Did someone say "New Year's Resolutions"? 👹🍣🎎 My Japan

We are already in the second half of January and we are now slowly getting into the swing of this still rather new year. The holidays seem like a long time ago now, as we are all quite busy again. In addition to our already hectic everyday lives, many of us ares still working on their small and big resolutions we made for this year.

I've also set myself a few goals, and I am still optimistic that I will be able to make 2026 a successful year.

More sport and more exercise!

Last year, I set myself the initial goal of doing one hundred push-ups every day for one hundred days. I actually managed to complete this first challenge, although I then unfortunately suffered from some pain in my left upper arm. And that was my excuse for letting the whole thing slide again.

Well, luckily, I don't just sit at work, but actually stand and walk around a lot. And that has had a positive effect on my back, which used to cause me problems in the past. And when the weather is good, we often go outside, so at least I get some exercise.

But that's still not enough, and I want to change that again. So at the moment, I'm treating myself to a round of morning exercises, which I hope to turn into a regular routine. I usually skip the push-ups, as there are a few other exercises I can do to get going in the morning.

And when the weather gets a little nicer again, I'll be back outside. I'm already looking forward to our trips and hikes and, above all, to jumping into the sea again in summer and doing a little swimming. Admittedly, it will all take a little while, but some anticipation is always helpful.

Less smartphone and less news

Well, the idea of less news is nothing new to me, and I have always done a little news detox before. I am generally very interested in finding out what is happening around the world, and if possible, I also want to know why.

But I also have to admit that there is unfortunately hardly any good news to read, and that I often find it difficult to switch off in the evening. And how good it can be to just leave the world to its own devices and not worry about what's going on. Blessed are the ignorant, for they don't have to deal with all the misery and hardship that is happening around them.

And that's precisely why I want to treat myself to a news blackout every now and then, which should include putting my smartphone away. Fortunately, I'm not that into video games anyway, so it's mainly about surfing the internet. Sure you can do that on a PC too, but our smartphone is usually quicker to hand.

I'd rather read a book every now and then. I have a few books in my pile that I'd like to open again. And we also have a lot of children's books at home that are just waiting to be read aloud. That would keep me quite busy and, above all, I'd have a very grateful audience. And ultimately, it's much more fun, which should be reason enough.

Improving my Japanese

This is a rather complex topic, but I would like to address it nonetheless. I actually get along quite well in Japan, even though from time to time I do need some help. Although I have been living in the Land of the Rising Sun for some time now, I unfortunately still have great difficulty reading Japanese characters. I know that many foreigners in Japan feel the same way, but that doesn't really reassure or relieve me.

There are many reasons for my lack of reading skills and also for the fact that my Japanese still has quite some room for improvement. First and foremost I have to face up to my own shortcomings and blame myself. There was always something else that was more important, and that's exactly why I am where I am now.

But luckily, I can work on that, and that's exactly what I've decided to do. I haven't put it all into a proper plan yet, but at least I know that I need to focus on kanji. These pesky characters, of which there are so many, are the key to reading and writing, and there's no way around them.

Fortunately, I don't have to start from scratch, and actually, learning Japanese is a lot of fun. And although I have the same excuse everyone else has, namely not having enough time, I would like to make some progress again this year. I'll probably have to start slowly and develop a little routine first. And who knows, maybe I'll manage to improve a little over the course of the year... ..

Spend more time with my family!

This resolution is actually at the top of my list, as I simply feel best when I'm with my small team. Fortunately, last year we had many opportunities to spend time together, and that is where I want to continue this year.

Unfortunately, the little ones are getting bigger and bigger and have more and more to do themselves. But that's why I have to seize every opportunity when we can do something together again.

Being together, playing together, learning together — there are so many things we want to do. And when the weather improves again, we'll also be able to go outside together again. The parks and playgrounds in our region are already calling us, and I'm probably not the only one looking forward to the beach. Even in winter, we already had a few opportunities to have fun outside in the snow.

And hopefully, tomorrow will be just like that. Although family life can be a little stressful at times, the joy and fun far outweigh any difficulties. And that's exactly why I'm looking forward to all the adventures, big and small, that we'll encounter this year. Together with my wonderful team, this year can only be great, and even if we encounter a few hurdles along the way, together we'll easily overcome them....

Well then, let's get started. The year is still young and we should still be motivated. Let's see who will be the first to report a few small or even big successes.