While this month was quite the distraction for me due to all kinds of reasons I almost missed a personal Hive milestone. Earlier this month I received the sixth hive birthday badge! A good moment to look back at the past year spent with Hive!
Although 6 years have passed, this last year was different from the others. 2023 was the first year in which I spent way more time writing posts and commenting. Getting to know more and more people all over the world! I still think this is truly the best thing Hive brings to all of us!
In 2023 I also started the journey of running a witness. Since November I've been signing blocks. This idea came to me many times before only this time I decided to take the leap. Since the startup and finally setting up everything the right way, the node is up and running with only one block missed! A proper witness update will soon follow, but if you want to vote for my witness that would greatly help!
In 2023, after gaining 2K HP I also finally made it to Dolphin status! This was a long term goal for me. This was all possible with posting, commenting, and HBD interest gains! For 2024 I hope to add at least 2K again! Let's see how things evolve.
First Month Down Eleven to Go
Today is the last day of the first month of the year. While most people drop their goals for the year earlier, I think it's never a bad time to talk goals! My goals, as for most of us, focus on wellbeing. Mental, physical, financial, and what have you.
Physical
For me the first step in this is physical health. Simply put, more exercise and better nutrition were on the agenda for January. More exercise translates, for me, in cycling. And boy I did! Mostly on the indoor trainer due to the weather. I've signed up for a six week training program to improve my cycling power (FTP for those who know it). Of the 31 days in January I managed to ride on 19 days. Good for almost 500 kilometres! This year I would like to break my annual kilometre record of six thousand kilometres. Lest see what I can do here!
Nutritional
This is a real struggle for me. I'm a fool for fatty salty foods. After focussing on work all day, or after doing sports, it can be tempted to eat comfort food. Which, let's be hones, just means punishing your body! In January I focussed on improving the situation by avoiding the temptations simply through getting the junk food out of my house. At the same time I made sure to have healthier choice stacked in the fridge! More veggies, for dinner and lunch, and fruit and oats for breakfast! I also started to bake my own bread again! These first steps are already something, as I consider myself an addict when it comes to the fatty and salty! In the coming months I will further optimise my food habits one at a time!
Mental
While I won't bore you with the details the past weeks have been intense due to some changes in my life. Although tough at times, it's also a moment of opportunity to get into healthy habits in the mids of all the change. The past month I started doing morning mediation. Something I enjoyed in the past but somehow got lost along the way.
As you all know travelling can also be great for the soul! I'm currently figuring out what trips to do for the year. Although some ideas are brewing, more on that in the near future!
Financial
Regarding this topic I think I can say I do quite alright. Last year a big financial change was buying my own apartment. Instead of saving hard, I will pay off a significant chunk of the mortgage I know have to my name. Apart from that I keep doing what I do: grow some more savings, invest in some crypto, and pull some HBD interest. Just keep on grinding :)
Slow and Steady
My goals might seem small. And you are right! It's intentional. I believe big change is doomed to fail. At least for me. While setting small goals that are manageable, one can slowly change habits. Each month I evaluate how far I came over the past weeks and where to go from there. And documenting them here creates an additional push! Hence another update will follow by the end of the short month of February!
How are your goals for 2024 developing so far?
