2023 has come to an end with just a blink of an eye and 2024 is just around the corner. It is a great time to reflect on how the year has been for me and devise a resolution plan for the upcoming year.

Let's start off with the lowlights of the year. My grandma left my family at the age of 92 in April and it was a sad occasion but we already knew that it was bound to happen as she had been bedridden for 6 months prior to her departure. It was somewhat of a relief to know that she would no longer be tormented by the unbearable itch and agonizing pain that she was suffering all the time. May you rest in peace grandma.

Next, I've found myself consciously disengaging myself from any social activities such as hanging out with my friends or having a healthy badminton game with them. I have only gone for a measly four badminton sessions this year, which is quite pathetic in hindsight. I always find excuses to save more time and money for doing that, which is true to a certain extent but I'm taking it way far to the extreme.

I strived to utilize the time I've saved from the "unnecessary" activities as much as possible on the activities that are beneficial to my personal growth such as reading and programming. While I am a huge code-a-holic who committed codes to GitHub every day for 2 years straight, I felt that the code quality was subpar and unsatisfactory; I did not achieve anything significant other than having a bunch of unfinished projects scattered across my computer.

Staying in front of the computer monitor every day inside the claustrophobic room really took a toll on my vision health. Coupled with the sedentary lifestyle, my left eye's prescription quadrupled from -0.50 to -2.00 and my right eye's nosedived from -1.50 to -3.25. I was befuddled when I learned that it was this drastic during a recent visit to the ophthalmologist. I know my prescription has worsened but did not expect to such a degree. Regardless, the show must go on and I got myself a pair of new spectacles with the hopes of my vision stabilizing and won't deteriorate further.

Moving to the highlights, I had been promoted to developer recently in my company. I only started to pick up the momentum after joining here for 2 years since my graduation from the college. I envisage myself to take on more responsibilities whilst sharpening my skills to become a well-rounded individual and continue to serve my company.

I managed to secure a new double-storey house that cost a whopping RM500k, of course with a loan from the bank. I'm not sure how to feel about this because I need to fork out an extra amount to pay the loan with my already-limited wages. I couldn't amass any savings as I had other commitments such as a car and study loans that needed to be reimbursed.

As my focus is severely fragmented, I am in dire need of a well-thought plan and discipline that will keep me free from alluring distractions that come about every once in a while to commit to one thing at a time. I would like to practice meditation and mindfulness to detox my head which is rambling with chaos all the time to improve my overall productivity.

I would also like to set myself some ambitious milestones. I would like to write 10 English blogs or essays and 5 entries in Chinese, Japanese and Korean each while maintaining my daily coding streak. I would also try to complete an English composition within 2 hours to challenge my writing competency.

On the programming side, I would like to complete 2 technical projects that I am truly proud of. I would also want to finish the abomination entitled "Haskell in Depth" which I bought from Tsutaya Bookstore in Pavilion Bukit Jalil some months ago.

Reading has been on my wishlist forever as I always procrastinate with the excuse of having something with higher priority to do. I bought a lot of books but they are just a glorified way to collect dust at the end of the day. Hence, I would like to break this custom and complete at least 5 books in 2024.

After realising that locking myself away is not the solution towards a sustainable and successful life, the thing that I will be doing differently in 2024 is that I will no longer confine myself in my room and isolate myself from the outside world. I would seize the opportunity to touch grass with friends and family.

It's time to bid farewell to 2023 and usher in the brand new year. May we find success and solace in the majestic year of 2024.