Bye, 2022

MC #43

Helllooo,

I hope this post finds you someplace comfy, feeling good, and a little festive.

This time, we have a couple of different lists to go through. But before we hop to this part, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here and reading the Midweek Crisis. There are over 250 of us here! 🤯 Each subscription, view, loving heart, and comment means a lot to me, and really motivates me to keep showing up and sharing good vibes with you ✨

I know that you have tons of choices when it comes to receiving newsletters, and I’m so grateful that you have chosen to stay with me. Your support allows me to keep sharing my passion for music, and I hope that Midweek Crisis has brought some joy, inspiration, and fun into your life.

As we enter 2023, I’m excited to continue bringing you the good vibes and can't wait to see what the future holds. Thank you again for your support. It means the world to me 🫶

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My Wins for 2022

Inspired by one of the recent posts by

Michael Estrin

from

Situation Normal

…

27 Wins for 2022

… I decided to sum up my wins for 2022, as well.

I tend to be much more enthusiastic and supportive when it comes to other people's achievements, often telling them how proud they should be of themselves. But when it comes to my own successes, I struggle to be as kind and complimentary to myself. It's tough for me to recognize and celebrate my own victories because I'm often very self-critical. Despite that, I'm going to take a moment to acknowledge some of my wins for 2022:

1. Together with my awesome Team, we opened theCode.xyz store with code-inspired posters of my design. We keep selling hundreds of them, sending packages to people all over the world, from Canada to New Zealand 🌐

2. Together with my husband Tomek, we moved out from the Warsaw city center to a much bigger flat in a greener and calmer city 🏡

3. I increased my average daily steps to ~ 9 thousand (mainly because there’s a huge, awesome park nearby our new apartment)

4. I earned Substack’s "Featured Publication 2022" badge for the AI-themed issue of the Midweek Crisis 🏆

5. I never skipped a single Midweek Crisis issue in over a year now 💪 (I know breaking this streak is inevitable, but still - it’s a big deal for me in the sense of self-discipline and commitment)

6. I was featured on Hashnode (a social network for software developers) for writing an article for blog.thecode.xyz about the Pareto Principle ✍️

7. I began a new habit with my husband Tom - every Tuesday is a Date Day for us, and we have to do something nice together, like going on a trip, visiting a new bar, eating something specially yummy, watching a movie, doing jigsaw puzzles, or Lego set, etc.

8. I let our adopted stray dog Gonzo run freely in a park for the first time since we got him. Literally every day for nearly 2 years, we have been training with him, fighting his fears and building up his self-esteem to make it happen 🐕

9. I was asked by my dear cousin Ela for being her Maid of Honor 🫶

10. I read over 25 books this year - I’m happy with it, even though I won’t achieve my goal of hitting 40 in Goodreads 2022 reading challenge 📚

How about you? What you’re most proud of this year?

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3 playlists for spicing up Christmas

If you celebrate Christmas, you may enjoy at least one of these 3 playlists:

1. The first one is a funky, jazzy and jolly mix, with songs from Al Green, James Brown, Khruangbin, Vince Guaraldi Trio, etc. - Listen to "Feels Like Christmas" Playlist on Spotify

2. Don’t Shoot Me Santa is a bit different Christmastime playlist, that I made last year, using all kinds of records from famous rock bands like The Kills, or The Lumineers, and such iconic artists like Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley or Otis Redding

3. And if you’re looking for the more traditional sounds, check out this playlist: Very Merry Christmas Mix which is filled with mostly old-but-gold sounds of Gene Autry, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, etc.

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Top 5 issues of the Midweek Crisis in 2022

I’d like to end today’s journey with a short selection of Midweek’s issues that were published this year.

1. The issue that I had the biggest fun writing was the one dedicated to dogs. As I’m a crazy dog person it had to happen eventually… 😅

Barking good dog -themed playlist 🐕

2. The most intimate one for me was the one focused on mental health and mental hygiene

SELF CARE TIME

3. The patriotic ones 🇵🇱 - selection of my current favorite polish artists, divided into two parts: Polish Gems - Part I and - Part II

Polish Gems - Part I

4. The most nostalgic issue happened unexpectedly this year when Spotify globally went down for a day. As it turned out, it was a very-needed learning experience for many of us.

time_capsule_unpacked.mp3

5. Last but not least and probably the most important issue this year was definitely the Ukraine-themed one. Sharing Ukrainian music with you felt special, and I’m deeply moved by many of you who reached out to me after publishing this post. Experiencing your kindness and willingness to help was priceless. It breaks my heart that this war still continues - it’s over 300 days of invasion now… 🇺🇦

Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

And what was your favorite? Let me know if you have one.

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Thanks for getting all the way here, and I hope it was a time worth spending with me.

I wish you all a happy and healthy festive season!

Have a great end of the year!

Yours,

Stygi

P.S. This time of year can be a real emotional rollercoaster. Remember that I’m here if you need a friend to chat with.