2024 Wrapped

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Here we are—2024 wrapped.

Another year where I set out to do it all: journal every day, crush my social anxiety, read more books, and finally break my YouTube addiction

(spoiler alert: none of those happened exactly as planned).

But hey, that’s life, right?

It’s not about hitting every goal. It’s about the little wins, the weird detours, and the things we learn along the way.

Here’s a glimpse into my year of grand ambitions, awkward progress, and lots of random moments that somehow still counted.

Journaling: The Great Intent vs. The Actual Reality

I wanted to journal this year. Like, really wanted to journal. But here’s the problem with me and journaling: It’s all vibes, no consistency.

I’d start the month with grand ambitions, thinking, “I’ll write every day! Document my growth! Create something my future self can cringe at in 2050!”

Then two weeks go by, and my journal stares at me like, “Hey, remember me?”

But! I have a new plan. 15 days a month. Half the time. Doable, right? (Spoiler alert: TBD.)

Ideas Are Ninja Ghosts

Ideas are the sneakiest little things. One moment, they’re floating around like butterflies. The next? Gone. Like they never existed.

So I started carrying a notebook around. Now, whenever an idea pops up, I trap it like an evil scientist. It’s fun to see how those random sparks evolve (or sometimes devolve into “What was I even thinking?”).

Small Victories Over Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is like this invisible monster that lives in my brain. But this year, I decided to poke it.

A little. Baby steps.

Did I become a networking guru? Nope.

But I did have a few conversations that didn’t end with me overanalyzing every word.

Progress!

Books I Read and Overthought

I haven’t been much of a reader in my life. For the past four years, I’ve read maybe one or two books a year. But this year, things changed — I managed to read about seven books.

Highlights:

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Read

This one completely flipped how I view history. It’s not just about dates and events but a sweeping narrative of how humans rose to dominate the planet. From the cognitive revolution to agriculture and beyond, it asks bold questions like whether farming was humanity’s biggest mistake. (I’m halfway through, so far)
Toilet Seat by Latha Read

This book is a game-changer. It approaches sex and sex education in a way that breaks all the taboos we’ve been fed our whole lives. The author flips the script and offers a woman’s perspective. In a country like India, where schools basically pretend sex doesn’t exist, this book sparks conversations we really need to be having.

It’s a wake-up call for everyone questioning the status quo. And for those in conservative societies who’ve been too uncomfortable to talk about sex openly with their partner.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Read

Kafka’s classic tale of an existential crisis on steroids. It’s that moment when you’re in your 20s, staring into the void, wondering if you even fit in anywhere. Kafka takes that feeling and magnifies it, making you question how society treats those who don’t follow the script.

If you've ever felt like you're just not measuring up or don’t belong, this one’s going to hit deep. I would suggest anyone to read this!
Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance Read

This book dives deep into the whirlwind life of Elon Musk, focusing on his relentless drive to build Tesla and SpaceX. It unpacks the challenges, the team building, and the high-risk decisions that led to his success.

If you’re fascinated by startups, innovation, or the idea of colonizing Mars, this one’s for you.
AI ennum Ezhlam Arivu(AI என்னும் ஏழாம் அறிவு) by Hariharasuthan Thangavelu Read

This book is like a two-part rollercoaster of history and tech. The first part, about the Enigma machine, is actually exciting—like fast-paced, spy-movie-level cool, blending in bits of World War II in a way that keeps you hooked.

The second part, diving into AI, was a bit like revisiting familiar territory for me (thanks, AI rabbit holes), but still, I picked up a few gems I didn’t know. It’s a solid mix of old-school intrigue and cutting-edge tech.
3 Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat Read

A real-life story of a young adult in Gujarat in 2000. It's a mix of ambition, friendship, and some serious tragedy. It’s a wild ride through his highs, lows, and the chaos of the Gujarat riots. The story walks you through three mistakes that almost pushed him to take his own life.
Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat Read

This fictional story explores the academic pressure cooker of IIT through the eyes of three students. It’s a candid and humorous take on navigating friendships, love, and the expectations of a high-stakes environment, with a few moments that feel a bit relatable for college students.

Each of these books brought something unique to my year, whether it was a new perspective, a deep question, or just a good story to get lost in.

Movies: Finally Watching Some

I’m not a movie buff, but this year, I finally sat down and watched some classics.

Django Unchained: Tarantino doing Tarantino things
Taxi Driver: The OG tale of “loneliness broke me”
Departed: Intense & Twisty
Good Will Hunting: Genius, trauma, and transformation
Perfect Days: Life’s unnoticed, quiet moments
Wild Robot: A robot learns what it means to live

Documentaries:

The Social Dilemma : Effects of Social media
The Internet’s Own Boy : A Programmer's fight for free information
Return to Space : The rise of SpaceX

The Social Dilemma features former tech insiders revealing how companies like Meta, Google, and X (formerly known as Twitter) use algorithms and psychological tactics to keep us hooked. It’s both eye-opening and unsettling, showing how our behavior is shaped without us even realizing it. The film dives into how algorithms prioritize engagement, feeding us content designed to keep us scrolling and clicking, often at the expense of our well-being.

YouTube

This year, I found some channels that actually felt worth watching Here’s a quick look at the ones that stood out:

Better Ideas - Self Improvement tips >>
bycloud - Latest AI Updates >>
James Jani - Entertaining Documentaries on various topics >>
Low Budget Stories - Entertaining stories >>

Breaking Bad (Habits)

Here’s a stat to make you gasp. I’ve spent 38 days this year [915 hours] on YouTube. That’s a month-plus of my life.

Poof! Gone!!

I know it’s a problem. I need to stop. But algorithms are so good at keeping me hooked. Breaking this habit is going to be like wrestling a bear, but I’ll get there. (Right after I watch “just one more” cat video.)

Digital Life: Where I Hide My Thoughts

A lot of people use Instagram as a digital diary, posting photos and videos of their lives, but I don’t think it’s the best fit for me. So, I’ve switched to Notion to document my life. I add photos, videos, captions, and tags, just like on Instagram.

The policies of Notion and Instagram have privacy concerns as of now (19 Dec 2024). If you're really serious about privacy, though, using something like Obsidian or storing everything on your own devices is the safest bet.

Final Thoughts: The Writing Dilemma

I don’t know how long I’ll keep writing these blogs. Life moves fast, and the way we write, read, and share our stories might look totally different in a few years. But for now? I’m glad I’m doing this.

Looking back, I didn't check every box, and I definitely didn’t become a productivity machine. But I did make progress. I read more books, got a little better at socializing, and learned that journaling is more about vibes than consistency.

Sure. I spent way too much time on YouTube (again), but at least I noticed it.

The days and years were not about perfection; it was about those small shifts, those awkward steps forward that eventually add up. So, here’s to another imperfect, messy, and hopefully better year ahead.

How’s your year been?

Tools Used:
ChatGPT 4O - assisted in writing
Mistral - Image generation
Canva - Image editing