Happy New Year! After taking some time off to get some work done and figure out how I was going to go forward with my blogging, I have returned. As I had mentioned in a prior post, I was accustomed to writing in college and university on a weekly basis. However, with all that is happening in my life, I have decided to post my blogs bi-monthly, which I hope will give me more time to dedicate to topics I would like to blog about. Plus, I would like to proofread my content before it goes up so that I can fix all my spelling and grammatical errors. I will be using GNU Emacs as my main text editor for my writings, so I won't have additional computer help when it comes to grammar and spelling corrections. It should be interesting to see how things go.
Since this is a new year, I too—like many other people—have goals for myself. The first and important goal for me this year is to be physically healthy and reduce my overall physical size. My current life style is somewhat sedentary since I work involves being behind a computer. Just prior to the pandemic, I embraced a starch-based (plant-based) diet, which helped me lose a considerable amount of weight and drop a few sizes. However, my has recently plateaued; my size and weight are stable, but I would like to change some more so that I better enjoy my life. That is why I be adding some simple exercises to my routine in hopes of jump starting my metabolism and coming down at my desired size and weight. Perhaps, in a future blog, I will explain how I jumped on the starch-based diet.
My second goal for this year is to dominate the Spanish language to the point I can easily express myself without getting stuck searching for words in mid-conversation. I started my Spanish blog for this reason. It has helped a little, but I need to be more consistent with my writing to make it stick. I do read aloud from various texts, ranging from newspaper articles to books. I typically end up a with a huge list of words that are unfamiliar to me. It's great that I get exposure, but I would like to get to the point where my thought process is fluent in the language and that I have a greater range of vocabulary to express myself. I also need to finally master verb conjugation. This has been an embarrassment and hindrance to my Spanish communication skills. I sound like an ignorant person, when in fact, I am not; I have knowledge on various topics; I just lack the vocabulary and necessary grammar skills to express them.
My final goal for this year is to learn how to pattern-draft and sew my own clothes. Honestly, I would like to have the ability to make my own suits, shirts, slacks, etc.. Every time I go shopping for clothes, what I want or purchased in the past no longer exists. It frustrates me because I have to look for something similar. Having encountered and watched many YouTube videos of pattern-drafters and sewers this couple of years, I have come to the conclusion that I need to have this ability so that I can have what I want in the way that I want it. Now, this isn't just some lofty goal or idea of mine. I actually have purchased machinery, textbooks, tools, notions, and supplies. Surprisingly, I have small library, which I need to use. If I can have the ability to design and make the clothing I want, I can reproduce it or modify it to my liking. Plus, I don't have to depend on a store to have that item. I guess that's the bottom line from my past experiences shopping for clothes. I don't want to be dependent on a store to provide me with something they may not have in the future.
So these are my three goals for 2023. I upload a few posts on the subjects throughout the year to let everyone know my progress. I do have a few other goals, but those pertain to work. I will talk about that in a separate post.
If there is one message I have for everyone in 2023, it is to become as self-reliant as possible and to develop as many skills as you can. The less dependent we are, the freer we can be and live the life we want to live. I hope each of you has a wonderful and productive new year. See you soon!