As we stand on the cusp of a new year, it’s the perfect moment to embrace the power within us and navigate the uncharted waters of 2024 with intention and vigor. Goal-setting is a universal practice, but let’s elevate it by understanding the potential obstacles that may cross our paths. Today, I present you with a set of transformative questions to unravel the hurdles that may lie ahead.

Firstly, let’s commit to ruthless analysis—scrutinizing what’s working and what needs a revamp. We all share the tendency to juggle too many priorities, scattering our focus and diminishing the quality of our endeavors. The key lies in discerning the right things to work on, for our choices shape not only our tasks but our very essence.

Next, let’s architect our lives with purpose, drawing inspiration from the insightful Charlie Munger. Recognize your weaknesses and engineer your life to mitigate them. In doing so, we cultivate not only self-acceptance but also resilience—an indispensable trait on our journey.

Now, let’s talk about the power of association. Successful individuals meticulously curate their relationships, understanding that the people we surround ourselves with act as ‘lead dominoes,’ initiating a powerful chain reaction. Take stock of your connections, identifying those who uplift and energize, and gracefully release those who drain your positivity.

Lastly, let’s heed the wisdom of Isaac Newton—don’t wait for life to hand you what you think you deserve; instead, go out and make it happen. Newton’s law applies not only to physics but to the intricate dance of our lives. By taking initiative, we create a ripple effect, shaping our future with purpose and determination.

Here’s to a year of purposeful choices, self-discovery, and the unwavering pursuit of the life we envision. Remember, you have the power to architect your destiny; go out there, be your fabulous self, and make it happen!

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme

The holidays are messy. Families are messy. People are stressed and in perpetual pursuit of the recreated perfect memory that really was not but has become idealized. We do this to ourselves — did I spend too much or too little, debt, guilt, grief, depression, worry, frenzy, and then before we know it, the lights come down, the trash packed away, and the tree is packed away in the attic.

It does not have to be that way.

The first Christmas was a mess, too. In Bethlehem, a husband and very pregnant wife found no room at an inn. The mother had to give birth in a food trough and then spent the next several months entertaining random strangers swinging by to see her child. Many of us do not want people in our houses until everything is tidy, mopped, and dusted. Poor Mary was in a manger, then somewhere else, but definitely not her own home.

Christmas should be a simple season, but we complicate the mess. The messiness, however, will one day be made clean. Right now, however, we can do our small part of merely doing as Christ commanded — loving our neighbors. This holiday season, the perfect gift might be a smile and eye contact with some random person with an unknown burden who needs to see a friendly face. If you know of someone alone this holiday season, check in on them. Maybe invite them into your mess. Don’t clean up. Let them see you, too, live a messy life, not a perfectly curated social media life.

Do not burden yourselves with a quest for perfection this Christmas. Unburden yourself. The greatest gift was given the first Christmas. You can’t match it. Stop trying. But you can give the gift of kindness to others. In our crazy, messy world, that gift matters.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme