A New Year's Survey
Jan. 1st, 2018 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cassaclyzmI did this last year, when I was in a pretty horrible frame of mind. I hadn't been able to go home for Christmas because of work (in fact, I didn't even get three days off in a row over the entire Holiday season... and through to Easter, if I remember it correctly.) Considering it was a job I was utterly DONE with, this didn't improve my outlook at all. 2016 had also been a year with a lot of physical challenges, with my knees going "haha NOPE" to any real attempt at physical activity. I felt stagnant and frustrated.
2017 was a year of finding stasis. I didn't do anything wild, but I found a little bit of the "sense of purpose" that I was struggling for at the beginning of the year. Things aren't perfect, but I'm comfortable. I feel like I have a solid platform. And if I want to jump from it, I'm on solid footing.
1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?
I became a DM! Specifically for D&D 5e. I immediately started running two games - one homebrew, one module (Curse of Strahd).
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more
for next year?
Here's what I wrote last year:
For the first point (or jumble of points) I'm not sure if I focused on this specifically, though I do feel like I have a better sense of what I want out of life: to have fun.
And I did an okay job of parenting myself last year. I finally got a decent vacuum cleaner and did some cleaning. I got new glasses and got my teeth taken care of. (Now that it's a new coverage year, I need to make an appointment for a check-up/cleaning.) I saw my doctor about a couple of health issues.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don't think so. My friend's sister had a baby on my birthday, which is pretty neat. (And like three couples that I'm acquainted with got married on my birthday too. Auspicious!)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope. I got to spend Christmas with all of my grandparents again. Dear Universe: thank you.
5. What countries did you visit?
None! I went back home to visit three times, however. Haven't done that in a while. (Once was for a wedding, which was fun as heck.)
6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
Hmmm. More time to be creative. I spent a lot of the past couple of years getting obsessed with a game that ate up a lot of my spare time. I certainly don't want to stop playing games (if anything I'd like to play more different games) but I want to carve out some time to just... try things. Goof around. Maybe not even have a definite end goal (unless that helps me to be creative in the first place.) Not sure, I'll have to try a few different things.
7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 9th, when my awesome aunt got married (and so I obtained a new uncle! Haven't gotten one of those in a while.)
October 20th, when I found out I'd gotten a new job (and November 28th when I found out it was coming with a WAY bigger raise than previously expected.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Job-wise, taking on a project meant for three people all by myself (and utterly rocking it.)
Life-wise, becoming a DM.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I did drop the ball on getting an anti-depressant script filled. I think it's because overall I don't think I'm depressed. I have trouble applying myself to do things that I want to do, and as a result of that I get very down. But my quality of life is generally good. I do want to talk to a counselor to get some guidance on how to make my brain co-operate, and get past that hurdle of "I don't wannaaa" that blocks me from doing actual fun/interesting things. If that doesn't work, or if I get noticeably worse mood-wise, I'll consult my doctor about anti-depressant options again.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got sick a couple of times (colds or mild flu that kept me from going to work for a couple of days), but no bad injuries or medical conditions.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't buy much, but I got my D&D books. And a second monitor and dual monitor stand for my computer, which is sick-ass.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of my awesome friends, especially the people who came and took care of my kitty while I was away.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nazis, Men's Rights Activists, the "Alt-Right" in general.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, plane tickets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having a couple of friends come and visit me to a) eat amazing food and watch baseball and b) go to 5 shows in 1 1/2 days, respectively.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2017?
I didn't find a lot of new music this year, though the main bleepy bloopy electronica that grabbed me was Nitro Fun.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Way, way happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same, but feeling better overall.
iii. richer or poorer? Amazingly, and probably for the first time ever: ACTUALLY RICHER.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Creative stuff in general. I also wish I'd consumed more structured content. I watched a lot of YouTube reviews and live gaming races and speedruns and I don't plan to stop, but I would have liked to get a little invested in some narratives. So while I'm not going to become someone who binges entire seasons of shows, I want to read more and watch more structured narrative fiction this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Saying "no" to hanging out with people. Or avoiding people in other ways. I rarely regret saying "yes" so I want to be a little more hesitant to say "no" this year.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Visiting family back home. I didn't have time to visit other friends, though, which sucks.
21. Did you fall in love in 2017?
No. I don't get to spend a lot of time with my girlfriend, but she's cool and spending time with her is always a treat.
22. How many one-night stands?
This is a dumb question.
