What value have I created in the last ten years?

This is a personal note but perhaps I can encourage others to reflect in a similar way.

New Year’s resolutions are the silliest social construct. They never work (prove me wrong!). The first day of the new year is just another day. The new year is just another year. Life is continuous.

But that’s not even the main problem with resolutions. The challenge is that most undertakings must be pursued for extended periods before any tangible changes are achieved in one’s life. There is no formula, but I’d say it takes at least two years. The initial months are meaningless. The risk of setbacks and giving up is too great. If you are consistent — let’s say with a new hobby, habit, professional endeavor, relationship, or goal — maybe after many months, you will see a trend, stability, real improvement, and change. But most undertakings are still fragile even then. Circumstances change, the sense of reality can be deceptive, or you can lose enthusiasm for various reasons.

I mention the two-year threshold because that’s how I experienced success in my life. I excelled academically in my younger years. I had a rough start to my career but started shining after two years. In the last two-three years I achieved excellence in running, and I’ve been enjoying writing. I’ve recently been writing about my abstinence from alcohol. It didn’t happen overnight, and I’m still early in my abstinence journey. I started trying in November of 2022.