Hello 2018
New Year, New You!
I kid, but it is January and most everyone is talking about resolutions and/or intentions for the new year. People are creating goals and visions and getting organized in hopes of making 2018 the best year ever.
Me? I have a hard time with New Year’s resolutions.
There is one part of me that loves the idea of reflecting on the past year and setting goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. It’s all very action plan like – and I like plans and checklists and lists in general. I know, shocking.
There is another part of me that doesn’t love the idea of New Year’s resolutions and goals. Often, what happens at the end of the year is that I’m overcome with a huge list of should-have-dones, which then results in an overly ambitious list of resolutions, often made on New Year’s Eve (ahem) and that haven’t been set intentionally. Resolutions feel like they are set in stone (even if just in my head) and don’t offer enough flexibility (for me) to account for a myriad of circumstances that may arise during the year.
Instead, for the past couple of years, I’ve chosen a word for the year. It’s served more as an intention, something to focus on and guide my actions.
This year, my word is Space. Weird, I know but hear me out. Last year, I didn’t create enough of a buffer zone for myself and I’ve found that I’m craving space to linger, to dive deep instead of skimming the surfacing, and to spend time on creative pursuits. I want to be more intentional in how I spend my time. Quality over quantity, right?
Do you set resolutions or goals? Pick a word of the year?
What I’ve Written
One of the reasons I was in Hawaii in December was to report on the sustainability initiatives at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The story about the unique partnership between Vans and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and how they are trying to reduce the environmental impact of the events is now up on GOOD.
Then there this piece about how you can be ambitious at work while holding on to your free time—a question that I ask myself all the time—and this one about how social media can actually help keep you motivated (Hello New Year’s resolutions). And if you’re stuck behind a desk all day, try these quick 5-minute workouts.
Olympic Fever
You guys, I can’t wait for the Olympics. Maybe it’s the spirit of the Games (minus the politics and controversies) or my idyllic memories of watching the games as a kid or maybe I’m just naive, but I'm excited.
And with the Pyeongchang Games around the corner (here’s the full schedule), there’s a lot of sporting news to keep track of. Like how Mikaela Shiffrin has started 2018 on a winning streak, how Maame Biney and Erin Jackson made history as the first Black women to make the U.S. Olympic speed skating team for short-track and long-track, respectively—and Jackson after just four months on the ice! And did you watch Nathan Chen’s performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships?
Growing up, the Winter Olympics were all about figure skating for me. I vividly remember watching the Battle of the Carmens between Debi Thomas and Katarina Witt in 1998, Kristi Yamaguchi win in 1992, and Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan duke it out in 1994. That's why this profile fascinated me. It digs into Tonya’s story, challenges she faced in the competitive skating world, and her reaction to the new movie I, Tonya.
But Kristi Yamaguchi was my favorite and still is. It wasn’t just that she won in Albertville. It was because she looked like me. Growing up Asian-American, there weren’t many role models to look up to. This piece from a couple of years ago articulates why seeing an Asian-American woman’s face on the TV screen was important for me.
What I’ve Been Reading
If you're a writer/journalist, you've probably know all about the controversy surrounding the recent rumors that Harper's was going to publish an article that outed the woman who created the "Shitty Men in Media" list, the anonymous, crowdsourced collection of allegations of sexual misconduct by men in media and publishing. Instead, the author of the list wrote her side of the story. It's a complicated story (aren't they all) and worth a read whether or not you're a writer or journalist.
Two of the best books I read last year were When Breath Becomes Air and The Bright Hour. Both were written by stunning writers during their final days battling cancer. This is an unexpected continuation of their story.
ProPublica has been reporting on the many confounding reasons why the U.S. has the highest rate of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth in the developed world. Take a moment to read that last part again. It’s crazy when you think about it since half of the deaths are preventable. In their latest piece, they look into how hospitals are failing black mothers. Even Serena Williams experienced her own ordeal after her daughter Olympia was born by emergency C-section.
For all you dreamers out there (me included!) who sometimes second-guess and doubt whether it’s worth it to purse your dream, read this.
Being injured sucks. Coming back from injury sucks. Rebuilding a healthy body is hard because you start to doubt, fear and distrust your own body, which sucks. Amelia Boone has been pretty open about the ups and downs she’s experienced, which is why I loved this post.
You’ve likely read this one from a pro runner who has battled comments about her body type and weight all her life and she’s here to say nah, weight has nothing to do with my running. And while we all know that body image isn’t something that just runner and triathletes battle, this pro cyclocross rider’s battle with disordered eating almost derailed her.
Nothing to see here except a really beautiful townhouse that author Jonathan Safran-Foer is trying to sell and that I wouldn’t mind owning. Anyone want to go halfsies?
What I’ve Been Watching and Listening to
Death, Sex & Money: This episode with Gabrielle Union. It’s from a live show in San Francisco and, in short, she’s fed up.
Longform: This episode with Zoe Chace, how the reporter and producer at This American Life got her start in radio and why she loves the medium so much. Plus, she spills some tips on how they develop This American Life stories.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: After a feeling so-so about the show after episode one, I ended up loving it and it’s gutsy, funny heroine Midge. And the show and actress won awards at the Golden Globes.
The Crown: I just started watching this series (yes, late to the game as usual) but it’s visually stunning so far.
And for something funny, the Mortified podcast doesn’t disappoints.
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