Happy New Year!

No loud parties, no crowds, the way I love to spend my New Year's Eve is by sitting down and reflecting. Giving myself a clean slate to start anew and plan ahead of how I'd wish to spend the upcoming year.

There is an immense power in giving yourself a clean slate and as a tool, it can be utilized way more often than just once a year. Look back - celebrate the good, forgive the bad and the ugly, and refocus on where you want to go further. Simple, elegant yet so profound.

2023 has been the year of changes for me. I quit my fiat corporate job. Not because I could afford to, but because I couldn't afford NOT to. Mental health-wise. The ever-increasing pressure of constantly growing responsibilities and the lack of clarity concerning official job title not to even mention appropriate remuneration - it all had eventually found me at my limits.

It's hard for me to know my limits sometimes. Now only looking back at how I handled my job duties did I realize that I had already been burnt out for 3 years. It took me 3 years to finally realize that I did not need to continue to torture myself like that anymore. I had a good run though - 8 years in the same company is like an eternity by today's job market standards.

Am I looking to find another fiat corporate job? Not anytime soon. I'm busy! xD

I am though! In IRL no less. Doing important stuff, something that actually makes a difference - I'm keeping my promise to my late Grandma and ensuring her house doesn't come crumbling down - in the most literal sense.

Me and Dad have spent this summer and autumn reinforcing the foundations of the house that were in worse shape than we even had anticipated. One week when we had dug out a bit too much of the corner of the house was particularly intense, as it was crystal clear - had we not done the reinforcements when we did the house could have actually sustained major damage.

I was actually quite surprised with how much we managed to do, as at that critical point it felt like it wouldn't be possible to finish the reinforcements before the freezing temperatures of winter. But we managed after all.

Further construction works have now been halted for winter, but come spring - we still have loads of renovation works to attend to.

I can feel the underlying uneasiness from others regarding my lack of a 'proper job', but those who have seen me actually working really hard at Grandma's house don't say much. As long as I can chip in to support family's budget and help out others as needed, I'm let off the hook.

I don't know, something about not just sitting at a computer and digital-paper-pushing, but actually making a physical difference in the real physical world now more than ever feels way more epic and important. I guess AI has given us all some much-needed perspective shift.

I mentioned this already (turning 35), but I do really feel like my life is just actually only starting. And knowing that 2024 is a year of Dragon... MY year! Amazing things are only inevitable. I'd usually be cautious about feeling overly optimistic or confident, but this time I can feel it in my bones. My life is indeed just starting.

I do have my intentions for 2024 - I intend it to be the year of art. I've been tired of not being good at drawing for way too long - it's now time to actually do something about it.

What are your intentions for 2024?

Much love and I'll see you around! ^^