The Last Lap?

I don’t know if anyone is feeling any pressure for the new year. I don’t know if you’ve already made plans, set goals, thought of a timeline for yourself, self-preparations and all of that. Maybe you have, or like a lot of other people, you’re determined to take the day as it comes. Maybe you haven’t given it any thought and just want to enjoy the holidays. Whatever the category, you fall inside, there’s no doubt that the new year is coming. It’s inevitable.

I think I’m a mixture of all the categories in the sense that even though I want to and I am trying to enjoy the festivities as much as possible, I’ve already had a few goals I’ve set in part of my mind that is going to be my focus as I, by God’s grace, enter the new year.

However, I said to myself that the new year usually comes with a lot of pressure. That’s why many of us set resolutions and a few days into the new year, or maybe just a week, we’re already falling short of the goals and expectations we set for ourselves. I say this with all seriousness because I’ve been a victim of this several times, but since I believe a lot in the greatness of my 2024, I’ve decided to do things differently.

I mean, I can’t expect a different result when I do the same thing over and again. So, my first step to doing things differently is to not start in the new year which is already laced with tension, even though we’re not even there yet, and to start implementing some of my goals now. Acting on them. I’ve been wanting to fully resume my workout sessions like before. And I thought to just start the first day because I’m the kind of person that deals with whole numbers. So if I say I’m going to start writing a post by 8pm, and for some reason, I get engaged and then check my time to see 8.08, I would wait till 8.30 before I begin. Whether there’s a deadline hanging over my neck or not. It’s just wired in my psyche to be that way.

But somehow I felt it in my subconscious that if I waited till January 1st to begin, I would end up skipping a day on January 4th and then two days after January 7th, till the whole plan just goes away with the wind. And so, for the past week, I began my workouts as a way of setting myself to the completion of my one-year goal. One of my teachers in high school talked about something becoming a habit if we did it consistently for twenty-one days, and so I can’t wait to cross the 21-day threshold and see if it would no longer feel burdensome. I mean I do want it and I’m under no compulsion whatsoever, but you can agree that even when we genuinely want something, it still feels like a burden sometimes.

And then I talked about my Dreem which is to get the perfect space to broaden, sharpen and perfect my writing skills. And also, by extension, a place that would give me that ideal ambience for my creative self to flow without inhibition. I said to myself that I would create a space that I feel the most safe in. Most happy to carry out everything that I’ve set my heart on.

So while I’m still not exactly sure how this challenge is to go, I did say that I could only achieve this Dreem if I stopped procrastinating, if I took the bull by the horns and seized with all degree of alacrity the opportunities that come my way. I don’t think that’s the way to put it because I fully intend to seize even the opportunities that don’t come my way. That means I’m actively searching for them and through that, doors would be opened for me.

I’m not sure if I said it but after I missed a few this year, I promised to be more intentional about essay and story writing contests. So I’ve begun to search for them. The ideal ones that I would have liked are not available yet but I’m still searching. I surfed the net a lot a few days ago and saw contests like this. I mean, the fact that it costs money to enter has kind of taken the shine out of it for me. But I’m still looking, you know. I saw others that come with even higher fees as well.

Anyway, here’s the link to the site, just in case it’s something you would be interested in. Also, as a way of broadening my skills, I’ve begun to save money for Coursera which is a platform where you learn skills. I’m looking at I’m looking at advancing my skills tech-wise in courses like digital marketing. Fingers crossed but still working actively for a better, 2024, let’s see those Dreems into Fruition.

Jhymi🖤

_{Thumbnail is mine. Other images are phone screenshots.}