Hey, everyone!
It's week 14 of 2024, and this is a special edition of High Five.
I owe you all an update. The last time you heard from me was in November of last year. I felt optimistic and on track with my plans to finish up a pretty exciting year. But as it often happens, things went differently than planned.
Towards the end of last year, a combination of multiple illnesses (nothing serious 🙏🏻) and too many responsibilities caused me to go way off track with pretty much everything I was doing at the time. It took me several months to catch up and get back on track. It took a while, but this week officially marks the time I can take a breath, reflect, and write this post.
First, I'd like to look back on last year with my usual yearly wrap-up, which I teased last time. Then, I'd like to share a bit about what’s next.
The 2023 wrap-up
Even though it's late (I know it's April!), I'd still like to do a recap of 2023.
It's been a groundbreaking year in so many ways. With a plan to "Focus on myself," I've approached things with an open mind and curiosity. I had four key areas of focus: health, hobbies, relationships, and work, all of which had a specific agenda of what I wanted to do (or at least try). The vision? To regain confidence, self-awareness, and a sense of purpose, which got lost in the ever-changing, fast-paced world during the last two years.
In short, I made it happen almost precisely as I had in mind:
I have exercised twice a week with my personal trainer for an entire year and added some extra cardio, too (I'm sometimes joking and becoming a gym rat). My sleep schedule and morning routine got way better (thx, Atomic Habits), and thanks to limiting sugar and alcohol, I feel healthier than ever.
Learning to play drums was a big one regarding new hobbies I found or revisited. Combined with gaming, reading, and skate (thanks to Nollie), I found the perfect combination of activities that help me relax. It almost felt like returning to my roots to remember what formed me in my younger years.
For the second year, my ongoing coaching and therapy have primarily focused on topics related to my career. But towards the end of the year, we also discussed relationships—to be more specific, understanding others and getting better at communication.
It was my busiest year in terms of new work. Well, duh, that's why I'm writing this so late now! It was great for business but challenging to keep it all sustainable. I've learned hard lessons and realized I need to change my approach to many things if I want to progress. Overall, I pushed myself to the max, which led to great results and made me happy, but it also caused some trouble.
Some things didn't go as well, though:
Overthinking what others may think or say is still quite a struggle of mine. Despite trying to break the loop numerous times, I ended up in the same place as before. But I feel confident; it is only a matter of time until I push myself over the edge. I see the clues more and more!
To expand on the previous point, I also encountered challenges in understanding my identity as I grew too connected to my professional role as a designer. The years of building a personal brand and leaving a company that was also quite attached to my identity took their toll. Last year, I felt it a lot in a weird way.
I learned the hard way (once again) that taking breaks and time off is as important as being productive. Last November and December were the closest I've been to burnout in a long time. It was a great reminder to be careful and revisit my priorities if I want to do what I do for a long time.
With so much going on throughout the year, I noticed the constant context-switching is slowly eating me alive. I thought I could handle a lot, but it turned out I needed to dial it back a bit. I spread myself too thin, and it just wasn't working out.
In summary, despite the last two months of the year and some downs caused by the challenges mentioned above, I've done great overall.
If anything, I feel pride, gratefulness, and anticipation for what's to come. These emotions are not just fleeting but deeply rooted in the experiences that have shaped the past year. They remind me of my resilience, the support I've received, and the lessons that have prepared me for the future.
Thank you, 2023. 🙌🏻
Here and now
It's now April of 2024.
Four months into a new year, new plan, new title...
My title for 2024 is "Get out there."
It's a reminder, a phrase, a motto I say to motivate myself every day now that actually has a double meaning (inward/outward):
This year, I'd like to get out there and bring my work and persona back into the spotlight. With a ton of unreleased projects, new hobbies, and a design studio about to be fully launched, it's a great opportunity to get active and refresh my online presence in general. I've been living in the shadows for too long, and to be completely honest, I miss being more social.
It encourages me to get out there and explore, learn, and experience beyond my comfort zone. With every new experience, I'd like to move outward and enrich the inner self, making 2024 a year of growth, discovery, and boundless possibilities. Thanks to encouragement from my coach, I partially started doing this last year, and I'd like to go even further now when I have the space.
Of course, it all sounds exciting. But I also realize this won't be possible if I keep my current setup and state of affairs. I need to make a few changes to find space and focus if I want to make 2024 a success.
This is the hardest part because I'm generally a "Yes" man. But I'm learning that saying "no" is not just about turning down opportunities; it's about saying "yes" to my priorities. It's about carving out the time and mental space I need for these projects and experiences that mean so much to me.
Moving forward, I'll be more selective with my commitments, streamline my daily routine, and perhaps even redefine my work environment to ensure I'm setting myself up for the best year possible.
With that, I've decided to put my Substack on pause, and I'm also looking for someone to take over Showreelz. These projects don't take up a lot of time to manage, but it's about the context switching that drains my energy and scatters my attention. I'm limiting a few other endeavors in a similar way in favor of putting the effort elsewhere.
My main focus (work-wise) will be Nollie, freelancing, and socials. That's the plan for the rest of the year, and I'll be switching between these three depending on what makes the most sense at a time.
This isn't a goodbye, but the last High Five post for now. Thank you all for sticking around and reading my updates. I hope you enjoyed them and will follow my journey even beyond Substack.
The best way to keep in touch is to follow me on Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, and YouTube. These are the platforms where I'll be active again. My comments and DMs are always open, and I hope to see you there soon.
Have a great week, and thank you again for everything! 🖤
A.
[This post was written by a human, not AI.]
Best of luck brother🔥