Scrutinizing the first quarter

The first quarter of the year 2025 has come and gone, and reflecting on how it went, honestly it feels as though the time just flew by in a blink. For me personally, it's been a mix of emotions, just like a rollercoaster journey, but the negative seems to be more, from ambiguous unexpected hurdles to small but meaningful progress, leaving me in awe as to what the later part of the year has in store for me. Well, let's take a look into how this first quarter went for me.

I remember sitting myself down at the beginning of this year and having a mental breakdown over the lists of my plans I want to put in place before the year runs out, both here on the Hive Blockchain and in real life. I was keen on achieving them, just like I've done with previous years plans, despite some of them seeming too big, some simple, and the like. But I was positive that I'll align with these goals, and if I can stay focused, growth is certain in all the goals I laid down, from the personal ones to those that others related to things dear to me, such as financial stability, good health, and clarity on my life's journey in all ramifications, including marital, which is a topic I've avoided for years, but as life would have it, things didn't go as planned.

Despite starting the year on a positive note within my spirit, in reality the year started off on a rough note, and most of it revolves around the health challenges I carried from the previous year. It lingered for a longer period this year than I expected. There was even a time I was admitted to the hospital for weeks and later had to routinely visit the hospital for checkups. These literally made me slow down on most of my plans for the year, as it took a huge toll on me financially, having to spend almost two million naira on medical bills, treatment, and medication, not forgetting what I had to spend on abiding by the eating diet I was placed on.

I had to cut short my Hive Power goal for the year by performing a power down to cover the enormous bills left by my health challenges. Until I stopped powering down today, I had powered down at least 5000 Hive Power to cover these bills, which cut short my desire to attain 20k Hive Power by the end of this year. Other than that, I had to tighten up and become more intentional, even when it was hard to do.

Despite all of these, I've tried to adjust some of my goals by shifting timelines, restrategizing some plans, and overall being fine even if at the end I'm unable to tick all the boxes. I've come to learn and understand that progress isn't always loud and dramatic like some might believe it to be; progress sometimes can be as simple as holding up, showing up, and choosing hope day by day. After all, my days of wishing to end it all have passed by as I'm riding on the wind of renewed hope (not like President Tinubu's own, though).

On the positive side, I've achieved some of my goals, like purchasing a landed property this year and always making plans to start building on it. I remember a few years ago I had to sell the one I had to fund the medical bills of my then bedridden brother, so having to finally get another here where I reside is a big win and a tick amongst my laid-down plans for the year. Also, another part I can say is a positive is my love affairs. Yes, after years of running away from anything that has to do with love, I've finally summoned the courage to give it a try again, and who knows, something interesting might happen in the coming months or year.

Overall, I'm grateful for how far I've come, and I'm hoping for the best as we've stepped into the second quarter, hoping that the lessons from the first will help me on my journey. Still, I'm flexible enough to learn more things and replan goals depending on what happens along the line. I understand that my life may not be perfect, but I know I still have time, space, and hope to make the rest of the year the very best of my life.

All photos are mine.