too many low lows. A unique year that provided a lot of clarity when I needed it most. Looking back, I learned more about myself this year than in any other, and those lessons have already helped write the next chapter.
Cheers 2024, you'll be missed.