After doing a review of 2023, I knew I didn’t want a repeat of that in 2024. This year, I told myself I would be actively working hard to become a much better version of myself. Pay no mind to how cliché that sounds, but it’s true. I was down bad in every area last year, and it was time for a lot of things to change. I sat down, listed out the things I would like to see and wrote down the actions to take.
This year, I am unrecognisable is a line from the declaration I made for the year. Even to me, it seemed like a fluke. Like one of those things you merely get excited about without the power to actually see through. So it is in disbelief that I share my small wins in Q1.
🌻 Going to the gym
I was already unfit, and God forbid that the elevators at my dorm weren’t working. I could barely take the stairs to the fifth floor without breathing like I had been in a marathon. I remember sending a voice note to my friend Rovine and panting so heavily, she actually thought I went on a run when in reality, I had only taken the stairs.
I would end up going to the gym the week of my return from visiting my parents (I knew undoubtedly, I had gained some weight). At first, my goal was to go there, release some sweat, and then return to the dorm, but one day, I realized I had gone over the usual mark on the elliptical. It felt so good, I knew I wanted to keep going.
🌻 Drinking water
Anyone close to me would tell you that I could go three/four days without drinking water. I’ve always felt like water is boring, and I thought I was the only one who felt like that until I heard Zendaya say the same thing. There’s something about water that I just couldn’t quite get into. It’s like… no taste? But survival over preference, right?
I didn’t realize how important water was until I saw how the lack of it influenced these headaches I would get. I got this cute set of water bottles that came in 1 litre and 2 litre sizes. Since January began, I have been drinking at least 1 litre of water everyday, and I have seen an improvement in my health. I relapsed once and went four days without drinking water and a migraine snuck up on me like it had been waiting. Since then, my water intake has taken the most dramatic turn and I have to use the bathroom like ten times a day, but it’s alright. I sip on a bottle of water even as I type this.
🌻 Quitting soda for a month
I can’t believe it. The last time I had soda was in February.
The decision to not drink soda throughout March was as a result of me trying to experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I avoided it for a month. At first, it was soda and fruit juice, but I failed with that and decided to be more honest with myself and take it one step at a time.
I never thought I would say this, but I don’t think I missed much. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting to see after one month. In fact, I didn’t see or notice anything, I think it’s one of those things in which the effect is only seen after a long period of time. I figured if that’s the case then I may as well cut soda off. I’m afraid there’s no going back.
🌻 Reading
Write more stories — this is one of my goals for the year. Or at least, write a story. I enjoy creating new worlds and characters that do whatever at my will. It’s almost like a way of escape.
My reading has been poor and inconsistent over the years, but this year I decided to give myself to reading more. One of the major reasons being that reading the works of other people can be inspiring for a writer. Just like I’ve heard, to be a writer, you should be a reader first. I drew up a reading list with a mix of young adult fiction and Christian books that aid spiritual growth, and then I proceeded to get them. I finished John Bevere’s The Bait of Satan few days ago, and I’m currently reading Jane Fallon’s Oversharing.
I highly recommend cultivating reading as a habit. I personally also try to read one article here on Medium everyday. It’s like hearing the thoughts of other writers and being invited into their own view of the world. Reading does wonders. It improves concentration, expands use of vocabulary, increases creativity, plus don’t forget the entertainment it brings.
🌻 Working on myself
One of my favourite set of people will always be people who strive to be better. People who are self-aware and honest with themselves. They identify areas that need growth in their lives, and then they work on them. Maybe it’s a bias to say they are one of my favourite set of people because I’m one of them. I’m never too proud to admit I am deeply flawed, and I give room to the Holy Spirit to reveal the not-so-great things about myself to me.
I’ve always heard I’m a good storyteller. In fact, in my public speaking class, I once told a story and for the next few classes, my lecturer would call me up to tell a story right before she started teaching. To throw modesty out the window, I can tell a story. I know the effects to add, the facial expressions to hold, the comedic timings, the perfect order for events and how to link them all, best of all, I know how to capture a person’s attention and keep them listening. I serve a good tea, but this is a part of me that would have to die. Not completely (because I know this is a gift that can be used very effectively), but if it could potentially cause damage, then I had to be more careful.
Essentially, I would have to keep some stories to myself no matter how bad I wanted to tell them because they just weren’t my stories to tell. I had to acknowledge they would be difficult to deal with on my own, but God gave me wisdom on how to go about it.
And that is something I love about God — it’s that He doesn’t just point out the problem, He also gives the solution.
🌻Learning intentional friendship
A friend sent me a message in March that made me cry. I don’t think I’ve ever received a message like that, and it made me realize that I’d spent so much time closing myself off to a person who was ready and willing to love me despite my excesses. How often do we close our eyes to the very things that could be good for us? The things we actually need?
And as a friend, there’s nothing you could do that would make me love you any less was probably what made me cry the most. I remembered situations with friends where my flaws were thrown in my face; situations were my wrongs were being held over my own head. That line reminded me of the love of Jesus, and I wondered if that would even be possible for her. But just like I don’t understand the love of Jesus but bask in it, that’s the same way I choose to bask in her love.
Friendships are kind of a big deal to me, and I learn more about it with each passing year — what I look for in a friend, things I appreciate, and the things I don’t. This year, I’m creating more space for valuable friendships and being intentional with the people I am surrounded with right now; to water those who water me.
I made up my mind to pray for my friends even more, and to be more vulnerable and open. In the past few months, I let myself talk about the things that scare me, and things I desire but don’t have. I shed tears in front of friends in the past few months, and it felt good. I’m also learning not to get too attached to anyone, to stop centering myself in people’s lives, to loosen the grip I have on people or let them go when I have to, and to remember that everyone is flawed in one way or another.
🌻 Building a more consistent relationship with God
I was lethargic in the previous year, but it was time to wake up. I put systems in place to ensure I wasn’t slacking off daily, including reporting to my accountability partner every day after my quiet time. Since I’m a big nocturnal being, I went further to reserve some time during the dead of the night when I would — in the stillness and quietness of the atmosphere — communicate with God without any distractions. It it this time I look forward to the most because so many beautiful things have come out of my time spent there.
I think there’s so much beauty that comes from building a relationship with God. Just like you would any relationship, it’s about showing up everyday including the days you don’t feel like it.
At the end of the day, there’s no secret to seeing change. Something just has to upset you or make you uncomfortable enough for you to decide to fix it.
hi, and thank you so much for reading! if you enjoyed the post, just hold down on the clap icon and leave some claps (i know you think you could clap once, but i’ll let you know that you can clap all the way to 50!).
you can also find me on instagram at ifeoluwanimi.a.
