I feel almost guilty for saying this, but 2022 was the year I discovered many, many things that changed my life for the better. Particularly, for my mental health.

First, about the disasters:

A year when bad news just keeps getting badder

War in Ukraine. Sinking economy. The din just kept getting worse, and is still getting worse. Financial pundits, real and fake, are screaming that 2023 is the YeAr WHeRe THinGs Get WOrSe cos REsseCion! It’s tough to maintain mental health in this whirlwind of bad news. Then the most contentious general election in Malaysian history, which I wrote in my Substack issue, Lord Help Me, It’s Election Time. Then a complete U-turn where Anwar Ibrahim is PM10 after decades of trying.

Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister. Will he last? People actually wept when this happened. I couldn’t blame them. As I watch his swearing in on that fateful day, I couldn’t believe what was happening. I still don’t. I’ll savour it while I can.

Meanwhile the world has not burned down in a nuclear war. Onwards to 2023?

My head hurts, y’all.

Twitter becomes hellfire

Which leads me to this. I am very online for a Malaysian, which is why I was exposed to the toxicity of Twitter more than most, especially during GE15. And which is why I announced to the world why I’m quitting Twitter.

I discover Mastodon and the Fediverse

But thanks to Elon Musk’s determination to turn Twitter into a money-making, alt-right Nazi hellhole, I discovered the Fediverse, namely Mastodon! One day (January 2023, probably), I’ll have to write about why Mastodon is probably the healthier social media, but I am so happy there right now, and I hope you’ll consider moving from corporate-owned social media to join me in the Fedivers.

It’s bloody messy there, and it’s decentralised so no entity owns the whole thing, but that’s why I love it. It’s what I needed after years of bitter complaining against Google and Social media.

Knuckling down on Substack

Fed up of SEO’s dominance, I decided to pivot at my Substack. I’ve written about the potential of Substack before, but I’m still going to maintain my website, and I’m going to use Substack’s audience building powers to build my mailing list.

This is all about control, even if Substack gives me illusory control. At least the mailing list I build can be ported over to a new email delivery system when the inevitable time comes and Substack gives in to VC pressures and screws its users over for profit.

Read: Twitter Meltdown part 2: Don’t fall in love with a platform

A good home is a powerful thing

For years I lived in an apartment infested with roaches and a noisy neighbour whose kids screamed constantly because it made sense economically.

But now, I’ve moved out to an apartment on top of a hill. Lockdown taught me that I needed the outdoors. My new apartment has two balconies. One of which overlooks the hills. I use them as a place to dine, have my coffee or read books. I’m surrounded by lush greenery. People in my neighbourhood actually say hi to each other during walks. I’m walking/biking/lrt distance from every service imaginable, even the hospital. A lot of times I don’t even leave my neighbourhood for weeks! That’s how much I love this place.

A leap into technical writing

What do you do when you get a rare offer from a company that you’ve been watching admiringly for years? I didn’t think I had much of a chance, but here I am, a technical writer. What is it like to change my career in my mid-40s? A little scary. (No shit, it is fucking scary!) However, I feel as if I’ve reached a point where my values are now comfortably in alignment with my job. It’s a terribly privileged thing to say, but a wonderful place to be.

Read: Oct 2022: I’m now a tech writer

Invested money into the market

From years and years of inertia, I finally have a monthly investment plan. I mostly ditched Robo Advisors and became a straight-up direct investor, investing via stock brokers. I would say that my investment portfolio ballooned 2x in 2022. I’ve gone from investing mostly in Malaysian stocks to diversifying my investments to … the world.

Read: My Rocky Adventures in Investing and The Roboadvisor series

So onwards to 2023. I’ll repeat what I said last year.

2023 — please don’t hurt us.