23. What were your favoriteTV programs Youtube videos?
I really enjoyed watching the Game Grumps play Breath of the Wild. It was a chill playthrough and it was nice to put it on while doing other things. I also really enjoyed catching up on Dice, Camera, Action! this summer.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not really. I hate the same kinds of people about the same amount. Maybe with a little more spice.
25. What were the best books you read?
I literally only read one: Himself by Jess Kidd. I read it while travelling because I need a book on the plane, and though I'd swear that I was going to pick it up again at home, I didn't. So I had to re-read parts of it to get back into it. But it was enjoyable.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
As I said above, I didn't discover a lot this year - but I did spend some time in November listening to albums I hadn't heard in a while, and that was great. I want to do more of that this year.
27. What did you want and get?
I don't have it yet, but - A NEW MATTRESS! And a new Swiss army knife for my keychain.
28. What did you want and not get?
Nothing gift-wise. Personally I'd wanted to get a new cutting board, but I keep putting it off. Little things like that.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't see much. Wonder Woman was pretty great. I also finally watched the movie Clue which I'd been meaning to see forever. It was lots of fun.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34 this year. My birthday was utterly nice. I didn't do anything crazy, just made a conscious decision to be unconditionally nice to myself all day. It was great.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Instantaneous transportation to wherever I want for no cost.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
I dressed it up a little more this year, and thanks to a generous birthday gift from 2015 I finally went out and bought some much needed shirts and pants. Currently it's "short-sleeve button-down under a light long sleeve knit" season.
33. What kept you sane?
The amazing people in my life, including my lovely kitty.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't generally crush on celebrities. Emily Blunt continues to be cool as heck though.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The one where a bunch of assholes tried to argue that they aren't actually assholes. You know the one?
36. Who did you miss?
Hmm. I was blessed with multiple trips home this year, so I didn't really miss anybody for too long.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
A person at work who became my Christmas Party Buddy and turned out to be completely geeky and cool.
38. Did you enjoy this year?
Overall, I did. I had some low points, of course. But I had a job with a steady schedule, and cool friends, and fun games.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017?
You just never know when a dragonborn wearing a fake moustache is going to electrocute the river.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't have a lyric in mind, so instead please absorb this song, which I first heard in a meme early this year and which I unironically love in all its cheesy glory. (The music video is somethin' else, though. That I enjoy with utter irony.)
2017 was a year of finding stasis. I didn't do anything wild, but I found a little bit of the "sense of purpose" that I was struggling for at the beginning of the year. Things aren't perfect, but I'm comfortable. I feel like I have a solid platform. And if I want to jump from it, I'm on solid footing.
1. What did you do in 2017 that you'd never done before?
I became a DM! Specifically for D&D 5e. I immediately started running two games - one homebrew, one module (Curse of Strahd).
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more
for next year?
Here's what I wrote last year:
This year... I don't know. I feel scattered. To make resolutions you need to have some sort of goal, right? I guess my resolution is to keep trying to figure out what the fuck my goals are, and what I want out of life, and what's the point.
And to prioritize taking care of myself. I need to parent myself this year. Do the things for me that my mom would do. Figure out again how to make doctor's appointments and dentist's appointments and not just hide all the time.
For the first point (or jumble of points) I'm not sure if I focused on this specifically, though I do feel like I have a better sense of what I want out of life: to have fun.
And I did an okay job of parenting myself last year. I finally got a decent vacuum cleaner and did some cleaning. I got new glasses and got my teeth taken care of. (Now that it's a new coverage year, I need to make an appointment for a check-up/cleaning.) I saw my doctor about a couple of health issues.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don't think so. My friend's sister had a baby on my birthday, which is pretty neat. (And like three couples that I'm acquainted with got married on my birthday too. Auspicious!)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope. I got to spend Christmas with all of my grandparents again. Dear Universe: thank you.
5. What countries did you visit?
None! I went back home to visit three times, however. Haven't done that in a while. (Once was for a wedding, which was fun as heck.)
6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
Hmmm. More time to be creative. I spent a lot of the past couple of years getting obsessed with a game that ate up a lot of my spare time. I certainly don't want to stop playing games (if anything I'd like to play more different games) but I want to carve out some time to just... try things. Goof around. Maybe not even have a definite end goal (unless that helps me to be creative in the first place.) Not sure, I'll have to try a few different things.
7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 9th, when my awesome aunt got married (and so I obtained a new uncle! Haven't gotten one of those in a while.)
