It has been somedays since the new year and a new decade has begun and it’s hard to not admire the pace at which it has passed. This time in 2010 I was buried deep into books trying to finish high school with flying colours and get into a good college having no clue what life has in store for me. It was as if yesterday I was writing my Engineering Entrance Exam and then one day you find 10 years have gone behind you, everyone did tell me when to run but I realized missing the starting gun doesn’t matter much (Yes it’s a Pink Floyd song and 10 years ago I had no clue about Pink Floyd). Probably the last decade was the most crucial 10 years of my life. Getting out from mama’s nest to find a new home in a distant land, I am glad that it turned out to be a great decade.
But since it’s my annual blog let me focus on 2019. The year 2019 had been a year of mixed emotions. Two years ago when I left my country to pursue higher education I had no idea how this journey was going to be. The highlight of 2019 was the completion of the Master’s degree. Last year I made 5 simple resolution and the month of January seems to be the perfect time to introspect into the past.
- Become more eco-friendly – I was able to cut down my gadget usage and meat consumption. I have to admit that it was hard. In an attempt to decrease carbon footprint I reduced the use of motorised vehicles, used bicycle and foot more frequently than before. I also started planting plants. But the fight against climate change will be more intense this year.
Self-grown, 2nd generation mustard plant - Read more books – This is a section where I have failed year on year. I am still stuck at 4 books a year. This year I read The Kite Runner, What did Tashi do?, 1984 and The Animal Farm. There are also a few other books that I started but couldn’t finish. One thing is that I have improved my reading habits. I have read more articles, magazines and newspapers than the last few years. Hopefully, in the new decade, I will finally be able to reach my target of 10 books a year. I also plan to spend more time with German books to improve my German proficiency.
The books I finished in 2019 - Spend more time in nature – This is one resolution that I have been able to keep up to. I trekked in Heidelberg, bicycled to Castle Frankenstein, spent afternoons reading and admiring the change of seasons in the forests of Lichtwiese, spent a night in the black forest and finally played with snow in the Himalayan village Tosh.
- Taking less on my plate – With two jobs, Masters course in progress and million other things(figuratively) running parallelly, it was impossible to take less on my plate. I think my plate is going to be more crowded this year. So I plan to organise myself more, plan better, try to follow a routine so that I can manage the stuff on my plate better.
- My fifth resolution was to increase my EQ by strengthening my personal relationships. I met a few new people in 2019 but I am really glad that I could get in touch with some of my old friends and acquaintances. Keeping a positive attitude and being grateful for everything was really helpful. Visiting my hometown after more than 2 years, spending time with relatives and old friends was a positive boost for me and hopefully, the good things will continue in 2020.
before leaving India
Barbeque at Saiko’s place
Durgapujo
Comrade’s treat
Machas at Kasol
So 2019 was a great year for me personally and professionally. My resolution for 2020 will be to continue with the good habits that I have developed. I also plan to write more frequently this year and try to focus more on the stuff where I failed to because Persistence, perseverance, and continuous improvement are the ingredients for forming a successful person. I also plan to do more voluntary works and be more helpful to others as Man cannot really improve himself without improving others.Â
Wishing everyone a great entry into 2020.
Godspeed
Jeet Biswas 