Well about 10 years ago I was an IV heroin addict for 6 months, ended up in prison. Lost everything - my successful masonry company, my house, truck, fiance (she overdosed and died) and spent 18 months in prison.

In prison I wanted to decide what I was going to do with my future - it was either keep using heroin and die (that was how I looked at it at the time, the dying part wasn't scary it was just the most likely outcome if I continued doing that); or address the mental health issues that lead to me ending up in that position in the first place. I decided to work on my mental health.

So I got out, got another masonry job and started taking the problems in my life seriously. I decided if I could just find some things about myself that are sub-optimal I could just take those things and very slowly work to optimize those things. I thought over time I would get compound interest on myself. Very small changes in behavior weekly/monthly towards a more positive way of existing turned out to be by-and-large relatively easy to make and as the years marched forward I've managed to get a return on the compounding interest.

So my ethos for 2020 will largely be the same as it was for 2019 - incremental self-improvement. The goals for 2020 most specifically are to continue recording my rock album. Reach a conversational level of Russian as I work towards fluency in 3 languages (I taught myself Spanish, now its Russian I'm working on). I volunteer 1-2 Sundays a month at a local needle exchange. Entities have told me I need to do more to help people so I've been putting in applications to volunteer at hospices, I imagine in 2020 I will be helping 2-4 days a month at hospices in addition to my volunteer work at the needle exchange. I am looking for a piano student (young/old whatever) that is interested in piano but can't play due to financial situations or w/e. I'm hopeful I can find my student and if needed I will purchase them an acceptable instrument to learn on. I will teach myself guitar this year and am about to order a custom Kiesel Vader.

Being able to do those things this year is a result of incremental self-improvement compounding over a decade. 10 years ago I was in a prison cell alone with my love dead. LSD and DMT helped my psychologically get over my PTSD but I really want to communicate to anyone reading this that no matter where you are in your life - poor, old, young, rich - there are things you can start to change slowly about yourself and as time marches on you will be in a position you never thought possible.

Good luck to all of you in 2020! Love your fellow humans. Help them if you can. Work to be the best you that you can.

Peace and love!

incredible story. everybody loves a comeback.
Personal growth is indeed a lifelong process, a journey, if you will..
And one only stops growing if one becomes set in his/her beliefs. There is always opportunity for learning new things, and unlearning old, misguided things.

this year, I'm going to be more frugal. I said I would be last year, but didn't follow through. I'm in a transitional period, and quit my job because the drive was too much; I made that drive for two years, and I've seen people come and go, because they were stressed out from the work. I actually didn't mind the work, I just need to advance my salary, and in most places, after two years, it will stagnate if you don't climb the corporate ladder.

this year, I'll continue to hone chemistry skills, and develop analytical assays that can differentiate between isomers. at home.