Farewell 2023
To mark 2023, I began my year writing “random” in a red notebook. Deciding to boldly circle and underline it, I cemented my lack of expectations for the year. Was this vague and questionable? Absolutely. But, after listening to numerous podcasts and reading so many articles about how to set achievable goals–it had the opposite effect on me. I was practically goal-less.
In early January in Thailand, I had a visceral dream about my boss cutting off my hair that made me adamant I needed to quit my job and dedicate time to travelling. So, I took this as my first resolution and that is exactly what I did. Weirdly enough, in September, I ended up back in Thailand, the place that catalysed my four-month trip abroad.
On that initial trip in January, I had several other vivid dreams that provoked more ambitions for the year. I decided that along with travelling and being open to ‘randomness,’ I wanted to:
have one big career move
nurture existing relationships
implement consistency and creativity in my life
In hindsight, this year was filled with full-circle moments for me. I started 2023 in the Gold Coast so it feels kind of surreal to be ending the year here with a new role I’m really proud of.
2023 brought a lot of creativity for me. Both literally in terms of nurturing my creative hobbies and interests, but also in terms of how I handled myself in unfamiliar situations. This year saw a lot of instances where I was forced to think on the spot or problem-solve in ways that I haven’t usually done. I creative in the more traditional sense, nurturing my love of making art in whatever realm that precipitates.
I underestimated how many incredible relationships came into my life this year, from work besties to incredible people I met travelling and coffee catch-ups turned companions. It also cemented my appreciation for all the long-term connections I’ve had forever. Despite an overwhelming amount of physical distance that I had from many of my relationships, I felt a lot of comfort in the ones who supported me every step of the way–and put up with my podcast long voice messages. This year was filled with a lot of love all around for me and for everyone involved in my 2023, I want to say the biggest thank you.
One thing I aimed for in 2023 was consistency and I’m absolutely not there yet. I implemented more consistency in certain areas of my life, but this is something I need to work on. Unable to achieve this has left me feeling sense of incompletion and flaw, however at the same time this a refreshing reminder that life’s fluctuations are ok. Instead of perceiving this as a failure, I can continue to strive for this in 2024.
My mentality is that like a good wine, most things get better with time. So for me, new years are no different. I think each year is typically better than the last. The hiccups and challenges that you encounter are just an opportunity to grow and become more resilient. So, bring on 2024, however it looks.