bye 2 ☺︎ 2 3
Honest Summary of this year & revisiting some past issues of the Midweek Crisis | MC #66
Hi there,
Are you ready for the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and the end of the year? I am slowly processing the fact of them approaching. This year I would like to go through this period as balanced as possible, without straining myself too much, in tune with my needs, and respecting inner boundaries. And I wish you the same! 🙏
A while ago
from (one of my new favorites here on Substack), reminded me about the thing I did last year in the Bye, 2022 issue. Back then, inspired by ‘s 27 Wins for 2022, I decided to write a few of mine.Pointing out all mistakes, failures, and bad decisions feels easy, and comes naturally to me while recognizing victories is just the opposite of that. Thank goodness identifying achievements and writing them down is starting to get easier, comparing year to year. Most likely it’s because my approach has changed, and there’s much more openness in me to this whole process. As they say - the first time is the toughest, then you get over it.
For today’s playlist, I picked the 2 ☺︎ 2 3 Playlist where I’ve been gathering the most energetic and danceable songs since January till today. Go ahead and take a listen:
Okay, so without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Some of my 2023 Wins
1. I had a CRISIS with Midweek Crisis, but I haven’t quit writing here!
Instead of choosing the easy way of shutting it all down, I started experimenting with publishing schedules and different formats quite a few times. Sorry if it was annoying at some point and if any of you felt overwhelmed or confused by these changes 🙏
2. I’m still selling posters at thecode.xyz
It’s been almost 2 years since we started selling code-themed posters designed by me, together with my husband
, and friend Adam, who also sells cosmos-themed wall art at astrography.com. We’re a small, young studio based in Poland, and all these orders that keep coming from all over the world, warm words, and photos of our posters decorating customers' workspaces mean a lot to us. Huge thanks to who recently gave us a massive sales boost by adding theCode posters to his gift guide for Techies at 🙇♀️This year I also installed a scratch-off world map on my home office wall. And damn, I must admit, the tingling feeling I get in my stomach, when I’m peeling back the layer covering the new region, is incomparable.
3. I was on my first vacation abroad since the 2020 pandemic
It was a much-anticipated vacation. The first one in a long time that was planned in advance, and not spontaneously. Visiting Mauritius felt unreal. It was a trip for many first times - flew over 20 hours, experienced the tropical climate, traveled by speedboat, went under the waterfall, and swam with dolphins, turtles, stingrays, etc. Everything about Mauritius felt exotic, exciting, and worth immortalizing. Go ahead and catch up if you skipped it:
4. I got through anxiety relapse pretty smoothly
This year I struggled with some unpleasant mood swings and had one massive panic attack. I’m usually an energetic and bubbly person, but sometimes my Inner Dictator takes control and changes me into a skittish animal, and traps me in survival mode. This August I published some reflections on what I learned this Summer, which you can read here:
ICYMI: last year I shared my mental struggles story, and some useful ways to monitor moods, and recognize accumulated emotions. If you want to know more, go take a look at MC #38 - SELF CARE TIME
5. I managed to maintain the habit of working out in the morning for a period longer than 6 months
This year I tested out many different machines, like the concept2 RowErg machine, and the Precor Spinner® bike, and tried different free YouTube training programs made by YogaWithAdriene, MadFit, Breathe and Flow, and HybridCalisthenics. Also, working out in an outdoor gym for the first time felt great. These experiments helped me find the best way to build a habit of working out almost every morning. After these 6+ months, I feel stronger, leaner, and simply better in my body than ever before.
6. I returned to drawing and creating art for pleasure, not only for business purposes
I dusted off my Prismacolor pencils and Copic markers, grabbed my Micron Fineliners, bought new sketchbooks, rolled up my sleeves, and returned to one of my favorite all-consuming activities - drawing 🖍️. Releasing the One Song One Doodle issue series was a big deal to me. As a perfectionist, showing you something done quickly, half-baked, and often silly, was way out of my comfort zone. Breaking that barrier of shame felt truly empowering.
#1 - WORMS | #2 - RAIN DOGS | #3 - REINCARNATION | #4 - MAJOR
7. Finally, got finances in order, and got a well-shaped set of insurance
Feeling secure and prepared for the worst is something crucial to me and Tom. I’m very glad we did this. It really soothed our financial-based anxiety.
8. I attended the first open-air concert since the 2020 pandemic…
…and it felt truly awesome! Experiencing Tash Sultana’s concert in Warsaw this July soothed my hunger for music festival vibes. If you’re interested in how it’s been and get to know more about Tash, take a look at MC #52:
9. I managed to break the habit of drinking coffee every single day
I’m still a coffee lover, but I think my relationship with it has changed. Now I do not drink it because of addiction and necessity, but for pleasure, and to occasionally boost my energy levels. On days without coffee I no longer have deliriums, and tea, decaf, and herb infusions are enough.
10. I reached my goal of hitting 30 books in the Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge
I enjoyed reading most of them, but was truly amazed by these:
"The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer" by Steven Kotler (amazing personal-improvement book)
"Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee (heartbreaking historical fiction)
"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus (captivating historical fiction)
"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig (magical fiction)
“The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton (fascinating historical fiction)
There's also this exceptional book that I’ve just started reading this month - "A Liberated Mind - the essential guide to ACT" by Dr Steven C. Hayes. I haven’t reached the end yet, but I am already sure that it is a must-read for anyone interested in the subject of the psyche, the development of emotional intelligence, and improving the quality of life.
I sincerely encourage you to try this exercise yourself. Recognizing, admitting, and accepting your wins is an internally enriching experience. It’s quite time-consuming and certainly makes you feel cringy and vulnerable af, but it’s also confidence-boosting and refreshingly liberating!
Feel free to share your thoughts:
Have a great Wednesday!
Until next time,
Hey Stygi, long time no see! I’m slowly working my way through a backlog of unread Substacks and have guai made it here. Yay!
Sounds like 2023 was an awesome year for you! I’m so happy to have discovered your writing here. And I’m glad you were comfortable to experiment with your posting schedule and frequency. I’m certainly glad you stuck around with the writing or I might never have found you!
Thanks for sharing about mental health, it’s so important to talk about it so we can normalize discussions like we do for our physical health. I loved that self-care checklist!
Wishing you all the best for 2024!!
You bring such an important energy and joy to all of our lives through this newsletter, Stygi - it’s infectious. I echo everyone here when I say how much we love your work. As Jack mentioned, we all go through periods of adjustment, and it’s always okay to take a pause! Wishing you and Tomas a happy new year!