The path before me is not an easy one, but I am determined to follow it. And I hope by next year I'll be at least somewhat closer to where I want to be.

The hardest part about the journey ahead is going to be overcoming my own pessimism. The voice in my head telling me "you're going to fail" and "it's all just a waste of time" is far, far louder than the one that tells me "you can do it, I believe in you". So half the battle this year is going to be a mental one, of proving to myself that I can do the things that I set out to do if I put my mind to it. To not be afraid to stumble and fail a few times before finding my stride. I need to build confidence in myself and what I'm capable of, and try not to say "I can't".

If I'm able to do that, then who knows how much I'll improve by next year?

Only time will tell, though.