The Year in Review for 2014
About a year ago, I shared my 2014 New Year's Resolutions as an act of accountability. But instead of solely securing partners who would hold me responsible for these intentions, I found support buddies who would push me along the way as well.
Below you'll find a short status update on each resolution.
1. Dedicate an hour of time to quiet reflection each week.
While I won't pretend that I dedicated time each week to quiet reflection and zen-like thought, I did begin meditating on a semi-regular basis. While it's still a work in process, I feel like I've made great strides in understanding myself and addressing the mental clutter inside my head.
2. Exercise three times a week, even if it comes at the expense of sleep.
I also wasn't perfect with exercise, but I ran my first half-marathon and I'm currently in the process of training for a full marathon. Exercise has not only improved my physical health, but my mental health as well. On the whole, developing a regular exercise habit wasn't easy, but the results argue that making these efforts was entirely worth it.
3. Eat fewer meals alone.
After initially posting my 2014 resolutions, I immediately received quite a few texts from people worried that I might be having some trouble on a personal level. Although that wasn't necessarily the root cause, the desired result was nonetheless achieved. Over the course of the year, I've shared fantastic meals with even better people and learned much more about themselves and the world around us. While reflection and exercise both brought tremendous value to my life over the past year, sharing meals with others was easily the most enjoyable and easiest to accomplish. Sometimes, you just have to ask.
4. Be more accessible to others.
On this point, I think I've failed miserably. However, through this failure, I've learned that intentionally limiting my accessibility has instead helped me avoid overcommitting, an act which drags on all other parts of one's life. The act of being accessible requires a tradeoff in the form of less time spent elsewhere. And while I've not taken every request for a meeting, I've been able to prepare for and appreciate even more those meetings I did take. In short, quality over quantity. While I'm now entering my last semester at the University of Florida which makes my time remaining all the more shorter, if you'd like to hang out, I'd encourage you to continue bothering me until I commit. It's with those diligent people who I had simply the best interactions. We shared an experience that had a purpose. Sometimes productive, but always meaningful.
Overall, it's been a great year and I look forward to what 2015 has in store. I'd like to wish you a happy holiday season and if I won't see you, I hope to hear from you in the New Year!
Below you'll find a short status update on each resolution.
1. Dedicate an hour of time to quiet reflection each week.
While I won't pretend that I dedicated time each week to quiet reflection and zen-like thought, I did begin meditating on a semi-regular basis. While it's still a work in process, I feel like I've made great strides in understanding myself and addressing the mental clutter inside my head.
2. Exercise three times a week, even if it comes at the expense of sleep.
I also wasn't perfect with exercise, but I ran my first half-marathon and I'm currently in the process of training for a full marathon. Exercise has not only improved my physical health, but my mental health as well. On the whole, developing a regular exercise habit wasn't easy, but the results argue that making these efforts was entirely worth it.
3. Eat fewer meals alone.
After initially posting my 2014 resolutions, I immediately received quite a few texts from people worried that I might be having some trouble on a personal level. Although that wasn't necessarily the root cause, the desired result was nonetheless achieved. Over the course of the year, I've shared fantastic meals with even better people and learned much more about themselves and the world around us. While reflection and exercise both brought tremendous value to my life over the past year, sharing meals with others was easily the most enjoyable and easiest to accomplish. Sometimes, you just have to ask.
4. Be more accessible to others.
On this point, I think I've failed miserably. However, through this failure, I've learned that intentionally limiting my accessibility has instead helped me avoid overcommitting, an act which drags on all other parts of one's life. The act of being accessible requires a tradeoff in the form of less time spent elsewhere. And while I've not taken every request for a meeting, I've been able to prepare for and appreciate even more those meetings I did take. In short, quality over quantity. While I'm now entering my last semester at the University of Florida which makes my time remaining all the more shorter, if you'd like to hang out, I'd encourage you to continue bothering me until I commit. It's with those diligent people who I had simply the best interactions. We shared an experience that had a purpose. Sometimes productive, but always meaningful.
Overall, it's been a great year and I look forward to what 2015 has in store. I'd like to wish you a happy holiday season and if I won't see you, I hope to hear from you in the New Year!