Review of 2023—a year of transition
This is a review of my 2023 goals. I already know I have a few I slipped or barely accomplished, but I want to be kind to myself as this year has been a pivotal one with huge changes and challenges. Here it goes.
Physical health - I definitely didn’t keep up this one :( I started the year with some sort of workout habit (albeit already loose) but now I barely have one. It’s been a year of transition and working out unfortunately fell off my list of habits. I have full intention in bringing it back soon.
Mental health - I want to say I handled this as well as I could given all the changes I went through this year. There were times when I pushed myself a little too much but I was quick to realize it. And I learned to reach out for help more and to lean on others, sometimes even people I met not long ago.
Find a job in Tokyo - this was done.
Keep playing golf - I did keep playing but it was quite on and off. I did not get under 100, but in a recent game after months of not touching golf (even for practicing), my score surprisingly didn’t go down. I need to more consistently practice and start looking into how to get on a course in Japan. I look forward to it.
Read 12 books - I read 10… T_T I shall try this goal again next year.
Keep blogging - I did do this but did not post more than once a month like I had hoped I’d be able to do. With that said, I’m glad I kept it up, because it’s so easy to just have it slide when so many changes are going on in my life. Writing in general has continued to be meditative for me and helped with documenting and organizing my thoughts. Every time after I write I feel less scattered and a little lighter. I am determined to write more often going forward.
Japanese study - I slacked off on this one this year, and I also don’t get a lot of chances to practice at work since I work almost fully in English. I’m looking into taking classes through a vendor sponsored by my employer, so hopefully I get back on it soon. My coworkers have told me my speaking is getting faster, so that makes me happy that the small exposure I’m getting seems to be helping even without active study.
Start learning Korean — did not do this as I was concerned about mixing up Korean and Japanese if I start learning it before my Japanese is solid enough. I remain very interested in picking up Korean.
Learn a new digital or analytics related skill — although done unknowingly, I learned a lot about experimental design and A/B testing since I started my new job. It definitely counts towards this goal.
Do a side project with data — I didn’t start a project on my own but I have been involved in a consulting project which involves building data processes for a company. That fulfills this goal but I do want to do a data project that involves statistical modeling in the future.
While I didn’t accomplish all my goals, I did the most that I could, given the circumstances. In the past year, having found a new job in my new town and somewhat settled into some kind of new normal, I have gone through a huge amount of change, stress and most certainly growth. I have made realizations about my personal priorities and preferred lifestyle. I’ve also been surprised by how people showed up for me in times of challenges. I plan to write about these reflections, and my 2024 goals, in another blog or two. That will be it for this one.
