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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
3 years ago
Hey, everyone! I know I've been very quiet most of this year, but I hope that all of you are doing well and are looking forward to a prosperous and well-balanced 2023. I know I am!
This past year, I've been working quite a bit and have seen my art style take important, healthy forward strides that I can look back on with genuine pride. I got my own apartment, I adopted a very chaotic but affectionate kitten who is now nearly full-grown, I learned a lot about how to run and manage business matters, I learned how to set boundaries and realistic expectations for myself, and I took a lot of chances that delivered truly positive results.
These are the things I want to accomplish in this coming year:
1. Vehicle repairs. My current car has been through hell and back since I got it, and repairs have been slow to happen due to my financial limitations, but it's still hanging onto life and I couldn't be more appreciative and thankful of that. Still, I need to get the hood and front bumper replaced, as well as a realignment and new brakes. I want my car looking, running, and feeling like new, because it certainly deserves it!
2. HRT / Transition goals. I have an appointment scheduled soon for initial evaluation to start testosterone. My goal is get on hormones soon and begin the journey I've been waiting nearly thirty years to start. I'm so nearly there already, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds!
3. Czech fluency. I've been studying Czech for about a year now, but it's been difficult finding the time to actively practice, and Czech is one of those languages that requires a lot of focus, especially when English is my first language. By the end of this year, I want to be able to have a conversation without having to double-check my vocabulary and stress about whether or not I'm following grammar rules. Even if I'm only on the level of a six- or seven-year-old, being able to have a conversation confidently with someone in my grandmother's first language would be a huge achievement for me.
4. Improved business acumen. I want to be able to forge ahead with my artwork in confidence! My goal is to table at at least one convention, even if it's a small one, by the end of the year. There are so many ideas I have, so many things I want to do, and I feel like now is a good time to start making those childhood dreams come true.
5. A stronger community. I am very fortunate to have the friends that I have, but I want to build a local network as well. The queer and fur communities in Houston may be small, but they are mighty, and even though I live in a small town outside the city, distance in Texas is no excuse. I want to be able to put more faces to names, give and get more hugs and attend more local events with larger groups. We are all stronger when we have a community to connect with, and I want that for me.
6. Quitting smoking. It's a bad habit and it won't do me any favors in the long run. I've done it before, and I know I can do it again!
I've learned that, above all, when setting New Year's resolutions, it's important to remember to practice self care and be kind to yourself. Set realistic goals, and don't beat yourself up if they don't all happen immediately. Even if you achieve none of your goals, the important thing to remember is that you tried your best and you learned! Use the experience you gained in the past year to make this next year even better, and remember that even if you don't believe in yourself, there are people out there in the world who believe in you!
So what are some of your goals for 2023? Share them in the comments! I'd love to hear them.
This past year, I've been working quite a bit and have seen my art style take important, healthy forward strides that I can look back on with genuine pride. I got my own apartment, I adopted a very chaotic but affectionate kitten who is now nearly full-grown, I learned a lot about how to run and manage business matters, I learned how to set boundaries and realistic expectations for myself, and I took a lot of chances that delivered truly positive results.
These are the things I want to accomplish in this coming year:
1. Vehicle repairs. My current car has been through hell and back since I got it, and repairs have been slow to happen due to my financial limitations, but it's still hanging onto life and I couldn't be more appreciative and thankful of that. Still, I need to get the hood and front bumper replaced, as well as a realignment and new brakes. I want my car looking, running, and feeling like new, because it certainly deserves it!
2. HRT / Transition goals. I have an appointment scheduled soon for initial evaluation to start testosterone. My goal is get on hormones soon and begin the journey I've been waiting nearly thirty years to start. I'm so nearly there already, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds!
3. Czech fluency. I've been studying Czech for about a year now, but it's been difficult finding the time to actively practice, and Czech is one of those languages that requires a lot of focus, especially when English is my first language. By the end of this year, I want to be able to have a conversation without having to double-check my vocabulary and stress about whether or not I'm following grammar rules. Even if I'm only on the level of a six- or seven-year-old, being able to have a conversation confidently with someone in my grandmother's first language would be a huge achievement for me.
4. Improved business acumen. I want to be able to forge ahead with my artwork in confidence! My goal is to table at at least one convention, even if it's a small one, by the end of the year. There are so many ideas I have, so many things I want to do, and I feel like now is a good time to start making those childhood dreams come true.
5. A stronger community. I am very fortunate to have the friends that I have, but I want to build a local network as well. The queer and fur communities in Houston may be small, but they are mighty, and even though I live in a small town outside the city, distance in Texas is no excuse. I want to be able to put more faces to names, give and get more hugs and attend more local events with larger groups. We are all stronger when we have a community to connect with, and I want that for me.
6. Quitting smoking. It's a bad habit and it won't do me any favors in the long run. I've done it before, and I know I can do it again!
I've learned that, above all, when setting New Year's resolutions, it's important to remember to practice self care and be kind to yourself. Set realistic goals, and don't beat yourself up if they don't all happen immediately. Even if you achieve none of your goals, the important thing to remember is that you tried your best and you learned! Use the experience you gained in the past year to make this next year even better, and remember that even if you don't believe in yourself, there are people out there in the world who believe in you!
So what are some of your goals for 2023? Share them in the comments! I'd love to hear them.
Being more self reliant. I hear you should get more of a "theme" than an actual list. Since the things to be done will enviable change as time goes by. 'The best laid plans", yes?
I've found it best to set goals that are within the realm of what you can control as well. I can control quitting smoking, for example, or how I dedicate my free time to language studies or business studies, but I can't control how the economy may or may not effect me in the coming year, or the political landscape of where I live, my body's metabolism, disability, etc. I think a lot of people forget to keep that in mind, which is why gyms see a profit explosion in January before the sharp drop-off only a few months later, lol.