2024 Theme Review
Looking back over 2024, I thought it would be good to reflect on my 2024 theme and how it has gone. This might also help me to build my 2025 theme. If you’re unaware of yearly themes, here’s some references for your perusing.
The 5 Rs
My 2024 theme was “the 5 Rs”: Reading, Writing, Recreation/Exercise, Relocation, Romance/Relationships. This theme was naturally broad because I was finally building out what a yearly theme should be, but the premise was any time I was bored, I would work on one of the 5 Rs. This was the “base level of action”. That’s not to say I didn’t be lazy or potato sometimes, but when I had the thought of “what to do”, I had a default direction to move towards. The theme did not have a definite “I shall read X many books this year” but just to think about reading and move towards a life where I read more. Let’s go over each section and how I did.
Reading
I wanted to read more this year, to do a healthier “consumption of content”. And I feel I was extremely successful in that endeavor. I was able to read 33 books this year. Some of my highlights were: Das Kapital by Marx, Lonesome Dove by McMurtry, The Rise of the Meritocracy by Young, and Giovanni’s Room by Baldwin. Maybe it would be worth to do a write-up for these but I’m just glad to have read them and have their ideas in my head.
Writing
Writing was not my strongest category this year. I did a lot of additions to my dictionary but not as many blog articles. But once big success in writing is my essays for graduate business school. I had to pen two essays for my personal statement and personal growth. After struggling with the overall theme then what to write I had to joy of getting many sets of eyes to review and improve it. I’m looking towards 2025 to increase the amount of my own thoughts are put down and then have the ability to share.
Recreation/Exercise
I wanted to increase the amount of exercise and my overall health. After moving to Houston, my roommate has been a huge help in working out somewhat consistently. I have not gotten the habit to a daily task, but I’ve greatly increased my internal drive to do some sort of movement from infrequently to multiple times a week. This is something to keep growing in 2025, but the foundation has been laid.
Relocation
Starting out the year, I was living in Port Arthur and working in Orange. I knew that I wanted to end up in a larger city and try to be somewhere with more “young life happening”. I was able apply for a role in Houston and moved in May. This was a large success for focusing on the goal and working on what is needed to get that goal outside of work. After I moved, my year focused then on the remaining 4 Rs.
Romance/Relationships
I wanted to increase the depth of relationships with the people in my life. And selfishly, I was getting a little lonely without having a significant other in my life. On this front I think I did exceptionally well even though I didn’t achieve my initial goal of being in a relationship by now. I used this goal as one to focus on spending additional time with people I enjoy, saying yes to more activities with others, but most importantly be the initiator/driver of those activities with friends. I’ve greatly increased my social battery and overall time spending with others has been 10x past years. This has been not only a success of this goal but also had positive impact on my overall health, enjoyment of life, and sense of community/purpose. I’d like to continue to grow with others in the upcoming year and be intentional about scheduling and spending time with people as life happens and we continue to move along our lives. And I’m going to continue to work on myself for a future partner.