A new year means new year resolutions. 2022 was a good year for me in terms of self-improvement and I want to continue that into 2023. I have made a couple resolutions as a way to have something to work towards this year.

Stick to a Schedule

One of the major things I noticed in 2022 was even though I had daily/weekly habits that was I completing like reading an hour a day, it was unstructured and distracted. I would read for 30 minutes at a time one day, the full hour the next day, or just read the whole day. I wasn’t even timing myself so I might not of even read for the full hour. This year I have made a schedule for which I have dedicated 4 hours of work a day where I am to work on my resolutions. I also plan on timing myself from now on as to make sure I am fully committing to the schedule. Having a schedule and timing myself will make it easier to stay on top of my goals for the year.

Improve and Work on Website

As I look around on this website, I see there is still a lot I could do to improve it. Pages that look barebones compared to others, the mobile version not looking appealing at all, and SEO optimization being non-existent. I hope this year to improve and fix all of these things to bring this website to its full potential.

1 hour writing a day

One writing advice I have gotten constantly from books, writing videos, teachers, and anonymous strangers is that to get good at writing you have to be consistently writing. So for one of my new year resolutions, I will write a hour a day. Whether that be towards a blog post or an essay, my hope is that I will write something worth publishing in a small magazine or news site.

Finish a Python Project

This new year resolution is going to be the most difficult for me as I have been stuck in beginner hell for a long time with python. It does not help that I am not consistent with learning python at all. Even with the python challenge I am still only learning and not doing any projects. This resolution will push me beyond that and force me out of my comfort zone. I have ton of project ideas to choose from that will fit perfectly for this challenge but I will only pick one as to not spread myself too thin.

Bike regularly

As a new owner of a ebike, this resolution will be the most fun if the little I have ridden it over past year has been any indicator. It is a shame I couldn’t find more time to practice last year but this year I plan on practicing more and learning how to navigate around my city. Luckily my city is not completely car dominated like other major cities so riding everywhere is possible. As someone who is completely fed up with public transport and has no interest in buying a car, this resolution is going to be important in becoming independent.

Get in Shape

This is a vague resolution but it means instead of simply losing weight like last year, this year I will be aiming to get into top shape. Muscles, 6 pack, the works. This will involve going to my boxing gym on a regular and consistent basis, eating properly, and getting proper sleep. Surprisingly, sleep plays a big role in fitness as it affects muscle development, energy, and protein synthesis. My sleep schedule has always been erratic so fixing it for this resolution is a must. My biking resolution will also help as biking is great exercise. I will be taking progress photos to keep track of my development.

52 Books Challenge

This resolution seems like a downgrade compared to last year where I managed to complete 115 books. The reason I am setting the goal lower is that I noticed during the 101 book challenge, it felt like I was reading for the challenge and not for the joy of reading. Though I did enjoy a lot of the books I read, in the back of my mind I was thinking about my progress in the challenge. That I was going too slow and wouldn’t be able to complete it. This year I will try for 52 books which will allow me to take my time and be more selective in my reading.

Learn Adobe Creative Cloud

Since creating this website I have realized how much better it would be if I was able to create my own content. Images that are not stock photos and videos that are carefully edited and produced. This will easily improve the site by making it have a consistent artistic vision. Adobe Creative Cloud is the most obvious choice to help create this content. Photoshop and Premiere are two programs I have already played with but I haven’t created anything substantial. With this resolution I hope to learn these programs and others in to create content that can elevate this website.

Draw Something Worth Posting

I have always wanted to able draw something that other people enjoyed and this year I am going to take that seriously. I have already signed up for an in-person drawing class. I have tried Drawabox and art books but for me, I need a in-person class to teach me the basics of drawing. I will be able to get feedback from not only the teacher but from my classmates as well. My hope is that before the end of the year I will able to draw something that is worth posting online.

Minor Resolutions

Create a business card

As I want to become a freelance writer in my spare time, creating a business card will make it more professional when I pitch myself. It will also be fun creative project to do.

Explore my City

Though I have been living in my city for 5 plus years, I barely know it. I know how to get my destinations by using my phone but on my own I would be lost. I hope this year to explore and learn how to get around without being reliant on my phone. This will also give me a excuse to ride my bike more.

Join a Board Games Group

I have always wanted to get into board games like DnD and Catan but never found the chance to.

That is all my resolutions for the year and in writing them down I hope that will push me to complete them. What are your resolutions for 2023? What plans do you have to help in achieving them? What are some other ideas for New Years resolutions? I look forward to reading them in the comment section.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year,
MalNich