As part of my plans for Q1 of 2022, is to better myself and be healthier. Not only work on the lack of exercise but also be more mindful of what I eat, but even more so, what I drink. I need to cut back on my alcohol, specially beer. So, as a way to shock my, I don’t know, my body out off the habit, starting today, I’m going a full month (ish) without alcohol. I want to see how this goes and the effects of it.

Since today’s the third of the month, I’ll extend it to the third of February (I cheated this past weekend 🙈😅). Or maybe even further, who knows.

This is the plan, I do hope I can stick with it.

Everyone should blog — Ben Werdmüller

A blog is just a journal: a web log of what you’re thinking and doing. You can keep a log about anything you like; it doesn’t have to be professional or money-making. In fact, in my opinion, the best blogs are personal. There’s no such thing as writing too much: your voice is important, your perspective is different, and you should put it out there.

A hundred times, yes!

This is probably an every “New-Year” thing, but there are three main areas where I want to really focus on this year. Well, let’s make it a short-term thing, Q1 JANUARY-MARCH

Health

I need to get back in track. I am a lesser version of myself. I feel lazy, fat and very unhealthy — very. I got to commit, forget the cheap excuses, show up and put on the work. I want to get back on running, or get into biking. I would love to get a rower, I much rather bike or row than run, for some reason.

Discipline

Better commitment to me, to my family and work. I feel like last year I was winging it a lot, without a clear path or focus.

Mental health

I believe that if I can really commit and work in the two areas listed above, my mental health shall improve, all these areas go hand in hand.

Will make sure to keep track of any changes, log them, journal them. If it’s not documented, it’s as if it didn’t happen, I need to see the progress or lack thereof. I’m sure any systems to accomplish any of these goals will change, but as long as I stick to the original plan, I guess it won’t matter. Although, having a consistent system would be the best approach.

I came across this shortcut created by Nash, he calls it ’Time Tracker”,

Time Tracker is a shortcut I built (here’s a link to it). I’ve been using it the last few days, and I’m loving it so far. I press the app icon I’ve built, or the button on my watch, and write out whatever it is I’m currently doing or thinking about. It then gets logged into Fantastical as an event with the specific time that I logged it. This will help me see where my time is going, and also help me refer back to for writing prompts.

I found it very intriguing, it would serve as a quick way to log things and perhaps use them for. Weekly reviews and post them to my blog and journal/document my progress in these areas.

Moreover, I am rethinking the way I use task managers. I want to use Things 3, and rather than just tasks like I have always used it for, perhaps I can also use it for tracking habits. I am still working on this one, more on that later. I feel like if I stick to it, it might help to stay focused and disciplined.

Well, this is the plan, so far, at least for the next few months. We will reassess in three months. Oh, I’ve just remembered, I need to get my passport.

A post of my 2021 faves.

Best Console Game

I might be biased on this one since I am probably still with the Honey Moon period, sort to say.

Ghost of  Tsushima Director's Cut

I picked it as my game of the year in both 2020 and now in 2021. This time I played it on the PlayStation 5 and it's such an awesome and beautiful game and the game truly shines on this console.

An Honorable Mention has to be Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Best Nintendo Switch Game

Metroid Dread

This was a game I knew I wanted to play but wasn't sure how it was going to land for me. I gotta say, I had a great time with it. The action is incredible and fluid, the graphics are awesome, and it's tough. Not to the point of utter frustration but, don't expect to walk into a Boss fight and get it on the first try. 

Honorable Mention goes to Ender Lillies

This game is beautiful in a spooky way. This one is particularly tough as well, this one follows trends of games like Dark Souls, so patience is a virtue here. I had to rethink the way I play platformers 

Album of the Year

It is kind of hard to pick an album of the year since I listen to so much music these days. But one particular album that, to me, was a very interesting find and fell in love with was,

  Axiom Verge 2 (Original Soundtrack)  

I am a sucker for video-game soundtracks, and this, in particular, got played over and over for weeks.

Honorable Mention,

Not an album but a single, abcdefu by GAYLE , this is not just a song, it's a mood

Movie of the Year

No Time to Die (2021)

I am a huge Bond fan, and more so of Daniel Graig's Bond, he is my Bond.

Honorable Mentions

• Encanto (2021)
• Luca
• Dune (2021)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
• The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
• Cruella (2021

Piece of tech

The PlayStation 5

I don't own the newest Xbox console, so by default, the PS5 wins. But as a piece of tech overall, Probably the best purchase I have made this year.

Honorable Mention,

The iPhone 12 Mini

Arguably the best phone I have ever owned. This coming March I will be eligible for an upgrade, and going for the iPhone 13 mini.

Book of The Year

I did not read (or rather listen) too many books as I would have liked, this year. But one that I really enjoyed was,

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

I felt like I was at a bar with the guy, listening to awesome and funny stories. Definitely worth the read or listen.

Honorable Mention,

The Sandman: Act II by Neil Gaiman

I enjoyed the first act and even more so the second. Very much looking forward to the Netflix series of the Sandman.

I also need to mention Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman, such a great story

All things considered, this year was not half-bad. Yeah, a lot of stressful, frustrating, and infuriating things happened this year, which will not be listed here. Here, is for the things that bring me joy.

Happy 2022!

Due to all these weather shenanigans, we have been advised (at work) to come in at 9am and leave by 3:30pm or earlier. At least for tomorrow (Thursday). I could just work from home, where’s safe. Unfortunately though, I have samples to sample that cannot wait a few more days.

The internet Twitter, always ruins things.

I think last year (2020) my pick for Game of the Year was Ghost of Tsushima on the PlayStation 4. Probably the best game of that console’s generation.

This year (2021) I didn’t play much console AAA games, this was mostly a Nintendo Switch year. Except for at the beginning of the year, in which I played the heck out of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, a little over 140 hours of it.

Sometime this gear I traded all my current consoles and games, in hope of getting a PlayStation 5, which I did get sometime in November. With it, I got Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. Even though I had played GoT like 4 times already, I knew I wanted to play it again but on the PS5. I wanted to see this already beautiful and gorgeous game on the new generation console. Plus, I knew that with the Director’s Cut edition, there would be more content.

This is the game I have been playing since late November. So far, I have got somewhere around 99 hours into it. The biggest take ways this time around are just not the graphics and the game’s performance but the additional content of the Iki Island expansion.

You unlock Iki Island at the beginning of Act II (the main game has 3 acts). It begins when Jin discovers a village suffering from a mysterious mental affliction. Then you learn about another Mongol clan led by a shaman named Anshar Khatoun, known by her followers as The Eagle. It also happens that on this island this, It’s where Jin watched his father die. I was very intrigued to know more about this part of the Sakai clan’s story. The island is pretty tough, in a way, I didn’t even start it until I was pretty much done with Act III. I wanted to make sure I was well-prepared for it, just in case. The mongols here are bigger and much more powerful than the ones in Tsushima island. Then you also have the Shamans, these are beings that do this Mongolian throat singing, or Tuvan throat singing. Which gives the other soldiers some extra, almost super-natural protection. And, if you want to kick ass, you’d need to tackle these shamans first.

Iki island is not just a 2 to 3 hours expansion, it feels like a whole other game. You gain more abilities and techniques, which is cool. I have already finished the main storyline, and the main storyline for Iki island.

Last night, I started a New Game + play through. I want to replay this game all super-powered up and take on Iki Island in Act II instead. This play through should go shorter in a way, as I can skip all cutscenes, but will do more exploring, and complete certain challenges, and Platinum this game — again.

Because of the new and improved experience of the game, Ghost of Tsushima, once again, get my peak for Game of The Year, in 2021.