New Year musings and resolutions
A belated Happy New Year to one and all!
I feel like I now finally have the chance to catch my breath after Jay's arrival, and will hopefully be penning here more regularly.
Ohh, I've just noticed there's now an add video option on the blogger toolbar. Will try it out a bit later...anyway, am now back in Japan and back at work, with our 3 weeks of Christmas and NY merriment passing into fond memory. We all loved the time with the Kobayashi family, and I found it touching that we could be together and properly introduce the newest addition to the clan. On Jay's part, he seemed to a adapt very well to both air travel and foreign climes, as well as sharing attention with the Kobayashi cat, Pip! For me, having been 3 years since last venturing to England, I basked in the foreigness of the place, especially in the first week of our stay, when even the physicality of people was a wonderment to behold and ponder.
Upon returning to Japan, I've been gathering my thoughts for the coming year, and deciding what to aim for and achieve. I have identified two factors which I think will make a big difference to the quality of my life - giving up alcohol and learning more Japanese. Now, as most of you know, I do enjoy a good tipple or three, but I've found recently that it's affecting my speed of thought and response. I think it's clouding my judgement and I think I don't need it to have a good time. Yes, it's a social lubricant, but I'm already pretty sociable, and I don't have to get a pint down me to feel relaxed enough to talk to people. So, from yesterday I stopped drinking. Secondly, the Japanese. It's an obvious factor really, that the more my skills in this regard improves, the better my life will be, or at least the better I'll be to react to given opportunities whilst living here. It's always challenging, I think, to try and stick to learning a new language if the work or social environment is in another language - for my case English. But, I have to focus and aim for improved fluency. So, this started today, with the first stage being completion of "Japanese for Busy People 1", which will act as a good revision of what I already know. Then, after completing it in a couple of weeks, I'll move onto JBP 2 and 3, which will also involve increasing my kanji ability. By the end of the year, I want to be able to converse with Miyu fully in Japanese for an evening, without any usage of English.
So, they're two big aims for this year. Others include putting more focus on writing short stories, so that within 5 years, I want to have an income stream from it; reading a book a day with Jay and having fun with him; keeping fit by doing my exercises first thing in the morning, to give me a boost for the start of each day; learn to touch type; and cook a new dish every week, as this is something I really miss doing.
To help me achieve these things (and other things!), a friend of mine told me about 6 principles that she follows which have really helped her achieve a tremendous amount last year:-
1. Keep it simple but fun
2. Remember that we only live once and never look back
3. Make sure you spend your time doing what you want to do
4. Don't rush, but be quick because life moves fast
5. Remember the things you have and not the things you don't
6. Never be angry because you are the one that loses out
They're very simple, I think, but reverberate with truth, and I was really taken by them when I heard them.
I feel like I now finally have the chance to catch my breath after Jay's arrival, and will hopefully be penning here more regularly.
Ohh, I've just noticed there's now an add video option on the blogger toolbar. Will try it out a bit later...anyway, am now back in Japan and back at work, with our 3 weeks of Christmas and NY merriment passing into fond memory. We all loved the time with the Kobayashi family, and I found it touching that we could be together and properly introduce the newest addition to the clan. On Jay's part, he seemed to a adapt very well to both air travel and foreign climes, as well as sharing attention with the Kobayashi cat, Pip! For me, having been 3 years since last venturing to England, I basked in the foreigness of the place, especially in the first week of our stay, when even the physicality of people was a wonderment to behold and ponder.
Upon returning to Japan, I've been gathering my thoughts for the coming year, and deciding what to aim for and achieve. I have identified two factors which I think will make a big difference to the quality of my life - giving up alcohol and learning more Japanese. Now, as most of you know, I do enjoy a good tipple or three, but I've found recently that it's affecting my speed of thought and response. I think it's clouding my judgement and I think I don't need it to have a good time. Yes, it's a social lubricant, but I'm already pretty sociable, and I don't have to get a pint down me to feel relaxed enough to talk to people. So, from yesterday I stopped drinking. Secondly, the Japanese. It's an obvious factor really, that the more my skills in this regard improves, the better my life will be, or at least the better I'll be to react to given opportunities whilst living here. It's always challenging, I think, to try and stick to learning a new language if the work or social environment is in another language - for my case English. But, I have to focus and aim for improved fluency. So, this started today, with the first stage being completion of "Japanese for Busy People 1", which will act as a good revision of what I already know. Then, after completing it in a couple of weeks, I'll move onto JBP 2 and 3, which will also involve increasing my kanji ability. By the end of the year, I want to be able to converse with Miyu fully in Japanese for an evening, without any usage of English.
So, they're two big aims for this year. Others include putting more focus on writing short stories, so that within 5 years, I want to have an income stream from it; reading a book a day with Jay and having fun with him; keeping fit by doing my exercises first thing in the morning, to give me a boost for the start of each day; learn to touch type; and cook a new dish every week, as this is something I really miss doing.
To help me achieve these things (and other things!), a friend of mine told me about 6 principles that she follows which have really helped her achieve a tremendous amount last year:-
1. Keep it simple but fun
2. Remember that we only live once and never look back
3. Make sure you spend your time doing what you want to do
4. Don't rush, but be quick because life moves fast
5. Remember the things you have and not the things you don't
6. Never be angry because you are the one that loses out
They're very simple, I think, but reverberate with truth, and I was really taken by them when I heard them.
posted by TOK at 11:04 am
1 Comments:
Tom,
I think that's absolutely fabulous. Fantastic decisions to make! If I can in any way help let me know. Well, for a start, I won't be drinking either when I next see you!
As you know, I gave up alcohol when I left Japan last summer. After a month on the road when I only drank twice (in a bid to not be robbed!) I got back to uni, where the alcohol was really flowing! I think what really helped me was deciding that 'my drink' was soda and black, so when I went out I didn't give my self the choice of alcohol, I just had my Usual.
Now, 6 months on, I rarely drink. On the rare occasions I do have a pint, I don't find myself thinking 'caw blimey, I've missed this!', rather, "hmm, I'm glad I don't do this often.
It really has had a huge positive effect upon my life. It's nice to feel alert and 'with it'!
As for the Japanese, great! You can do it no problem. I think that would be a wonderful gift for mummy, baby and daddy.
And your writing too - go for it! You have a real talent there, would be great to use and develop it!
Finally, thanks for the inspiration. I feel you had quite a big influence on me last year in Japan, helping me believe in myself, just with a few wise words. Appreciate that.
If anyone can achieve their goals, it's you.
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