What better time to update my blog than the last day of the year? Allow me to reflect on the last 12 months to see if I accomplished anything of worth.
Yoga
I started 2023 with the intention of doing yoga every damn day. I lasted until early summer and then focused solely on doing the splits. I was making great progress until I pushed a little too far and injured myself in mid-December.
In 2024, I’ll start the year with a 30-day yoga challenge and then get back to working on my splits, despite the naysayers in my family telling me I’m bonkers and will never do it.
Minimalism
I failed badly when it comes to buying less and reducing what I already have. I overspent, filled my closets with things I swore would “spark joy”, and am burdened with new (and old) subscription services I convinced myself I need. I must do better in 2024.
Real Work
My English school remarkably survived through the new school year in April, though I can’t see that lasting. We have too many students around the secondary school age and not so many younger ones. The older kids are certain to leave in 2024 and won’t be replaced. That’s why I need to double my efforts with my…
Online Work
It’s been 18 months since I got monetized on YouTube, and I was sure I could earn more money by teaching English on YouTube than teaching online lessons with DMM Eikaiwa. On the one hand, it worked. By November I had over 7,000 subscribers and earned over 70,000 yen (500 USD) in that month alone. Unfortunately, my strategy was to target Japanese exam-takers and while they come in droves before a big test, the rest of the time they ignore my videos. I typically earn 5,000 yen (35 USD) in the many months when there are no exams.
In 2024, I’m shifting my focus to a global audience, focusing on speaking “Fluent English through News and Stories”, with the intention of getting people to actually like me, not just my videos. With so much competition on social media, the best way to be unique is to be yourself. And hopefully my *fans* will buy my ebooks, courses and maybe… pay for 1-to-1 tuition. Yes, full circle, I know. Lol.
Friendships
I parted ways with my old net buddy Mike… over politics. It’s certainly interesting how so many families and friendships are torn apart because of differing viewpoints. My mum lost a decades-old friend in Australia because she didn’t agree with her stance on vaccinations, and another long-term friend in the U.S. who strongly supported Donald Trump. In my case, Mike and I picked different teams to root for in a war. It seems silly to end a friendship over something that neither person has any actual involvement in, but I guess it boils down to realizing a person’s core values are so dramatically opposed to your own.
In 2024, I might try to reconnect with Mike. I did save an image to my phone of a product called “Happy Nuts”, a “comfort cream for men”, which I was going to send him for Christmas, but I’ll save that for a less politically turbulent time.
Family
My son started high school and joined the brass band. He plays the tuba, an absolutely enormous instrument that dwarfs him. He’s the only person in the band who has to sit down to play. I’m so proud of him, though, He worked so hard to get into that school, and is constantly studying when he’s at home. You know what he wanted for Christmas? A better office chair and a 600-page maths textbook.
In 2024, my brother will be coming to see us in Japan for the first time since 2000. He’s lucky that the exchange rates have swung in his favor. He better treat us to dinner while he’s here! :p
Happy New Year
If you’ve read this far, then I sincerely thank you and wish you a happy and successful New Year.
Nick
If you like, you can find me on Twitter at @nick_ramsay. I'd love to hear from you!
Don’t mention the Gems 😛
I’d forgotten it already! 😀
I’m still your friend even if we have different views on politics. Like you say, we have no control over what happens to either side.. so ultimately, who cares? Also, it’s good to have friends with different views because then there’s a chance we’ll learn something… and even if we don’t change our views, so what??? Why lose a friendship over that???