As year 2023 have ended, it is time to flashback to the year 2023 and review the resolution for the year. I started the year with determination to get back my usual self.
My life changed significantly when my mother was diagnosed with Cancer in 2020. My sole purpose of life was concentrated to the treatment of my mother. She left us at the beginning of 2022 after fighting cancer for two years. Losing my mother left my world upside down. I couldn’t concentrate on anything and it was very difficult to control my emotions.
Around the same time I switched my career to be a practicing accountant and started our firm Islam Hoque Hanif & Co., Chartered Accountants. During initial setup time, it required lots of time and effort to maintain firm administration as well as audit practice. In order to cope up with my grieving, I started to spend more time to my office. Throughout 2022, I worked hard to strengthen the firm, maintain compliance and improve audit quality. Almost everyday, I left the office at midnight. At some point it became inhuman practice and I lost my usual self. So I started the year 2023 with intention to reawaken myself and return to my active lifestyle. Although my life would not be the same again, but I believe I was able to get back most of my usual self.
In my New Year Resolution 2023, I listed 10 resolutions. Let me review them one by one.
Resolution 01: Read at least 1 book per month. That means minimum of 12 books in 2023.
Update:
Although I intended to read 12 books during the year, I extend the target to 15 sometime during the year. I was able to read completely 15 books throughout the year (3 of them done at December 2023). You can checkout the books name in My Reading List 2023. I love reading but lost this habit due to extreme busy lifestyle. Reading these books helped me to develop the reading habit once again. I intend to hold on to this habit.
Resolution 02: Write at least 1 blog per week. That means minimum of 52 blogs in 2023.
Update:
Throughout 2023, I wrote only 10 blogs. This very poor performance from my side. I used to write 3 to 4 blogs per week when I was university student. But now I can hardly manage time. Some time I don’t find any particular topic to write on. This was the case in last 3 or 4 years. I really want to improve in this area and continue writing. In 2024, I should make some focus on this.
Resolution 03: Have at least 2 International tours and and 3 Local tours. Of these local tours, one should be bicycle tour.
Update:
When I wrote this resolution, my intention was to visit two different country and 3 different part of the country. During 2023, I visited India twice. I believe it still counts as two international tour. As for the local tours, I visited my Native Village at Chandpur twice, In-law’s house at Chittagong couple of times and visited Alfadanga Upazila of Faridpur District. I visited Alfadanga while participating in my Rotary Club’s service project. This was a new place and a new district I have visited. So target for local tour somehow has been fulfilled.
As for the Cycle tour, I was able to go out for a Cycle tour within Dhaka city with my friends and colleagues. After several year’s of wish, I was able to fulfill it. We had a 5 hours cycle ride around Basila and Ati Bazar besides Mohammadpur, Dhaka. It was a very good tour. I didn’t know that natural beauty and village lifestyle can be experienced within Dhaka. I sincerely hope to make several out Cycle tour in future.
Resolution 04: Recite Holy Quran at least once a week.
Update:
This is another area where I failed miserably. I read Holy Quran several time but not regularly. At the last quarter of 2023, I bought a Bengali translation of Holy Quran to have better understanding. I couldn’t finish reading it but I surely intend to do it in 2024.
Resolution 05: Take control over financial management by re-structuring present investments and paying off obligations.
Update:
I believe I was successful in this area. I was able to payoff my credit card obligations. I was able to payoff small obligations. I was able to re-structure my investment portfolios. Although I was not able to make new investments but I was able to properly organize them.
Resolution 06: Be more concerned about own rights and take care of responsibilities.
Update:
As I explained earlier, I was more focused on my mother’s treatment during 2020-22 and let my rights and obligations slide. In 2023 I was tried to ensure I claim all my rights and perform all my financial and social obligations. I focused on getting what I deserve and while ensuring doing what I was expected to do.
Resolution 07: Be more accessible to my contacts, friends and family members. Will connect with all my relatives and have phone conversation at least once this year.
Update:
Throughout the year, I tried to remain in contact with my friends, family and professional networks. I regularly met with my friends and tried contact with my relatives and friends whom I couldn’t meet. But still I think I could do much better in this area. There were lots of cases when I received a call but were not able to attend it. I almost always failed to call back. Also there are several friends and relatives I couldn’t visit despite I wanted to or I promised to visit them. I intend to strengthen the family ties in 2024.
Resolution 08: Improve time management. Spending more time on professional and actual social works while spending less time on social media.
Update:
Time management! my arch nemesis. Although I complete the task on time in almost all cases but I am really bad at time management. Why? because I can’t do anything unless I am in extreme pressure. For example I need to get a task done in 7 days. Almost 100% cases, I don’t actually start the work during 7th morning. Rest of the time I spend on thinking that I need to get it done. I ensure task is done by 7th midnight. I believe I get things done on time (most of the time) not because of time management but my other skills.
Anyway! During the year I tried to improve time management and make time for professional and social contribution. I have attended many professional meetings at ICAB and ICMAB. I regularly participated in training programs arranged by these institutions. I had one “Question & Answer session” for Professional Accountant aspirants from North South University (NSU). In addition to these, I was actively involved with my Rotary Club and its projects.
Resolution 09: Increase dedication and time for fitness and self wellbeing.
Update:
I was underperformer in this area. I focused on “self wellbeing” by remaining mentally stress free. I tried to ensure 5 to 6 hour sleep per day avoiding late night work. I tried to spend more time with my family members. As for fitness, i was not regular in fitness related activities. I occasionally played Badminton with my colleagues. I also played Badminton in the morning with my sports club with regular interval. I intend to regularize morning exercise in 2024.
Resolution 10: Reduce pending tasks and objectives. Be more active and get things done on time.
Update:
This area I showed some improvement. First of all, I reduced unread email level in my office ID to less then 300 from 900. It’s not like I don’t read emails on time. I regularly check my emails and I know what the contents of each unread emails. All these emails represents a task that I need to perform. By the time i get them done, new emails starts to pile up. Nevertheless, everything gets done on time. As I explained earlier, I work better under pressure and get things done within deadline. Even after delay in commencing the task, I get things done. But I really want to improve timing in commencing a task. Instead of keeping for later, I want to jump on to action or execution right after a decision has been made or conclusion is drawn.
Although I have not achieved anything significant during the year 2023, I was really able to put myself back in the path that would lead to many more achievement in the future. Now the question is “How was 2023 for me?” My overall conclusion is “Alhamdulillah! it was satisfactory“.