TL; DR: HNY
Posted January 1, 2018
So, 2017 was another year. Lots of changes were made. They were mostly little things here and there, but they all add up.
I dropped many unnecessary expenses, including:
- LastPass Premium (the free one is fine for my needs)
- Keurig (switched to an AeroPress)
- StarBucks
- BackBlaze (switched to mix of other cloud and local storage)
- DirecTV (just don’t watch much TV, but I do have free OTA w/ Plex)
- T-Mobile (switched to no contract, pay-for-what-you-use reseller Ting and I'm saving a bundle)
Work has been interesting. Lots of changes in the organization. We were always wondering what was next. Despite that, I still had the pleasure of working with an amazing team of extremely bright people and they continued to keep me on my toes. Learning has always been enjoyable for me, but last year also provided more opportunities to mentor which I found very rewarding. Passion is contagious. Also, PowerShell rocks.
Health-wise, I adjusted a lot, too. No more of these (never is impossible, but I avoid them as much as I can):
- Sugar
- Carbs
- Artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives, MSG, etc.
- Processed foods
- Fast food (just…no)
- Caloric beverages (stick to water, black coffee, the rare sugar coke)
The hardest thing to change has been getting more sleep. Finally, after years of trying to isolate the triggers of my insanely intense and frequent migraines, I figured out it was lack of sleep. I’d always thought I could get by on way less sleep and still function normally. I wish I had figured out long ago how wrong I was. I’m still working on this, but my average has gone from 4-4 ½ hours per night to just over 7 now. What an amazing difference. Migraines are rare now, and when I do get them, I know why. The hours “lost” are mostly not missed. There’s never enough hours in the day, but at least I feel better (and clearer) when I am awake.
At some point in 2017 I felt like a normal, productive, single adult with a functional household. Okay, maybe not normal, but like hey I got this. Even though I’m old as hell, it turned out I’d never really lived alone. It was weird for an awfully long time.
I got really organized in 2017. Figured out what to do with money. Automated the hell out of everything I could. Got rid of tons of un-necessities (physical junk, non-utility recurring expenses). Tried to simplify everything to reduce mundane stressors.
I had a lot of fun trying those different meal kit delivery services (HelloFresh and HomeChef) last year. I think I made about 45 meals from those before deciding to go at it alone. It was damn good practice and really helped increase my confidence in the kitchen. Highly recommend them if you’re just super busy or not sure how to get started.
Mentally and emotionally, it’s been a long, rough year. I came into 2017 still struggling with guilt, baggage, and regrets. I can’t undo what’s been done and even with forgiveness, some things can’t be forgotten. Acceptance eluded me for the longest time. I’ve learned a lot about myself and while there is plenty I will never be proud of, I am proud of the steps I’ve taken to improve. I know I’m not done. I know I may never be done, but I’ll keep going.
Finally, my plethora of kiddos are all doing great and I’ve enjoyed finding things I can share with each of them individually as well as things we all like to do. They’ve been a tremendous source of motivation and inspiration. Couldn’t do it without them. Also, it looks like the big girls may be moving back to Texas in the next couple of months. Here’s hoping that works out. We miss ‘em a lot!
As I leave 2017 behind, I feel far more optimistic than I did coming into it. I hope 2018 will be your year, too.
Phillip