You can feel the autumn breeze in the air already.
The change from summer to autumn is always a very dynamic time. There's a burst of energy from panicking due to the encroaching winter and from recognizing that daylight is shortening. After all, this is the harvest season. Still, despite all this activity, there is plenty of time for calm introspection, as the cool air forces people indoors - or at least to bundle up when exploring the outdoors or watching the leaves change. Plus, this is usually a time when people get sick (due to the changing weather). At least, I already got my seasonal cold :)
Ehh, I'm just dawdling from my main point - the new year. For me, the coming month will have several "New Years". There is the new school year to prepare for as a teacher. The school year also marks my return as a student. And religiously speaking, there is Rosh Hashanah.
Honestly, it is the new school year as a returning teacher that leaves me most anxious, despite having done this for six semesters already. I am aware that I can only trust myself to remain calm, to treat students respectfully, to be patient and to present the material to the best of my ability. Yet, I still can't help but feel that I fail my students. Maybe it is unreasonable to expect solid confidence given the limits of my experience.
There are plenty of people that miss being a student, which is interesting. Though I like the feeling of successfully learning a new skill, I am an utter brat when a task becomes too difficult. I do not handle challenges very well. And so, I reserve the greatest respect for people who have the wonderful approach of taking a setback in stride. Still, school is a means to switch careers, and my teaching experiences will hopefully keep me motivated :)
Spiritually speaking....I am not religious at all, yet slightly brainwashed. And so, my only concern is working towards honoring the first mitvah. Blegh.
I suppose the theme of my New Year is success. I can see how I cautiously try to make strides towards "doing the right thing" or "doing what is good for me", yet I feel that more drastic manoeuvres are required to achieve success or really improve my way of living.
1) Investing
I recently invested in some bonds and in Vanguard Index funds as per Mr.Money Moustache's recommendation. Yet, I have not taken the risky plunge of buying an apartment (and getting a mortgage).
2) Honing Skills
I had starting learning about app-making (via Udemy - Learn by Doing Android for Beginners) but got stuck on Lesson 14.
So...yeah, progress, but not quite anything to show off.
