Another year in the books. Another 365 days of stumbling forward, taking punches, and hopefully learning something along the way.
Some years, you’re the hammer. Some years, you’re the nail.
2024? I was the damn nail.
But even a bad year teaches you things. And if you’re smart, you’ll take those lessons, file them away, and use them to make sure next year doesn’t suck quite as much.
So, let’s break it down—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Good
I decided early on that if I wasn’t going to crush it professionally, I’d at least get my personal sh*t together. So, I focused on two things: fitness and self-improvement.
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Pull-ups. Six months ago, I couldn’t do a single one. Now? Two in a row. That’s progress, baby. Small, pathetic progress, but progress nonetheless.
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Running. I’ve kept a 3-4x/week streak alive since 2022. Not bad for a guy who used to think “cardio” was walking to the fridge.
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Hiking. Did two this year. Turns out, nature doesn’t care about your problems. Highly recommend.
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Ditched soda. Realized I was drinking liquid candy. Cut it out. Feel better. Simple.
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Boundaries. Learned to say “no” more. Turns out, people respect you more when you respect your own time.
The Bad
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Reading. Wanted to finish five books. Finished two. My attention span is fried. Gotta fix that.
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Job loss. Got let go. Not fun. But maybe a blessing—forced me to ask: Do I even like what I was doing? Might go all-in on freelancing instead.
The Ugly
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Breakup. Got my heart stomped on. Took a dating hiatus to heal. Still working on it, but at least I’m not endlessly swiping at 2 AM anymore.
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Isolation. Went full hermit mode, ghosted friends. Big mistake. Some welcomed me back. Others didn’t. Can’t blame them. Lesson: Don’t disappear when you’re struggling. People want to help. Let them.
The Big Takeaway
2024 wasn’t my year. But it wasn’t a waste. I got stronger (literally), smarter (a little), and wiser (hopefully).
Next year? More focus. More discipline. Less self-sabotage.
Because the only thing worse than a bad year is repeating the same mistakes in the next one.
Onward.
—Yaz
