NEW YEAR, NEW ME
New Years Resolutions are a funny thing. We wait until the beginning of the year to start something we probably already should have done, and then get demotivated somewhere about 3 -4 weeks in and stop doing what we set out to do. I like how the most popular resolution is to get in shape or lose weight. At the same time, this is exactly when the gyms are overcrowded and it’s entirely too cold outside in most parts of the world to even do anything active (especially if this is your first time working out in like forever). In the end, a New Years Resolution is just another way for us to continue our tendency to procrastinate or make excuses for why we aren’t getting things done. So that’s why I am writing this entry one day earlier than New Years Day in the US. ***NOTE: I wrote this on the first of the year, but with having to catch up with work I’m just now posting this along with a couple of other posts.
I want to end 2018 on a productive note. One should also note that I’m saying this as I’m sitting on a bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo drinking a tall boy of Asahi beer. However, it has been hard to be productive during down time as I got a sinus infection right before I hopped on the plane to Japan…convenient right? Well thank god for drug stores. Did you know that in Japan you are expected to work even if you are ill? That’s what all the face masks are for. It’s not a fashion accessory or a means of keeping pollution out of lungs, it’s literally being courteous to others of the germs you could be spreading, or trying to keep yourself away from germs. You’d understand if you’ve ever walked through some of the packed markets or been on trains here. There’s no room for personal space, so you’ll always be breathing someone else’s air. Something else I learned is that the over-the-counter medication in Japan is super freaking strong. The cold medication often has other additives in it like caffeine so that you are still alert even when you’re sick. SS-Bron, a popular cough syrup, is closely related to oxycodone. Eve A, a popular painkiller, also has caffeine and a sedative in it. So note to self, stock up on Japanese medication if you want to kick your colds fast. Anyways, I’m done with this tangent on Japanese over-the-counter meds for now.
I wanna talk about 2018. This was the year that I encountered the most important inflection point in my life. I was in an on-again off-again relationship that literally sucked the life out of my ex and I. I felt horrible, he felt horrible, a lot of damage was done to the both of us. If he’s reading this, I want to say I am sorry and wish we had ended things sooner. It’s hard letting your first love end, even when that’s the best thing to do. Additionally, a friendship ended with someone I had considered one of my best friends. And I actively destroyed my mental and physical well being through many bad decisions. I effectively spent the first half of 2018 being a shell of myself, and it wasn’t until I decided to stop making excuses and be exceptionally more proactive that I finally broke free from my destructive black hole and became a much better person, the person I was meant to be. Some of the things that had the most positive impacts on me this year included:
Leaving my comfortable life and job in SF to a start up in NY where I had to live there half time
Learning to embrace the beauty of life itself at Burning Man and other experiences
Stepping out of my comfort zone and making a lot of new friends in both NY and SF
Picking up new hobbies (i.e. photography) that involved at lot of time investment
Starting a business with two of my friends
Putting my mental and physical health first by going to therapy, ensuring I was eating healthy, and exercising more regularly
So what does 2019 have in store for me? I think a lot more than a failed New Years Resolution. Time will tell, let’s wait and see…