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Looking back at my 2023 year in review 👀
As I’m writing this piece, I’m also reading my previous year-in-review and…wow haha.
A girl can’t catch a break 😂
So…yeah. It’s been a lot. Too much even. Thankfully, the year ended on a positive note thanks to the visit of 3 of my closest friends, with whom I had lots of fun and focused on creating positive memories. I guess if 2023 taught me anything, is that I need to stop worrying and stressing as much as I do. Learn to let go, to be more malleable, to have low expectations and truly learn to live in the moment as much as possible. Nothing is guaranteed so make the most of each moment. It’s cliché but it couldn’t be more true.So, if you ask me what’s the plan for 2024, I’ll simply reply: Let’s find out! 🙂
And find out I did…
If you want to read it, you can do so here: https://blog.perpetualdraft.com/farewell-2023
In a few words
I honestly don’t feel like writing a lot about this year.
I know it’s all very arbitrary but I’m glad we left it behind.
I’m happy to start a new year and focus on the good and the possibilites.
I’m tired of letting myself be consumed by my emotions and my anxiety.
ENOUGH.
I’m ready to change whatever needs to change so I can get back in the groove and LIVE!!!
I accept that I am and forever will be a “work in progress” and that I shouldn’t tie myself too strongly to labels or situations.
Self-reminders:
- Change is the constant.
- Managing your expectations is essential.
- Focus on gratefulness and being happy with what you have at the moment.
Key moments of the year 📌
January | February | March |
Positive: My friends visiting me, new clients & renewal of my localization contract with Notion
Negative: Discovered my IRS mistake and the fact that I owed a bunch of money | Positive: Organized a meetup in Lyon, new projects going well, other opportunities showing up, another friend visiting
Negative: Death of my grandpa, paused working out, financial stress | Positive: Health checkup came positive, finished several projects
Negative: Funeral of my grandpa, some administrative issues and delays on some projects |
April | May | June |
Positive: Lots of projects & opportunities ; saw a friend’s theater play ; worked out often
Negative: Went to the hairdresser and she messed me up (but I fixed it), some projects were paused, May concert got cancelled, delayed payments, death of an old friend | Positive: Lisbon Notion meetup, new projects, a friend got married, I created some Notion templates, went to the spa, celebrated our 6 years anniversary with my partner, met Alex (aNotioneer) IRL, talked to more people, solved my admin issues
Negative: Paused projects & delayed payments, stopped working out | Positive: Saw a bunch of friends, my sister came to visit me here in Portugal for the first time, co-organized another meetup in Lyon, projects went well, manicure
Negative: Mental health declining |
July | August | September |
Positive: Family holidays in Sevilla, started feeling alive again, went to the spa again, birthdays of my siblings, spent lot of time with my family
Negative: Admin issues, bad news regarding a family member’s health, some projects on hold, scattered my grandpa’s ashes | Positive: Solved admin issues, started feeling better mentally, manicure, more health checkups that were positive
Negative: Closed my company in Portugal, resiliated my gym membership, projects on hold, couldn’t be with my partner for his birthday | Positive: Another friend came to visit me, I turned 30, my mom came to visit me for my birthday, started a Home Organizer course, created my Grief Journal and an illustrated book for a friend
Negative: My sister attempted S and she was interned for a week, more financial stress |
October | November | December |
Positive: Finally got free from my IUD (inserted in 2021) and I feel healthy again, spent time with my mom, went to a vegan fair
Negative: Projects on hold, death of a family member on my partner’ side | Positive: Created this new blog and started writing more often, saw some friends, updated my website/gumroad/notion marketplace profile, created new templates, went to the spa again
Negative: Death of another family member of mine, not a lot of work, financial stress | Positive: Got another massage, spent christmas with my partner’s family, had online calls/meetings with a lot of interesting new people, went to a christmas fair and saw some school’s xmas gala, dinners out with friends
Negative: Financial stress |
What I loved about this year 👍
- Watched a lot of awesome new shows 📺
- Daily walks with my dog, really got to appreciate my surroundings all year round and I met a lot of new people and their dogs 🐕🦺
- Summer holidays with my family in Sevilla ☀️
- Got regular massages (5 in total) 💆♀️
- Spent a lot of time at home and with my loved ones (partner & pets) 💕
- Got creative (for fun) again! 🎨
- Felt more spiritual than ever before 🙏
- Rode a horse for the first time since 2014 and it healed a part of me, I’m not even joking 🐎
- Did some ice skating for the first time since 2017 — I really want to do that more often! ⛸️
- Experimented hypnosis and found it alleviated my anxiety!
What was difficult this year 👎
- So many losses… 🕊️
- Depression creeping in again 😔
- Stopped working out around April, so I feel less fit at the moment 🏋️
- HUGE identity crisis 🫠
- Financial instability and challenges 💸
- Haven’t been able to continue therapy regularly ❤️🩹
2024 in…
a word
grief
images
TV shows I watched 📺
Entirely
- Sex & the city
- And just like that
- Muderville
- Nada suspeitos
- Transparent
- Only murders in the building
- Gilmore Girls
- The Big Door Prize
- The Decameron
- Severance
- Nobody wants this
- Becoming Karl Lagerfield
- In Vogue : the 90s
- Good Omens
- Envidiosa
- Mad Men
Partially
- Machos Alfa
- Bodkin
- The Outlaws
- The Wire
- Arcane
- Alphonse
My hopes for 2025 🪄
I hope this year will be the year I find my balance back: financially, mentally, emotionally, professionally.
It’s time for a new professional phase as well.
I hope I’ll focus on having fun & making memories with my loved ones.
I hope I’ll continue to invest more in my health.
Thank you for being part of the journey 🙂🙏
