Revisiting the Jan-1 Resolutions

July is over and it means, more than half of the year is gone. Here’s what I stacked on my plate at the beginning of this year:

This screenshot does not depict the Resolutions in their initial form as with every task that is done for the first time, I also did many edits in it. So I can fulfill “all the resolutions” by the end of year. For example, the task to “Read 10 books” in this image was originally to “Read 30 books”. So … yeah. Interestingly, I have read only 2 books till now! But if you count the audio books that I have listened to, then I am sure I can reach the original target of 30 easily.

This year till now, I made some observations about myself that were:

• I am more prone to overworking than under-working. To the extent that at times, I tried to do 12 hours of work everyday and as a result, fucked up that whole week while wondering “Why am I feeling so irritable; Why can’t I follow my schedule!?”. It turned out that the mere thought of 12 hours of work and 5 hours of sleep makes Awais a really dull boy, right from the morning. So I have now resorted to 10 hours of working and if I want to, I can do extra. Realizing the importance of sleep (which was/is really difficult to accept sometimes), I now sleep 7 hours in 24 hours.

• Religion is true. Allah is real. Is he fair or not is a question that I have been pondering on and off over this whole year. Educated Molvis do affirm the belief that he is fair, just that we humans can’t comprehend his level of justice. We are too mortal. At a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep level, I agree with them. I know Allah is real and fair too. But I am too afraid to admit this because if I do, I’ll have to pray 5 times and do Islamic obligations. Alternatively, I try to help myself, and the people that I am with now. And doing the party work, I am serving a greater cause, which ironically happens to be so great that I might not even see the end of it. Party path does give me a way to get out too and de-stress by criticizing rich smugs whenever I want with the fortnightly classes of Party students. (Allah doesn’t approve criticism on hims … or so have his thekedars made us believe. Allah doesn’t criticise his thekedar’s ill-managed J-dots and MTJs though. Interesting!). I am clear that I have company when I ask of collectively helping the poor, fighting the rich and overturning the system of collecting and hoarding unequal distribution of wealth made from naturally, equally distributed resources. But none, not even my own belief accompanies me to the full when I am in sujood. I wish if Allah is as loving and caring as I believe him to be, to overlook my criticism on his thekedars and instead reward me and other party members for an effort to help Pakistani working class despite having our own lives, just like everyone else. I wish this sacrifice doesn’t goes to waste. Anyways, my views on religion do keep changing as new information is excavated. Please don’t judge me on the basis of my religion. Else is fine.

• I am punctual as hell. This I noticed on several occasions and no matter what the event maybe, who the boss might be, I am there pinpoint at time. And I note people who come late. It’s not like I judge them at the first meeting, never, but just keep in mind who “prioritizes their time” and who doesn’t. That’s it. If someone comes late regularly, out. People who waste time, even really close people, I try to register my notice of them coming late with a piece of advice or a look on the watch. 1/3rd of my life is gone in ignorance. I can’t waste it anymore.

Now for the original resolutions and the changes in them.

​Original Resolution	​Resolution by 21st July 2022	Basic Remarks	Extended Remarks
​Read 30 books	Read 10 books	Read 2 books in 7 months, Listened 2 books in 7 days.	​Continuing audio-books for now.
Proper Body Building (Gym, Dieting etc)	Be able to do 30 Push-ups perfectly	Can do 6-8 for now.	Started these Push-ups in June after discovering that I can’t afford a diet living in hostel. Also started cardio and Basketball then, daily.
Post at-least 40 Blog Posts	N/A	Done ~25 for now.	EasyPeasy 40 will be done
1000+ subs on YouTube channel	N/A	Minimal effort done.	Going to abandon it for the next year. I have an idea but for it to work, I need to focus on my Social-Media this year.
Start a side business	N/A	Stall was pretty profitable. Zero effort done to make it into a regular business yet.	After hudistic and CottonCandyCartist ventures, I just don’t feel having the energy left to start another business with low starting budget. Abandoning it until graduation.
Do at least two internships	N/A	Done	N/A
Give at least one interview for a job	N/A	Interview given, along with 3 months of job at PRIME.	PRIME is awesome. I am going to leave it so I can continue working on my academics and FYP. I wish I could have worked there more, and being a loud critic of corporate culture, this is some praise coming out of my mouth!
N/A	Programming	25% lessons completed in the Foundations part of The Odin Project.	It’s a passion .. web development. This is what I learnt from job as well. I really like making websites and to do them more efficiently, I am learning how to code.
No Relationship	N/A	Failed miserably, In 2nd relationship of 2022 now.	Sahb, Dil hi to he, Sadgi se khoobsurti pe a jata he!

This is it. I will revisit this table every month as I write the lessons for the next months now. Goodbye.