Looking forward to 2024

Happy New Year in advance to all my friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and connections here. I hope you are enjoying quality time with your loved ones during the final days of 2023

A couple of days ago, I posted a story on Instagram outlining my New Year's resolutions. I mentioned 4 - 5 points that I'm looking forward to in 2024. After some time had passed since posting the story, my good friend Swapnil Shetty messaged me, informing me that my story had been repeatedly appearing on his Instagram stories timeline. Clearly, it was a glitch in the app, but I joked with him, suggesting it might be a sign from the universe for him to set resolutions for himself in 2024. However, later that night, it got me thinking that perhaps it was a sign for me to reflect on the reasons behind my posted points. I thought it would be beneficial to document my year's experiences and my visions for the future, hence this article about my New Year's resolutions for 2024.

Health and Fitness

In 2023, unexpectedly, I adopted two habits. I'll discuss the first one later, but the second was that in October 2023, I stopped consuming sugar. I've always had a sweet tooth by habit. There used to be a box of sweets at home most of the time from a famous condiments store in Bangalore. However, that has completely stopped in the past 3 months. Earlier in the year, I attempted to avoid sugar by substituting it with jaggery, and a good friend made fun of me, stating it made no difference. Those words lingered in my subconscious, perhaps triggering me to challenge myself to avoid sweets altogether. Occasionally, every ten days or so, I've had a small amount of sweet to manage withdrawal symptoms, but I'm on the right path to cease that habit as well. I believe I'll be fine without any sugar intake in any form. Since I've taken this first step towards better health, in 2024, I aim to completely quit consuming sweets and pay closer attention to my daily diet by avoiding junk and prioritizing healthier options.

Regarding fitness, I plan to dedicate 30 minutes to an hour for physical exercise. No, this isn't just a typical "New Year's Resolution" that starts and ends on January 1st. I won't start on January 1st, but very soon for sure. I'm waiting for that realization at 4 AM to kick in, and I'm confident it will happen very soon. I'm looking forward to getting into better shape in 2024.

Skill Up and Scale Up

2023 was a year of learning for me in all aspects—professionally, personally, mentally, and emotionally. Among all the technological advancements this year, AI stood out. Many of us have begun using AI chatbots and other Generative AI technologies to understand their impact on productivity. I experimented with various AI technologies like ChatGPT, CoPilot, MusicGen, Midjourney, DreamStudio, etc., and even attended a couple of free AI sessions to learn more about their applications. I anticipate that 2024 will be no different. Technological advancements will continue to progress rapidly, and I aim to delve deeper into understanding them and utilize them to enhance my productivity without compromising my creative thinking.

Academically, I completed a couple of certifications at work, which I am proud of, and I look forward to continuing this momentum. There are numerous areas like Supply Chain, Product Development and Management, Tech Trends, Investing and Personal Finance, etc., where I need to explore further to grow both professionally and personally.

Another highlight of 2023 was interacting with young minds at work, fresh out of college and into their first jobs. Training and mentoring them brought me joy and valuable learning experiences. I hope for many more similar interactions in the coming year.

Hobby and Passion

Most of my friends and colleagues know about my passion for photography. I consider it a hobby at the moment, as it provides me with a unique perspective on the world. Everything seems artistic and beautiful when I have a camera in my hand. However, since I started using the excellent camera on my smartphone, my dedicated camera mostly remains idle in my cupboard. While phone cameras offer great flexibility for creativity and artistry due to their ease of use, I miss the technical aspect of the art. As Jayanth Sharma, a renowned photography mentor, says, “Photography is both Art and Science”, I have been neglecting the scientific aspect. Looking ahead to 2024, I aim to indulge more in my passion and enhance my technical skills in the art of photography by attending photography workshops and photo tours.

Read more and Ride more

I ventured into reading books in 2023. Although I owned a few books, I never managed to complete them. I often felt sleepy whenever I opened a book. I can't pinpoint what motivated me, but I picked up a book and started reading. Sometimes I still feel drowsy, but I've improved since my friend Arushi Gupta advised me to read only when I am genuinely in the mood, rather than forcing myself. That advice proved helpful. Some of the books I've read so far include "Do Epic Shit," "The Palace of Illusions," "The Psychology of Money," "Get Epic Shit Done," "Origins of India: Bharatvarsham," "Rishi Intelligence," and "The Big Bang and The Sages.". I'm still exploring to discover my preferred genre, taking my time to figure it out. The primary goal is to sustain this positive habit and keep reading.

Another prized possession of mine is my motorcycle. When I bought it back in 2018, my intention was to go on regular rides. I did manage a few trips in 2018 and 2019 before COVID halted everything in 2020. While things have gradually returned to normal over the past year or two, I haven't embarked on long rides. Initially post-COVID, there was some loss of enthusiasm, but eventually, I lost interest, leading to the cancellation of a couple of planned rides due to various reasons. Although a recent plan to ride during the last week of the year fell through, thanks to my wonderful friends ??, I'm eager to resume riding once things settle. Cruising into 2024, I aspire to go on more rides and relish the satisfaction of the open road and the throttling of the motorcycle which is music to the ears. Let's see how it unfolds, hoping for some great rides.

Use them the right way

Smartphones and social media go hand-in-hand and can become quite addictive. It's challenging to entirely abandon smartphones in this era, but I've managed to give up on social media. I deleted my Facebook account years ago and haven't missed it. Although I've attempted to do the same with Instagram multiple times, my passion for photography doesn't allow me to entirely let it go. However, I've realized that any platform can serve its intended purpose if used correctly. My plan is to use social media solely to exhibit my hobby and artistic work while reducing unproductive scrolling time. I hope to stick to this resolution and achieve success. Wish me luck on this one ??!

Overall, 2023 was an average year, if not exceptional, for various reasons. I've learned numerous lessons, both professionally and personally. Among these, one key habit I cultivated this year is Sandhyavandana. It's the first habit I adopted out of the blue this year following a 4 AM realization on a fine morning. I've continued it ever since, and I take pride in it. This practice has instilled a positive attitude and thinking in me, something I refuse to let go of. I look forward to carrying this positivity into 2024 and hope for good things to happen for everyone.

On that note, I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May great things come your way!

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Which translates to..

May everyone be happy, may everyone be free from all diseases,

May everyone see goodness and auspiciousness in everything, may none be unhappy or distressed,

Let there be peace!

Note: You can follow my hobby-related work on my Instagram handle @sandeepam.