October 20th, when I found out I'd gotten a new job (and November 28th when I found out it was coming with a WAY bigger raise than previously expected.)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Job-wise, taking on a project meant for three people all by myself (and utterly rocking it.)
Life-wise, becoming a DM.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I did drop the ball on getting an anti-depressant script filled. I think it's because overall I don't think I'm depressed. I have trouble applying myself to do things that I want to do, and as a result of that I get very down. But my quality of life is generally good. I do want to talk to a counselor to get some guidance on how to make my brain co-operate, and get past that hurdle of "I don't wannaaa" that blocks me from doing actual fun/interesting things. If that doesn't work, or if I get noticeably worse mood-wise, I'll consult my doctor about anti-depressant options again.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got sick a couple of times (colds or mild flu that kept me from going to work for a couple of days), but no bad injuries or medical conditions.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't buy much, but I got my D&D books. And a second monitor and dual monitor stand for my computer, which is sick-ass.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All of my awesome friends, especially the people who came and took care of my kitty while I was away.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nazis, Men's Rights Activists, the "Alt-Right" in general.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, plane tickets.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having a couple of friends come and visit me to a) eat amazing food and watch baseball and b) go to 5 shows in 1 1/2 days, respectively.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2017?
I didn't find a lot of new music this year, though the main bleepy bloopy electronica that grabbed me was Nitro Fun.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Way, way happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same, but feeling better overall.
iii. richer or poorer? Amazingly, and probably for the first time ever: ACTUALLY RICHER.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Creative stuff in general. I also wish I'd consumed more structured content. I watched a lot of YouTube reviews and live gaming races and speedruns and I don't plan to stop, but I would have liked to get a little invested in some narratives. So while I'm not going to become someone who binges entire seasons of shows, I want to read more and watch more structured narrative fiction this year.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Saying "no" to hanging out with people. Or avoiding people in other ways. I rarely regret saying "yes" so I want to be a little more hesitant to say "no" this year.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Visiting family back home. I didn't have time to visit other friends, though, which sucks.
21. Did you fall in love in 2017?
No. I don't get to spend a lot of time with my girlfriend, but she's cool and spending time with her is always a treat.
22. How many one-night stands?
This is a dumb question.
23. What were your favorite
I really enjoyed watching the Game Grumps play Breath of the Wild. It was a chill playthrough and it was nice to put it on while doing other things. I also really enjoyed catching up on Dice, Camera, Action! this summer.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not really. I hate the same kinds of people about the same amount. Maybe with a little more spice.
25. What were the best books you read?
I literally only read one: Himself by Jess Kidd. I read it while travelling because I need a book on the plane, and though I'd swear that I was going to pick it up again at home, I didn't. So I had to re-read parts of it to get back into it. But it was enjoyable.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
As I said above, I didn't discover a lot this year - but I did spend some time in November listening to albums I hadn't heard in a while, and that was great. I want to do more of that this year.
27. What did you want and get?
I don't have it yet, but - A NEW MATTRESS! And a new Swiss army knife for my keychain.
28. What did you want and not get?
Nothing gift-wise. Personally I'd wanted to get a new cutting board, but I keep putting it off. Little things like that.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't see much. Wonder Woman was pretty great. I also finally watched the movie Clue which I'd been meaning to see forever. It was lots of fun.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 34 this year. My birthday was utterly nice. I didn't do anything crazy, just made a conscious decision to be unconditionally nice to myself all day. It was great.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Instantaneous transportation to wherever I want for no cost.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
I dressed it up a little more this year, and thanks to a generous birthday gift from 2015 I finally went out and bought some much needed shirts and pants. Currently it's "short-sleeve button-down under a light long sleeve knit" season.
33. What kept you sane?
The amazing people in my life, including my lovely kitty.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't generally crush on celebrities. Emily Blunt continues to be cool as heck though.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The one where a bunch of assholes tried to argue that they aren't actually assholes. You know the one?
36. Who did you miss?
Hmm. I was blessed with multiple trips home this year, so I didn't really miss anybody for too long.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
A person at work who became my Christmas Party Buddy and turned out to be completely geeky and cool.
38. Did you enjoy this year?
Overall, I did. I had some low points, of course. But I had a job with a steady schedule, and cool friends, and fun games.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017?
You just never know when a dragonborn wearing a fake moustache is going to electrocute the river.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't have a lyric in mind, so instead please absorb this song, which I first heard in a meme early this year and which I unironically love in all its cheesy glory. (The music video is somethin' else, though. That I enjoy with utter irony.)
