2023 involved several pieces that I hope return this new year. Writing this reflection marks the very top of the list, the star of the Christmas tree. It would be easy, while I get ready to ring in the new year with a party, to rattle them off in a boring, random list.
I tried to get into Dungeons & Dragons this year. The content remained in my sights via vintage trading cards and features on streaming platforms. I even wrote myself some lore. But the first group I ventured out with disbanded and the adventurer Nimrod hung it up.
Here, the curious would delight in the knowledge surrounding the difficulty of organizing small groups. For example, one individual could be unresponsive up until the very deadline, tying up the expedition as we wait for answers. Our group's delay even had a name. For the sake of privacy, readers, refer to him as Gala.
Gala antagonized the indecisive. He made an impatient dungeon master. Fast-food workers have more patience during the dinner rush. The complaints might continue, but I have artistic restraint. Gala's behavior foiled my attempts to organize efforts. Still, I carried on.
Near the beginning of the year, I even added summaries of my thoughts at the end of the post, for those who found it too long; didn't read it. Things went well. Bright eyes anticipated the future. New topics uncovered felt like leads in big cases. Who knew Ben Franklin wrote governing principles for himself?
The joke for those not privy to my thoughts for lack of consistency comes dryly. Since learning is not downloading a PDF, the year passed without fail, but progress slowed considerably. This crawl that progress took led to searches for answers, at which the investigation arrived.
Interesting story here about planning. The phrase ‘trust the process’ isn’t so trite when the ultimate risk is involved. 2024, one coach writes, ought to focus on a plan instead of strategies. Two groups of explorers proved with their lives that to achieve a great goal, it is essential to have a clear plan.
I spoke at an Ethereum conference this year. It was five minutes, but I nailed it. I still haven't seen my segment anywhere, but I need a website - a simple landing page to show off I know a thing or two. Another item to plan pops up.
I read a few books but didn't master their wisdom. The Little Book of Ikigai, Atomic Habits, and The Tipping Point - the titles add up to the number of books I nearly finished but presumed myself "well-versed enough" to preach. I rather talk practice. We can't all be Allen Iverson (AI).
Community building is a valuable skill. I would know; the value created from joint efforts centralized in the hands of a few key figures. I planned, shilled and Tweeted in the hopes of being one of those few. I don't feel, as far as stakeholders go, that my assets under management appreciated. The focus on technical analysis continues.
While job applications did not manifest in the desired outcomes, experience blossomed as skills overlapped and branched into new territories. Topics like scaling growth, tactics, strategy and Dunbar's number launched campaigns and schools of thought in unexpected directions.
Do I qualify as a cinephile now? I even wrote movie reviews. Emotions like self-doubt and self-consciousness fade away. I turn the music up and sway while I type out my story. A slight smile peaks out while a liquid synth melody floats on.
I want to make my next move better than my last this year. This first step feels like a recipe written for progress.
