Last year was all about travel, health, and the making of enjoyable things.
Who knew we would have more of the same? Plans tend to be useless, though the planning was priceless:
How All Those Plans Turned Out
Work, Life – I had thoughts on turning writing, game making, and voice acting into pay. Almost immediately after publishing last year’s post, I crunched the numbers: these are trash passion projects in terms of profitability. Rather, coding and holding a day-job is the unromantic, realistic best bet to achieving my goals.
And a job became required – not for financial concerns, but after 6 months sabbatical, I edged into either being stir crazy or FOMO. I needed something to do 🤷♂️
Making Moves – From DC to New York, from Alaska to LA beaches, I have been around. Celebrating with friends in their weddings and studies has been a high point. Moving to LA for a job was the toughest decision of my career and I do not regret it. Benefit of being in Cali is being on the beach 🙂 While I wonder when other beaches on other shores will see me, here is swell ~
Not all time was on sand or in the office – some of it was on launch pads and in the bowels of advanced machinery. I cannot emphasize enough that what I do and the what the company I work for does is frikken cool.
More Yes, More No – While I had no plans specific to more “yes” to important things and more “no” to the frivolous, things happened anyway! I am learning to spend social time and care for myself. I have been better at being less patient, giving less the benefit of the doubt.
What I see seems to make me ever more cynical too, turning weak opinions into positions well guarded with experience and fact. There is more to say “no” to, that I work myself up to say soon. IDK what all this makes me – what it has given me is more time, more security, more confidence, and prevented a move to Texas 😁
The Tea
Let’s speed-run the rest of the year:
Relationship Guides – If I could identify 2023 singularly, more than the job or geo change would be that this is the year of relationship psychology: the advice and study concerning interpersonal connections have flooded my shelf and this blog and I am a better person for it all.
Roleplaying Games – Brought the D&D game I was moderating to a close as I moved to LA. Bittersweet, every Sunday was a frikken killer time – my regards to Aadiiris, Bornhold, and Guyute, beyond-par characters and players all. In addition, a lot of work done on how to make and run RPGs has left me with a mountain of content I distill and prep to share with you in 2024.
Fitness – I joined The Phoenix active sobriety group before moving to LA. An amazing org ran by amazing people. I couldn’t have asked for a better social group that had me bouldering, hiking, and playing pickleball on the regular. While now separated, I have a new climbing group and the cold swims have put me into a lean, strong frame of body and mind.
Cars – Nothing like losing what at one point was your home. Anyway, have a new vehicle and a further detachment from material things. A new appreciation for long distance driving is here too, given LA traffic and important people spread hither and thither in this megapolis.
Milestones – I have learned about my psychology. I have grown as a relatable person. I have discovered self-soothing techniques and ways to restart my biology in wonderful ways. I see the Rubicon ahead on my FI journey. I am being vague and am very open to talking more on these things one-on-one – reach out!
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Never stop doing, folks.
Share your lows and highlights from the year. Follow with your email too to get more adventure every week into the new year. I appreciate you being here – cheers to all you have accomplished, boss ~
Jimmy Chattin 