Looking Ahead

My life had been a total disaster up until now. I couldn’t take care of myself, and I was always distracted and hopeless. What sparked a powerful intention to change was the conflict in Palestine. I felt ashamed watching so many people die while I wasted my own life—one that was still rather fortunate compared to theirs. I decided I wanted to leave the US, since I viewed the country as responsible not just in Palestine but in the conflicts of Syria and Mesopotamia as well.

As events in the Middle East continued to unfold, I grew pessimistic and uninterested in the region. This was partly because I saw many other Arab people who didn’t mind as much, and because the sectarian conflicts seem endless. Ultimately, my intense concern for Palestine was a way for me to feel like I wasn’t an empty person. It was born of a lack of good health, and it had many antisocial aspects. You cannot truly care about others when you don’t even care about yourself. In the end, I decided to focus on my own problems first and foremost.

I skipped this semester of university initially in a panic, but quickly came to the conclusion that it was the right decision. Over the next 130 days, I will work on improving myself at a fast but reasonable pace.

In terms of health, my goal is to reduce my bodyweight to 180 pounds. This is quite ambitious, since at the moment I weigh 219. I know I will be able to reach at least 190, assuming life remains stable. The difference between 190 and 180 comes down to maintaining a daily caloric intake of 2000 versus 1700. Those 300 calories can be very difficult to cut because of macro targets, food availability, and lapses in willpower. Still, I will try my hardest, and I know that either way, I’ll end up looking reasonably slim by February.

I have chosen ten books to read, focused on improving concentration, habits, mindset, understanding of money, outlook on life, and social competence. The first book on the list is The One Thing. I have also committed to posting on this blog regularly, preferably every day.

If I can generate some form of income using the insights I gain from these books and the skills in technology I have and continue to build, that would be an ideal outcome. At this point, I do not know what such a business would look like. I don’t believe making large amounts of money is important in itself. I want to earn what I need to live the kind of life I aspire to—one that is healthy, minimalist, high quality, and beneficial to society as a whole.