Today’s inane image of the day:
Last week, I reflected on 2023. As sort-of-promised, I decided to set some 2024 intentions. I think that every single day is a new opportunity to set and achieve goals; I don’t think we need a designated time of the year to do these things. I have short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term goals that I set and review on a semi-regular basis. But the idea of intentions feels like the right approach for 2024; they are touchy-feely types of ideas that I’d like to work toward in the new year. There is no checkbox for these items… they are lofty ideals that I hope I can remind myself to embody throughout the year. Maybe my 2024 reflections post will be assessing how these intentions came into play [or didn’t!]. Who knows. Maybe there will be silence on the blog for almost a year again [let’s hope not].
Listen more; speak less
As an extension of my 2023 reflection on deepening relationships, I want to be a better listener. I think I do an ok job at listening. I remember things better when I read them [so reading text messages seems to stick in my mind much more than something told to me in conversation], but that is not an excuse. I want to listen more actively and not let my mind jump immediately to crafting a response to what I’ve heard.
In real life, I jump into things with my opinion or an attempt at a funny response too quickly. I like to say things as I see them [I think that is why many people appreciate my company – the brutal honesty]. But sometimes I find that this reflexive response might drown out other interesting voices. It’s a delicate balance. Offering silence in groups gives people the space to put together their thoughts. But my mind likes to jump from thought to thought and I if I don’t try to articulate what I’m thinking quickly, the thought is often lost. I guess if it’s important enough, it’ll come back to me?
Recently I started listening to podcasts during my commute [which is sometimes painfully long with the dysfunctional MBTA]. In the past, I would be too distracted to be able to follow along with a podcast interview, but now that I’ve found some podcasters speaking to topics of interest to me, I can focus more on them. In a way, it feels like my podcast [and now audiobook] listening is practice for this intention to listen more and speak less.
[For those of you that are curious, I’m currently listening/reading: Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity and recently finished Dopamine Nation and Essentialism.]
View life through the lens of curiosity
My life coach [yes, I have one, and she is the best] encouraged me to view my dating adventures [and life] through the lens of curiosity. I’d like to expand on this more in 2024. I often get in my anxious head about meeting new people or working shifts that do not bring out the best in me [i.e. nights make me into a terrible human]. But after going through more and more of these new experiences, I recognize in reflection that there are always so many perspectives in a situation and my anxiety [more on that later] can prevent me from seeing through different lenses. Journaling and sharing the [sometimes] irrational fears I have with close friends pushes me toward realizing that I need to consider alternative explanations for things that I jump to conclusions on. Reminding myself to respond to “triggering” things in a curious manner has been helpful in taking a step back to reassess a situation.
Maintain healthy habits
The single best thing I did for myself was stick to a geriatric bedtime and plan as many of my social events around this bedtime. Truly, I aim to physically be in bed by 8pm most nights [including weekends!]. My average sleep duration is 7 hours… but 8 would be ideal. I am not able to stick to this rigid of a schedule [e.g. work, dating, friends… life things] every single night, but I am proud to say that I make it happen more nights than not. When I stick to my bedtime for a week, I find that I’m able to handle the stress of work or unexpected surprises so much better. I am able to pause before I react. I am able to be empathetic toward someone I may disagree with. In general, I think I am a better human being when I get good sleep.
My diet this year has been kind of sketchy. I’ve always loved savory foods over sweet foods, but in the last decade or so, I’ve found that my salt cravings are quickly followed by sugar cravings. It has gotten to the point where my pantry is stocked with the highest sodium kettle chips and some sort of buttery, baked goodness [e.g. coffee cake, donuts, etc]. I do not have some sort of extraordinary self-control around these things… especially right after a busy day at work. This paragraph is not about to end with some sort of ode to swearing off all the junk food that I love, but maybe to at least try to meal prep a bit more than I had been in the past. One good thing I did in 2023 was explore making soups. Hopefully I can find some more easy recipes to keep me amused year round [I’m open to your suggestions!].
