Merry Christmas if you receive this in an email or stumble upon this little corner of mine. Below is a quick review of my 2023

Books

I read 16 books in 2023, the same amount in 2022. I don’t set an annual goal of how many books I must read any more. I just read. It’s therapeutic and good for my learning, so why not? Below are a few that I actually reviewed:

• Same As Ever
• Die With Zero
• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
• Lights Out: Debunking The Myth of GE and Jack Welch
• Quench Your Thirst
• It’s How We Play The Game
• Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science and What The Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves
• A.P Giannini: The Man With The Midas Touch

Blogging

I blogged significantly less than I even did last year. There were weeks when I didn’t put out anything except the Weekly Reading post on Saturdays. Strangely enough, I got more visitors and views. The thought that this little blog of mine received more recognition and the compounding effect of 4 years of blogging starts to show brings a smile to my face.

There were circumstances this year that took away energy and time that I used to reserve for writing, but I know it would sound like excuses. Truthfully, I need to increase my output next year. At least, that’s the intention.

Health

My annual physical exam came back good, thankfully. My cholesterol, though still in the expected range, could be a little lower and I could use a loss of 10lbs in weight. Everything else is in good shape.

• I increased my daily goals on Apple Watch to 650 in active calorie, in addition to maintaining 50 minutes of exercise and 11 hours of standing. In 2023, there were 72 days when I didn’t close all three rings. In other words, I met my daily goals 4 out of every 5 days. A significant improvement from last year.
• Active calorie per day: 646 in 2023 vs 588 in 2022
• Steps per day: 6,786 in 2023 vs 6,053 in 2022
• Exercise minutes per day: 60 in 2023 vs 41 in 2022

Work

I got a promotion at work, so I guess I did alright on that front. After 5 years in this job, I have learned a ton, but I feel I have slowed down a bit in the past months. I need to accelerate my growth next year and avoid getting too comfortable. Staying locked in a comfort zone is detrimental to one’s career. I don’t want that to happen to mine.

Family

Undoubtedly THE highlight of my year. My wife got a permanent job in August at a company that was only 5-10 minutes drive from where we live. She has grown more accustomed to the American way of life. And her health checkup also revealed no cause for concern. Since she came here last year, she has made my life so much happier. Although I don’t get to make decisions unilaterally or as quickly as I used to, and I have familial responsibilities now, that’s a tiny price to pay for having my wife with me and exploring life together.

Shout out to my cats for being great companions and a true blessing. They give us joy and really teach us how to be (cat) parents. I don’t remember if I posted their pictures here before, but here they are.