Year in Review: 2024
The biggest thing I did in 2024.
I quit Instagram. I have stopped posting entirely and I did not view other people’s posts and stories. It has significantly reduced my doom-scrolling and I have spent more time on myself and my family. It also improved the quality of my headspace. There was no reason to compare myself to others and there was also no room for negativity. This is the best thing that I have done for myself in 2024. I urge others to do the same. Of course, I did not delete my account in case there was a need to connect to someone.
Highlights for the year of 2024.
I visited the Frida Kahlo exhibition with the gang, went to my first UrbanSketchers sketch walk with my daughter, went for a getaway to Malacca and Kuala Lumpur, explored the Woodlands Fire Station, went to my first Postcrossing meetup, recorded a ukulele cover with N, tried epok-epok and liked it, sent lots of postcards to international Postcrossers and attended to my daughter at the hospital for mycoplasma pneumonia.
Energy Calendar
My energy creators include fruitful outings and late nights with my family, as well as hosting steamboat dinners. I also recharge by engaging in my hobbies, such as attending Strummers’ ukulele sessions and sketching and painting with watercolours. I visited flea markets, indulged in durians, scheduled massages, tried out new recipes, and visited family and friends in their homes.
My energy drainers include daunting gatherings, accompanying others on their errands, and buying too much of a product without testing it first.
Hobbies
In the earlier part of the year, I channeled my focus to my ukulele. I recorded a handful of new songs and was comfortable playing them again. It was with regret that I made a huge mistake in one of my ukulele purchases. I ordered more than I should have and spent an insane sum of money. The first batch of ukuleles was built terribly, in my opinion, hence I did not complete the purchase with the remaining two ukuleles. Since then, I deviated from playing the ukulele altogether.
Mid-year, I got busy with writing postcards. I must have sent over 300 postcards in total. It was really nice to receive so many cards in return. However, the process got too tedious (I was tracking my posts and got knee-deep with the data involved). I stopped writing after I sent the last batch of postcards during World Postcard Day on October 1st.
I shifted my focus to reading. The goal was to read 25 books last year. Unfortunately, the target was not met. On a positive note, I am satisfied with my book reviews that contributed to my sharing with Redditors that I have exchanged emails with. I will need to revisit those emails so that I can extract interesting information that’s new to me.
Lastly, I attempted to learn urban sketching again. Or rather, the pen and wash technique. I have attended courses from Udemy and Domestika to kickstart my sketching journey. It has been amazing. Since then, I’ve gone on two UrbankSketchers sketch walks with my daughter. We had so much fun and we’ll join again when the weather improves.
Relationships
2025 has been a smooth ride with my beloved husband. We have been taking turns to handle the children with little downtime. As a result, we did not get to spend alone time together. With the helper gone, there was no room for date nights or weekend dates. The only time we spend together is when we run errands while the children are in childcare. I think this will remain the status quo until we hire a helper. Our time with our children increased drastically. We learnt to manage them better and work our way and schedule around them. There were countless fruitful outings and we had so much fun within our family. To new memories!
Mental Health
Overall, my mental health was good for the year. It was only in the month of April that my mental health deteriorated. I experienced an unpleasant and unstable mood, became easily agitated, and had difficulty completing simple everyday tasks. The people who suffered the consequences of my condition were my husband and children, and I did not want that for them. I tried to manage my emotions and mood better and have been writing religiously in my journal. After journaling regularly, I noticed that I’m less inclined to over-share or share unnecessarily.
Accomplishments
• improved my handwriting
• learnt to use a fountain pen
• designed and sold my postcards
• went to my first USK Sketch walk
• went to my first Postcrossing meetup
• did my first presentation at work on Learning Day
• learnt to sketch and paint with Udemy/Domestika courses
• learnt to cook new dishes; Shabshuka, butter garlic clams, etc.
• came up with the idea to exchange emails with other Redditors who share an interest in books and reading.
Failures
• spent $2500 on ukuleles
• spent $3000 on Postcrossing
• did not follow my exercise plan
• did not visit my biological dad frequently
• did not put my children into religious classes
• did not check price tags before making purchases
In conclusion, 2024 was a year of significant personal growth. Quitting Instagram was undeniably the highlight, as it brought more peace, time for self-care, and better quality moments with my family. While I accomplished several creative milestones, I also faced challenges like overspending and not meeting some of my personal goals. Despite these setbacks, I remain proud of how I navigated through the year. As I move into 2025, I aim to be mindful of the balance I need in my life and work towards my new year objectives.
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