A Different New Year

The third week of the year 2016 is about to end. For me the fourth decade of my life is about to truly begin.

For the first time ever, I have created a plan of how I would like to see my year evolve. It took me some 16 hours to go through last year’s journals, calendar events, corners of the memory castle and draft the plan. That's less than 0.2% of the whole year - not a particularly big investment, but a particularly impactful one.

A plan implies an architect [39/365]

 I have started almost all of my years usually with some fantasies or dreams about what I would like my future life or the world to look like, but never before have I clearly described how I envision the path to those dreams to be.

A Singular Self recognizes fears and deals with them before they paralyze for good or it's too late. The fear I have about my career "going wrong" is that I'll get stuck on the wrong path and won't be able to change. What's even more frustrating, is that I'm unsure about the path - I may be on the right one, but since I have this fear, I won't let myself enjoy any of it.
(I have other fears, but I'm contemplating about the career because that is where I'm struggling the most.)

There seems to be a choice when you're facing your fears: you accept the discomfort of handling your fear and work at it or you accept the discomfort of living with your fear and try to flee from it.

I choose to work at my fears, although I haven't done that for the most part of my life, and accept the discomfort that comes with standing up.

There are two ways I deal with this particular fear of the wrong path:
  1. Through devising this year’s plan I have drawn myself a map where the paths I take are my own to direct.
  2. I follow The Balance Of Five* to find new paths so that I make it really hard for myself to get stuck on one path, may it be the right or the wrong one.
Let's see how it will work out.

I wish you well and that you may make a conscious choice, too!
In the words of the late Scott Dinsmore:
"Here's to a year of doing what actually matters - to you and to the world."
* The Balance Of Five is a name I gave a concept that Neil Strauss recommended in one of his writings. To stay positive and happy and content as much as possible, try to fit all of the following categories into your schedule at least five days a week: (1) work, (2) physical, (3) social, (4) creativity or education, (5) relaxation.

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