4 Life Lessons from 2022
I looked back at my 2022 journal to discover what I learned about myself. Here are 4 lessons I am trying to correct going into 2023 and beyond.
Don’t suppress emotions.
My 2.5-year-old romantic relationship ended.
Break-ups suck, but after the dust had cleared, I pinpointed how I had been holding back my anger toward my significant other. It had made sense to me at the time; don't rock the boat.
The problem was, I spent so much time angry with her in my head.
There is only so much reflection, introspection, and deliberation you can do before it becomes unhealthy. This anger built-up until it came out in a car ride by myself. Shortly, after another conversation without expressing my true emotions. I let it out to the empty passenger seat for a good 20 minutes.
I looked and felt like a lunatic, but it felt so good.
I keep thinking of the Pixar movie “Inside Out”. I was like the main character “Joy” except instead of sadness, I was holding back anger.
You don’t have to yell or lose your temper but anger should not be ignored. It’s a valid emotion that needs to be expressed.
The hardest things in life are the most rewarding.
I can't think of a better phrase to express how I felt after PR-ing my half marathon in October.
One of my journal entries in September.
Proud of myself to wake up at 6 am and run 11 miles on the lakeshore path by 715am.
For context, it was a Monday morning. I took a 25-minute bus ride to the Chicago Lakeshore Path and returned home to start work around 9 am.
WTF.
That was my reaction. I am not a morning person and don't like exercising first thing but I was dedicated.
There is an opportunity cost to marathon training: you lose your weekends and energy levels for other things but it was worth it for me. I asked a friend who trained with me (for his first full marathon) what his highlight was in 2022. Same thing.
Hard Things = Long-Term Fulfillment
Energy Management > Time Management
The order you do things is one of the most important productivity strategies you must master.
What I mean is to make sure you align the hardest or most anxiety-provoking tasks when you have your best energy levels. For most of us, this is first thing in the morning.
My mantra is Output before Input.
This is easier said than done but I hold off on consuming sports news, glancing at Wall Street Journal headlines, or checking email or text messages.
These things suck my best energy (and time) when they can be consumed later in the day when I have an energy dip.
My best energy is between 8 am to 11 am. My energy dips at 4 pm. And forget about it after dinner. I am mostly done with output activities. I stay in the living room and grab my phone or watch TV. If I am good, I read a book.
Figure out what your energy levels look like. Then arrange your to-do list based on when you have the most energy.
Poor sleep can worsen energy dips, good sleep can help to reduce their impact.
Sleep procrastination is my worst habit that I need to correct.
One of the most interesting things about keeping a journal is the surprising insights you get from zooming out.
I discovered after coming back home from any sort of social activity, I tended to sleep procrastinate and felt bad about it.
This could be seeing family, being on a first date, going to dinner with friends, with or without alcohol—the presence of someone else was the constant.
In all circumstances, I came home and went way past my bedtime. This resulted in a shitty next day.
In 2023, I am going to try to figure this out. It is just my introverted brain needing downtime to reflect before bed? If anyone is in the same boat, I would love to have suggestions or insights.
As always, thank you for reading. Feedback is always welcomed.
Irfan
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