I journal and I think that I might as well take what I'm journalling and thinking about and chuck it out there into the internet so maybe someone besides me might, although unlikely, find some use in it. So that's the plan with this thread jounral. Reading back over what I type up is embarrassing sometimes but if I'm being honest it doesn't matter because I'm anonymous so I'm happy to embarrass myself to you all lol. Plus no one's really gonna be reading so who cares anyway? It's the new year. I plan on journalling more and just writing my thoughts more so I'll this forum more hopefully. Try to actually stick to my new year's resolutions. I expect absolutely nothing from this, I don't expect anything I type up to be read. I just like doing it, albeit it being shit, but it's for my own amusement. If you're reading this than congratulations. I hope you will find something that I've written of use.  "Authentic writing usually comes from moments where you didn't really plan to write, just felt like it. If you write because you want to be "smart", you will fail."  I don't know where I found the above quote but it's on my journal so thought I would put it. Read a book called Mastery by George Leonard, not to be mistaken with Mastery by Robert Greene. Another book that I need to read and will at some point.  George has a chapter in his book titled "7. Key 3: Surrender 81"  Taken from my notes on the chapter -  "Learning almost any significant skill involves certain indignities. You have to surrender yourself to the process and tackle those indignities and failures head on, without complaint and with deliberation or as George Leonard puts it; intentionality." Taken directly from the book -  "The courage of a master is measured by his or her willingness to surrender. This means surrendering to your teacher and to the demands of your discipline. It also means surrendering your own hard-won proficiency from time to time in order to reach a higher or different level of proficiency."  "And then there are the endless repetitions, the drudgery, the basic moves practiced over and over again. Who but a fool would embark on a musical career in the full knowledge that he or she might end up repeating all the major and minor scales perhaps a hundred thousand times each? To some people that prospect alone might seem to justify resisting any surrender."  "Perhaps the best you can hope for on the master's journey whether your art be management or marriage, badminton or ballet is to cultivate the mind and heart of the beginning at every stage along the way. For the master, surrender means there are no experts. There are only learners."  So that's what I am, a learner, and if you're reading this blog and go on and continue more of whatever I decide to write, you will see me learn and make some mistakes, indignities and all.  Here are my new years resolutions as of now.  1. Read more books this year
2. Practice guitar more
3. Get off my phone and social media
4. Journal more
5. Complete give up smoking and vape less
6. Fix my sleeping schedule which is tough with work but can be done
7. Cook more. I started cooking meals in bulk which I need to get back into
8. Go back to the gym, I've been slacking on this for a while
9. Meditation habit again
10. Practice chess more, instead of any videogames
11. Be more social
12. Manage my money better
13. Play less videogames
14. Drink less coffee, I've been drinking now at least 3 cups a day. Stopping myself from drinking any more past 1pm
15. Schedule better. Using google calendar

These are just some general habits I've decided to focus on more in the new year. Pretty broad but I've broken them down into steps for myself. I use discord a lot as well so if any of you want to contact me and have a back and forth here is my @ bloomer#5200 Much love and good wishes on your self actualization journey whatever form that may take