2024 - Year of Wonder
The Theme System
In case you have missed it in the past, I’ve decided to switch from the usual goals for a year to a theme. Sure there are some measurement or ideas on where I would like something to go. But this is more about making choices and having some momentum towards a certain change in my life that I’d like to make. If you would like more on setting a theme for a year or season, I suggest you check out The Theme System or watch this quick video from their page:
2024 - Year of Wonder
Year of What?!?!
Year of Wonder!
I wonder what in the hell this guy has been smoking!
While this theme is not mind altering drug induced, its not without some whimsy and possibly some bourbon thrown in.
What got me here?
The past couple of years have been challenging at work. Challenging with the company itself going through some layoffs. Challenging with the amount of work and not enough people to get it all done. Mostly being recognized for the work that is being put in, there are still some gaps that need to be filled.
It was when the company started tracking the days in the office, and I’m sure the hours logged into the laptop that got me thinking. If they are going to record the exact time that I am there. Are they also going to track the time that I put in above and beyond? Am I being recognized for it? I wonder if it all really matters? Is the promotion that I’ve been chasing ever going to happen?
I wonder what would happen if I stopped all the after hours?
I wonder what would happen if I simply said no.
I wonder if I’m ever going to get promoted or they just see me as where I’m at?
I wonder.
I wonder what would happen if I spent more time doing the things I enjoy vs the crap work that I didn’t get done during the day.
I wonder what would happen if I spent more time in nature.
I wonder what I could create if I gave myself the time.
I wonder what would happen if I truly focused on my health.
I wonder what would happen if I slept.
I wonder.
So what am I going to do about it?
Luckily, there are some pretty major life changing events that are happening in my life. The big one is that after several years of searching, my wife and I found the property that we have been looking for. 4.5 acres in the middle of the forest. We’re in nature about as much as one could be. A house already exists that needs some TLC that we are more than capable of doing, it has a shop, room for all the boys and some exciting opportunities of what could be.
With all of this, I’m going to re-evaluate how I have been approaching things. My family is very important to me and my health is still a journey like I think it is for all of us. Stress, lack of sleep and everything else have taken a toll and while I don’t feel or look terrible, I certainly don’t look, feel good or have confidence that I should have.
I’m fortunate enough to work at a company that provides a recharge every 5 years. In a few days, I’ll hit 10 years at Facebook / Meta and will be able to take another one. I plan on spending some quality time working in my shop, being with the family, and just enjoying life.
With the new place, I have a blank canvas of a shop to build out. Plenty of trees all around for raw material. I have several ideas of things I have been meaning to make but never taken the time to truly play with it all.
What I would like to see…
At the end of the year, I can look back and see that I did a bunch of stuff that I wanted to do. Not that I had to do. There are already some trips planned with the family. I want to connect with friends more often. I want to enjoy our new house, land, and make it memorable for the family.
What is the plan?
Building upon the work that I did in 2023 to get some systems in place, I want to focus really hard on cutting off from work when the work day is done. If I’m going to be on a computer, it needs to be focused on something I’m building for me, not for the 9-5 job.
Let’s do this!
I think this is the anthem for my yearly themes and it still rings very true today.
A wise man named Bob Byrnes once said…
Whatever you do in your life, you have to work really damn hard to make it special.
Time to go to make it special.
