If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have noticed some changes around here. I had been thinking about improving the look and feel of my blog for a while now, and finally got around to doing it recently. I am not done yet, and the design may continue to evolve over time, but I like this better than what I had earlier. Do let me know what you think as well. One major change that I did was buying a domain name, so that even if I choose to move to another platform, I can maintain the same website address.
2014 has been one of the most significant years of my life. I have done so many different things, that I have a feeling I will remember this as an year that began a transformation in my life. Here is a list of things I did in 2014 that I am really proud of, and some that I am not.
THINGS I AM PROUD OF
1. Became an Early Riser: This is the biggest change and tops the list because I considered it IMPOSSIBLE for thirty years of my life. I never was a morning person, and my family and friends will still find it difficult to believe that this has changed about me. But it has. Even though I don’t get up at 5 or 6 AM every morning, I now know that I can. And that makes all the difference. I am insanely proud of this, because this opens up a whole new world of possibilities for me.
2. Wrote my First Book: As of now, only the first draft. But I finished it, and that too in 30 days, as a part of NaNoWriMo 2014. I had been planning on doing it for over two years, at least, but was always paralysed by the fear of failure. So this is a big deal for me.
3. Revived my Blog: This blog is and will always remain special to me, and after years of irregular (or zero) writing at all, I posted here with a regular frequency August 2014 onwards. I do hope to keep that up.
4. Celebrated my First Wedding Anniversary: The first year of marriage just flew, and I smiled when I thought of people telling me how difficult being married would be. It was tough at times, for sure, and I am sure there will be ups and downs in the years to come. But I am immensely grateful to be with someone with whom I can discuss everything under the sun. That in itself solves a lot of problems, I suppose.
5. Quit my Corporate Job and Moved to a New Country: This was a big step towards coming out of my comfort zone. I had been working with the same company for over six years, and though I liked the area I worked in, I was getting bored of the corporate world - I wanted more from life. So, when the opportunity came, I was ready to take the plunge. It was scary, for sure. Leaving a well paying job I was so used to for an unknown future in a new country was definitely not easy. But with the support of my husband, I decided to take some time off and figure out what I actually wanted to do. Life is not just about money, after all, is it?
6. Got into a Fitness Regime: 2014 is the first year of my life in which I have exercised regularly, for the most part. I had tried doing this earlier, but I could never sustain it. I have a tendency to get bored with things quickly, and the same was happening with exercising. Being a late riser was not helping the cause. So, along with rising early, I experimented with different forms of exercise. Now, I do a mix of various things I like - thereby reducing the chances of boredom. And it works.
7. Actively Went Out of my Comfort Zone: My biggest nightmare has always been ending up in a group of people where I don’t know anybody. I am terrible at small talk, and it takes time for me to build connection with a person, and it almost never happens in a large group. Ironically, the last couple of months have made me realize that my core skills and strengths lie in the social world - because I “get” people, and can add value to them. And that is what gives me true joy. I needed to get over my inhibitions if I ever hoped to find fulfilment in my career. Therefore, I braced myself, and signed up for various events where I had to spend some time with complete strangers. And guess what - it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t talk to everyone in the group, of course, but spoke to a few people who turned out to be fairly nice. And I listened more, because that’s my strength, as opposed to talking.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER (Also a hint on 2015 Goals)
1. Actually Rising Early: While I know now that I can get up early, and I did it several times in 2014, I didn’t consistently get up early in 2014. I would like to make a habit out of this in 2015.
2. Better Planning: I have never been much of a planner in my personal life, and think of myself as more of a person who goes with the flow/lives in the moment. And while it has its advantages, sometimes I feel I could do so much more if I just planned a little, and managed my time better.
3. Healthier Eating: I tackled the exercise bit in 2014, and even improved my eating habits to an extent. But there is a lot of scope for improvement.
4. Consistency in Writing: Despite multiple attempts, I failed at working on my novel before Nov 2014. I wrote only when I was so ashamed of my failures, that I committed to writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I did that. And if I could do that, I could have written a lot more, had I been doing it consistently throughout the year.
Looking at the big picture, 2014 was a great year for me. I believe that it marked the beginning of a different phase in my life, and I really look forward to what lies ahead. I am working on defining my 2015 Goals, and will share them soon.
Thank you for being a part of this amazing year. The encouragement from my readers played a huge part in whatever I have been able to achieve this year, and I am immensely grateful for your support. I hope 2014 was a good year for you as well, and wish you a 2015 full of happiness, love, and laughter.
