The year 2023 has ended, and it\u2019s time to do status. I wanted to prioritize my health, which went well for the first three to four months, but then I returned to my old habits. In pursuing new habits, I have learned a lot about myself, and my own worst enemy is my \u2018all or nothing\u2019 mentality. If I fall off the wagon one day, my first thought is that I\u2019m unable to complete anything, and then I could just as well stop trying to complete all new habits. And that thought couldn\u2019t be more wrong. I suffer from migraines, so there will always be days when I can\u2019t complete a habit. How do I handle that? At some point, I heard someone say that you must aim to be mediocre, which is tough because I\u2019m a perfectionist. But it makes sense. Therefore, I\u2019ve spent the last couple of months lowering my goals so that I can complete them - even when I have a migraine or have a day where I don\u2019t want to do anything. I\u2019m looking forward to completing most of my goals in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 was the year when I received online saxophone lessons from a professional saxophone player. He got me to improvise, which I hadn\u2019t thought was possible. He also taught me how to play without sheet music and that I can transcribe soli. It was so inspiring that I look forward to more lessons in 2024 and hopefully take a step closer to improvising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 was also the year where I got more than one hint that I\u2019m getting old. First of all, I now need reading glasses. Second of all, there are several signs that I\u2019m in menopause. The last thing has an impact on my migraines, so I\u2019ve spent months trying to listen to my body to be able to differentiate between a typical migraine and a migraine influenced by menopause hormonal fluctuations. It has been difficult, and I\u2019ve spent several days on the couch or in bed. I\u2019m still working on it, but I\u2019ve become better at deciphering which medication to take, so I\u2019ve had more good days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, I want to focus on my health; this year, I\u2019m better equipped to reach my goals. This year, I also want to focus on my musical skills. Of course, I want to continue playing with backing tracks, but I also want to focus on getting a better tone on the saxophone. I want to play more music by ear and aim to learn a new tune each month. Hopefully, that will also help me be better at improvising.\nI\u2019m looking forward to 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n