2023: The Year of Quitting
As you look back on this crazy year, what lessons have you learned? I learned that I'm really good at quitting.
I don’t believe in setting New Year’s resolutions. But I do believe in taking stock of the lessons learned over the past year and celebrating your wins.
To me, this is much more of a healthy practice. Resolutions do nothing but put pressure on someone to do something that, for most people, they wouldn’t ordinarily do or want to do. I think that’s why they so often fail.
So as you look back at 2023, what lessons have you learned? And what sorts of wins will you be celebrating?
For me, the biggest lesson I’m taking away is that it’s good to be a quitter. Here are some of the things I quit and feel pretty darn good about:
Anti-perspirant (replaced with natural deodorant)
Coffee (replaced with a roasted fig drink called Coffig)
Soda
Seed oils
Twitter/X
Plastic water bottles (replaced with steel)
Candles (replaced with organic soy wax melts)
iPhone and earbuds (replaced with Samsung and corded headphones)
Supplements/vitamins (replaced with natural sources)
Store-bought dog food
Some body products like body wash and face cream (replaced with all-natural ones)
Toxic friendships
Bad clients
Sitting at home alone (replaced with socialization via Meetup)
It’s been a pretty big year for quitting. There are some things that I haven’t been able to kick the habit from though.
Sugar, fast food, porn, dating apps, and using my phone in bed are all toxic things and activities I’ve been trying to clear out of my life. I’ve significantly cut back on each, but I’ll need more time to ditch them entirely and, more importantly, to stop feeling the itch to go back to them.
I think that’s the hardest part. It’s breaking those life-long habits and then sticking to them for at least a few months so that you no longer feel that reflex to do the things you know will hurt you.
Anywho, now that I’ve documented my biggest lessons and wins, what about you guys? What have you done this year that you’re proud of? With so much awful shit going on the world, we all deserve a moment to stop and appreciate the positive in our lives.