# Yearly Themes

[^note]:
    This page is an ongoing log of my experiences with long-term "themes". Learn
    more about yearly themes
    [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVGuFdX5guEA) and
    [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zugiZ73SyM).

---

<h2>The Year of Raw <small>2023-2024</small></h2>

> [The fooking bass is fooking raw!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCujO6Ujw_o)
>
> -- Gordon Ramsay

<h3>Going Raw <small>2023.08.11</small></h3>

- raw foods over processed junk
- raw materials over manufactured goods
- raw emotions over filtered feelings
- raw code with minimimal dependencies
- raw textbooks over summaries

---

<h2>The Year of Trailblazing <small>2022-2023</small></h2>

<h3>End of the Trail <small>2023.08.08</small></h3>

I charted a wild path over the last two-ish years:

- finally started antidepressants
- became a dad
- quit booze and cigarettes after ten years of attempts
- conquered my internet addiction
- started a popularish blog
- biked from SF to LA
- [failed at starting a tech conference](/outland-wasnt-ready)
- botched a startup launch
- read [a ton of books](/books)
- overcame chronic crippling anxiety

Things I learned:

- don't think about yourself while others are talking
- quitting booze was a decision I needed to make years ago, but it's never too
  late to start living
- track how you spend your time until you're happy with your life
- friends and family might be overrated
- be obsessive but always come back to earth after a few weeks
- limit the number of queues and inputs into your mind
- make mayhem
- frequently finish small things
- don't waste brainpower on impractical knowledge and world news and things you
  can't control -- learn things only to make things

<h3>Keeping the Path <small>2023.01.03</small></h3>

I want to explore! I want to ascend! I want to yearn and struggle and grow!

In 2023, I'll be pursuing some lofty goals:

- publish a novella
- go on a camping trip
- become a best dad
- launch a startup
- organize a tech conference
- benchpress my own bodyweight
- continue [my sobriety experiment](/8-weekends)
- release a VR "game"
- [cycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS/LifeCycle)

Blazing these trails will require skills that I don't _yet_ possess:

- discipline
- finishing projects I'm disinterested in
- managing fear and anxiety
- consistency

Let's go!

<h3>(Officially) Blazing the Trail <small>2022.10.17</small></h3>

When I decided to start my "year of trailblazing" earlier this year, I was
speedrunning major life changes:

- purchased my first home
- moved to an unfamiliar climate
- started a new job
- changed my name
- had my first child
- [quit drinking forever](/1000-weekends)

For me, charting unexplored territory has been a difficult delight! My soul has
been fully engaged.

But the year's not over yet! Continuing into 2023, I'll still be trailblazing
(literally and figuratively):

- weekly hikes
- seasonal camping
- [cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS/LifeCycle)
- launching my first real startup
- starting a tech conference