"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

"You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first."

I think 2024 was one of the toughest years for some people, including me, possibly you too. Some might be struggling from financial problems, others might have lost their loved ones and might experience loneliness and depression, and other people might achieve failure or setback either from school or at work.If you experience some, if not, all of this, I truly sympathize with you and I will be all ears. I also experience some of this too, and look at all of us, we have survived yet another year. We hope that this year would be a better one for all of us.

Reflection in the Year 2024

2024 has ended. Although 2024 has closed, another opportunity awaits for 2025: to bounce back, to improve, and to stand strong amidst the uncertainties this year will offer. Although it will be another tough year, we are now equipped to fight and fight with all of our hearts in this journey to achieve what we are destined to be from our blood, sweat, and tears. It's up to you on how you will apply this article, but the advice that I could offer to you is "Be your personal best."

Wrapping Up

Before, I struggled on maintaining my habits because I was way too busy that year. I have always underestimated the power of small actions because I excuse myself of having not enough time and energy to do these simple tasks. When I had a time to read Atomic Habits in my long break, I learned how powerful it was. When I applied it on forming my habits, even if it might take 5 minutes or less daily. When I look back on my progress now, I felt proud of myself for taking a small but consistent step.

4. Small, consistent actions make a difference in life.

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Don't be too hard on myself.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It's okay to have time to rest.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Love myself as I would to others.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Small, consistent actions make a difference in life.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be accountable with my actions.</li></ol>

Lessons I have learned in 2024

I was a perfectionist person. Whenever I see a mistake or a problem on my tasks, I would restart it all over (quite literally). To be honest, I could take into account of my being competitive ever since I was a kid. However, as time goes on, I began to embrace imperfections and thought, I might have been way too hard on myself.

1. Don't be too hard on myself.

<ol><li>Don't be too hard on yourself - Sometimes, mistakes happen as a way to improve yourself.</li><li>It's okay to have time to rest - Like bread, sometimes we need rest to rise again amidst challenges that we might face in life.</li><li>Love yourself as you would to others - On the end of the day, you will only have yourself who could truly understand who you are and accept what you truly feel.</li><li>Small, consistent actions make a difference in life - Small things accumulate.</li><li>Be accountable with your actions - Changing the steering wheel from the external environment to your own helps you change your destiny.</li></ol>

Lessons Learned

Yes, this might be way too harsh, but I am accountable for everything that happened, happens, or will happen to my life. In fact, previous studies support that majority of actions or response will determine how life will be, while the rest is on external influences such as the environment.Before, I always wondered about the lives of successful people and envied them because of how they were able to live the life that they would want because they were born rich and privileged. Eventually, I realized that I could determine the destiny of my life, and equipped with hard work.

5. Be accountable with my actions.

To be honest, 2024 really is a pain in a back for me. I have experienced working too hard on myself, neglecting my health of some sorts, lacked sleep all the time, and always experienced loneliness of some sorts. I just couldn't believe that I had survived the previous year with those habits that I laugh it all of.However, 2024 isn't only that way for me, I have learned many lessons that I wish I should have learned way sooner.

My Journey in the Year 2024

You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.

I always remember that throughout my journey in 2024, I've put way too much energy on working and working that my family and friends were worrying about me all the time. At that time, I was juggling multiple responsibilities to be honest.As time progresses, I felt my body feeling fainter and getting more fatigued. Whenever I try to take a nap, my body says no because my body was used in working hours and hours. Once I got a well-deserved break in December, I felt more revitalized and wished that I should have done it way earlier.

2. It's okay to have time to rest.

To be honest, when I reflected my 2024 journey, I exerted way too much effort to others, but not towards myself. I focused on what other people need and desire in exchange of my needs being compromised. Eventually, I then realized that I was becoming a people-pleaser, and hoped that I would change this year with better boundaries.

3. Love myself as I would to others.

“We’ve become conditioned to compromise and shrink ourselves in order to be liked. The problem is, when you work so hard to get everyone to like you, you very often end up not liking yourself so much.”

In this Deepstash post, I will share the lessons that I have learned from the start until the end of 2024. Although I view 2024 as one of my toughest years, it also became my age of renewal and enlightenment. Although this article is focused on my journey, I hope that some of the experiences and lessons that I have learned could resonate with you too, reader.

RESHMA SAUJANI

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