Exercise has evolved for me since the pandemic. During the peak of the pandemic, I bought an exercise bike and did a Peloton workout every single day. It made working out into a habit that I have continued. Over the years, my approach to exercise has evolved. There was once a time I tried lifting heavy weights. Then I didn’t like the idea of getting “too muscular” so I backed off on weight lifting. But recently my views on my body and what makes me feel good have evolved again. When I was on a trip and able to carry my bike up a pretty significant number of steps, I felt strong. And this was only because of my strength training that I’ve re-incorporated into my routine. I want to keep feeling strong and that I’m investing in my body. Definitely going to work toward more of that in 2024.
My skin is showing its age and my disregard for it in my youth. I’ve never really taken care of my skin. But the further and further I get into my medical career, I’ve seen more heartbreaking cases of metastatic melanoma. And as a single lady, my appearance does matter when meeting new people. But when I thought about how to actually start caring for my skin, I was overwhelmed… so I gave up. Luckily, my dermatologist friend started a skincare subscription box [Dermy Doc Box] that as helped me dip my toes into using products. I don’t use everything in the box, but I’ve found products that I’m actually willing to incorporate into my daily routine; everything else, I find friends to share with that I know use those types of products. Anyway, here’s to actually paying a bit more attention to my skin in 2024 [as much as people find my freckles cute, they’re really just signs of all the sun my unprotected face has encountered…].
Explore creative avenues
Writing has been a creative outlet for me since before starting this blog in 2011. When I was younger, I wrote short fiction stories. Then I transitioned to LiveJournal and Xanga when those were popular. Eventually I landed here. Turns out people like to read my conversations with myself [ha, this is what blogging feels like!].
The hardest part of these last few years has been finding the time to just sit down and write unfiltered. My best entries have been the ones where I spew out my stream of consciousness based on a topic that has been brewing in my mind. Usually, the inspiration for a blog post comes to me in the midst of a workout or walking my dog. But if I don’t strike the iron while it’s hot, the idea seems to float away into nothing.
There is also an undercurrent of performance orientation. I want my writing to be well-received by you. I want positive feedback. But this isn’t the point and I need to remind myself of that. I need to move away from external validation and recognize how personally beneficial this public writing practice is for me. If I’m proud of the work, that’s enough. And through habit and practice, I’d hope that my writing will continue to improve. So, in 2024, I want to keep investing in this creative outlet [if you made it to this point in my entry, can you help keep me accountable?! Literally… send me a message on IG or an email and let me know you want more blog entries].
On a whim, I bought a pack of watercolor pens in 2023 but am intimidated by them. I’ve sat down maybe 3-4 times to play with them. I’ve watched a couple of YouTube videos and flipped through a book on techniques. One of my attempts at following along with a book led to a blob of mismatched colors that I am embarrassed to look at. But then a couple days ago, I sat down with an idea that had been brewing in my mind and it was like something clicked. I was finally able to synthesize the different techniques and the vision I wanted into a painting that I loved. Into a product that I am proud of. I have a couple of ideas for how to expand on future painting endeavors… hopefully 2024 brings the recognition that this type of outlet is important to me.
[Aside: Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic was a big inspiration and reminder to me that exploring creativity is an important avenue for living a fulfilling life. I’m getting pieces of that from listening to The Creative Act, too.]
Work toward managing anxiety spirals
The things that “trigger” an anxiety spiral usually aren’t aligned with reality. There is a balance to strike between listening to my intuition/gut feeling and the overwhelming negative thoughts that crowd my mind when I am “triggered.” In medicine, I have learned to trust a gut feeling or intuition when it comes to patient care. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s usually an indication of something awry. But in my life, I haven’t quite teased out how to listen to my intuition. Sometimes I confuse intuition with an anxiety spiral. This has been an area that I’ve been working on in 2023 and I want to more actively work on in 2024. Wish me luck. This is a big one for me.
Anyway, happy 2024[!] and I’d love to hear your intentions for 2024 – comment on IG or shoot me an email.