Dazephyr

Resolutions. So cliché and yet unavoidable. Everyone makes one at some point in time, or declare that they’re not going to make one at some other point in time. Regardless, the new year seems to be the time where people declare their allegiance for or against resolution making.

For me, the new year often meant just another number that would trip me up when I was writing dates and signing off on documents. However, this took a slight turn a few years ago. I had spent some time reflecting on my achievements for the year and realised that my one of my milestones was finally learning to drive. It wasn’t much given that I can’t even afford a car, but it was a new skill that I could add to my bag of mixed tricks.

From then on, I had a very simple goal each year – learn a new skill or try a new activity. As long as I could look back that year and recall something new I had picked up or tried out, I was good to go. It was simple, pressure free, and kept me on the lookout for something fresh each year.

Interestingly, I attended a workshop last year that explored our personal values. Out of a whole stack of cards depicting a wide range of values, we had to narrow it down multiple times until we arrived at our top five. Here’s mine in order of priority.

Visibly, growth lies quite high on my list, followed by curiosity: I’d like to think that life is best lived through new experiences and discoveries, a constant exploration and development of one’s own limits. Sure, we may get distracted now and then, things may seem to progress at a glacial pace at times, but as long as we’re always trudging forward and growing, we’re moving ahead in life. Conversely, to fall into routines and just passing time would be to come to a stand still and cease living. This perspective reminds me to step out of my comfort zone from time to time, to put myself in situations where I can’t give myself excuses to escape, and generally to relish life in new and different ways.

As an aside, I was the only one in the room with such a list. Most did not have any of my values, while a few shared only one, compared to the rest who tended to share two to three similar values with each other. It’s a great way to see why some people work the way they do and why they may or may not see eye to eye with you. It was also an interesting reflection of the different phases of life we were at, and the respective values that accompany them.

Speaking of phases of life, I recently chanced upon this interview with Jack Ma (founder of Alibaba) recorded in 2015.

In this snippet, he provides a succinct but valuable summary of how our lives might be spent. It comes at a timely moment as I ponder how I am going to spend my 30s. My 20s were spent attempting to follow the beaten path, failing, striking out on my own, failing again, and going back to the beaten path. My 30s are still undecided, but I suspect that midway, I will be venturing out into the unknown once more. As such, I think the 30s are a good time for introspection, a time to take a long, hard look at oneself and make an inventory of one’s skill sets and talents. Only then may we sharpen them in time for us to leverage in our 40s.

So where does this all lead to?

2016 saw me in new places and trying out new things, some by choice and some by chance. I also set myself up for two big adventures in 2017.

Growth and curiosity remain core values of my life, but it may not always need to come from something new. On top of my commitment to the new, for this year and probably the next few, I will be seeking growth by pursuing a greater understanding of my own skills and talents, while satiating my curiosity by delving deeper into the mastery of pet subjects and areas of knowledge.

What’s your resolution or life plan for 2017?

Here’s wishing everyone a great year ahead!