The 3 valuable life decisions I made in 2021

I read a quote last year that was along the lines of: you are where you are today because of the decisions you made a year ago. And the decisions you make today will determine where you are a year from now. I can’t find where I read or heard this – it may have been from an interview. But this quote resonated with me – a lot. And it has stuck with me. It’s made me more mindful of where my daily habits and decisions can take me months or years from now. The thought is both frightening and exciting. It’s also inspiring because I can pave the life I want by being intentional with my time and decisions. With this in mind, here are the 3 valuable life decisions that I made in 2021.

Life decision #1: Educational/Career decision

My highlight of 2021 was finally making the decision to apply to medical school. With just a few days to go before classes start, I couldn’t be happier. Every year that passed by after completing undergrad, I’d feel more embarrassed and ashamed for not having made any progress towards my goal. Or any goal for that matter. I couldn’t figure out what to do. While I knew going to the Caribbean was always an option, I was hesitant for many reasons. Having worked through many considerations, I was finally able to make a decision about my future career.

Now I know where to direct my time and efforts for the next few years. That decision alone helps me be more intentional with my time. This decision also brings me one step further in the journey to becoming a healthcare professional – that’s one aspect of who I want to be. I’m excited to see how much I learn and grow in 1 year because of this decision. And I hope at the end of the year, I’m just as happy about this decision as I am right now.

Life decision #2: Skill development decision

An unexpected but lovely side-effect of deciding to apply to medical school was having the idea to start this blog. The goal is to share my experience of studying in the Caribbean in order to help other students make an informed decision if they’re considering this route. This is a needed perspective since many Canadians do have to consider alternative paths because of how few medical school spots are available in Canada.

Having no prior experience, it’s been a challenge to create and launch this website. I still have a lot to learn but it’s been very satisfying being able to figure out many things on my own. That aspect alone has lent itself to skill development. While the primary intention is to help other students, this blog is also a way to help me improve my writing. Even if no one follows or reads these posts by the end of 2022, at least I’ll have 1 year’s worth of experience practicing my writing skills. One year’s worth of memories from medical school to reflect on. And maybe even some great material for a future book.

Life decision #3: Health improvement decision

An important goal I started working towards in 2021 was establishing a regular sleep schedule. In an effort to push myself in this goal, I’ve been learning as much as possible about sleep and how to optimize it. A great resource has been the Huberman Lab Podcast, hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman from Stanford University. I really enjoyed this episode from the podcast, although he touches on sleep in many other episodes as well.

If I can optimize my sleep, I can also optimize my learning. Instead of studying all day, perhaps I can do it more efficiently and have time for other activities. Beyond school, better sleep can improve overall health and allow me to optimize the quality of my life ahead. That requires long-term, sustainable habits and these baby steps from 2021 are intended for that. Hopefully, by the end of this year, I’m able to experience the benefits of a great sleep routine and thank myself for making the effort.

These are the 3 valuable life decisions I made last year. They’re long-term investments in myself with the hopes of getting closer to the type of person I want to be and the life I want to lead.

What investments have you made or are trying to make in yourself?

-M

Want updates on the latest posts? Email theislandmedonline@gmail.com or complete this form to join the email list today!