Obstacle | Opportunity | Optimism

There are moments when you want the time to stay still because life is good and you want nothing more. 2023 started on a high note but by the time it reached midway, it was a year that I have come to dislike, there are many days in which I wish I could erase and change the trajectory. But that’s what life is – you move on. As I look back at 2023, with this capture from 2022, hoping 2024 will have a different story to tell.

I am hopeful and optimistic that 2024 will present me with opportunities to scale ahead on all fronts be it personal, professional, or Toastmasters. All I know is that I’m going to be back with more adventures and stories to tell.

It’s been a few days to this year and some of us simply carried forward the incomplete resolution from last year which we have high intent but limited discipline to accomplish. And I am no different, so here is how I have decided to approach this year differently:

• Instead of resolution, make a round-the-year bucket list and work towards it. Do not wait for 1^st day of the month or Monday to kickstart – it starts the day it gets added to the bucket list
• Put it out on social media to make myself accountable. Sometimes we are more accountable to the people around us rather than ourselves. Don’t we take ourselves for granted?

I hope this will take me a step closer to my fitness journey this year. Optimistic. And happy to be held accountable by all of you. Find your accountability partner this year.

I recently came across a very interesting reel by Anupam Kher – the relationship between December and January, like old memories and new promises, both have depth and indicate time and both have their flaws – both have the same number of days but yet both have a unique identity and style. One marks the end of a year, while the other marks a new start – just like day after night. One has memories of the past while other has hope for the future. Both are connected as two ends of a thread – poles apart yet joined.

What December leaves behind is accepted by January; the promises we make to ourselves in January are supposed to be fulfilled by the time December sets in. January to December takes a whole 11 months while December to January is a matter of a blink of the eye. All months of the year are bound between January and December and are all about dreams, hopes, and aspirations while the separation of December and January is a worldwide celebration.

If 2023 was about obstacles, can we take 2024 as an opportunity?