#TGIF: The best year yet

This year, I am most attuned to my feelings. More than an escape, writing has been the thing I turn to whenever I seek comfort. It's the only way I know how to compartmentalize thoughts and break down complex feelings. It's not just an outlet; it has become a remedy -- a cure at times of hurt, but also an amplifier of the good. I never thought I could follow through with my aim to write every Friday, but here I am, 35 Fridays later, still musing, still writing, still posting. I think I deserve a pat on the back for that.

Apart from writing here, I've also been journaling a lot -- not just to write down feelings, but to plan out my life in general. I think I got a lot of things done this year due to my slightly psychotic planning of every inch of my life. The decisions I consciously make every day to get closer to my goals are not accidental, but planned ahead.

A few years back, I had a friend who told me she does not have any “best year.” Every year is her best one because she makes sure to live in the moment and make the best of each year, instead of reminiscing about the past and labeling it as her “best year.” Romanticizing the past, she said, is not how you should be living your life. What she shared made me rethink the way I approach life. Since then, I’ve made sure to plan my year intentionally, often asking myself, “At the end of the year, who do I want to be?” That question alone should be enough to guide what you need to do, the goals you set, and how you plan to get there. 

Alhamdulillah for what this year has been for me. It does not matter what I have achieved or the places I’ve been to; ultimately, I am most grateful for my health and for the fact that my family is also well and healthy. I have friends all around me who are my rock, holding space for me without question, often without me asking. A job that keeps my wheels turning, challenging and stretching me in ways I never expected, but needed.

Are there goals I did not manage to achieve this year? Of course there are. In fact, plenty. But I wouldn’t measure this year by how many boxes I’ve ticked, but by how much it has changed me. And I am, forever changed.