What went wrong?

1. When taking a shower, the heater broke down and a stream of boiling hot water hit me in my belly, causing first and second-degree burns. I still have the scar and it seems it will stay with me

2. In my latest MMA fight, I experienced what it is to fight on autopilot. I did nothing and felt like I let everyone down

3. At ADCC Southeast Asia I decided not to cut to -60kg and had to enter at -75kg, which turned out quite funny (and I got silver)

4. This year I decided to give Twitter a go. Well, RIP Twitter. RIP X... next idea?

5. Next idea: I decided to have my blog on Medium because the readers are there. There are, however not MY readers and after several months I moved my blog to my own website

6. Living in a villa! What a dream! Since finding a house with my dog was really difficult, I had to take the cheapest and closest possible option. It turned out to be a villa with a pool, where I lived for a year with my dog Taco. Before us, a family lived there. However great it sounds, I never felt at home there as it was too big for us and funny enough, too luxurious. Now we live in a Thai house, much smaller and much more cozy

7. I finally started to stop pleasing people and found my voice. I lost some of my close friends. And discovered dear friends at places where I did not expect them

8. Every time I visit home, the Czech Republic, I buy a bunch of books. This year I was "lucky" to pick young adult fantasy instead of just fantasy, and that sucked. No more 13-year-old hero, please!

9. Kids, don't kick the knees of other people with your foot. It will hurt you. My foot has been injured for the past 2 months now because I kicked someone's knee. Repeatedly. Just in case

10. 5 - 7 staph infections. I actually don't remember, just guessing...

11. Asthma attack during my fight camp in April, going through sparring rounds and fight circuits with limited oxygen. SUCKED

12. Being in a fight camp for 2 possible MMA fights in Winter, but unfortunately not landing either one...

13. Buying nice shoes during the year, like very colorful Adidas sneakers, just to realize I just want to wear barefoot shoes forever now

14. Taking a break from journaling and other mental hygiene practices because I feel well. You can bet I won't feel well soon... Mental exercises + self-discipline = self-wellness

15. Not telling my dearest people how much difference they make in my life

What made me happy in 2023?

1. I started buying prints and hanging them on the walls of my house. I bought two when visiting Scotland and one at an Illustration Festival in Bangkok

2. All things paper: stickers, journals, bookmarks... just take my money!

3. Plyometrics training. Real life changer

4. New strength and conditioning program. It is a 3-month cycle and I managed to upscale all the numbers. I feel much better and much stronger

5. Wrestling, the most stressful part of my training but also the most fun

6. Kickboxing angles and magic tricks. It doesn't stop surprising me how smart striking could be, and I want to know all about it!

7. Milk tea

8. Sushi rolls

9. Long-distance trails. I am not at the time of my life when I could just leave work and training for two months and go hiking somewhere, but I enjoy reading about it and in the Summer 2024, I am doing my first mini-long distance trail in Scotland

10. Ice baths. Not only does it make my body feel great, but it is an amazing tool for your mind, too. Angry? Ice bath. Sad? Ice bath. Happy? Ice bath.

Proud moments in 2023?

1. Launching my Podcast Fight Waves. It took A LOT of work and time, mostly from my nights, and I am still full of doubts, but it is alive now and I can't believe I did it!

2. Talking to sponsors. It took months to prepare and I am very proud I took the courage to take action. Some things are in the making and I am hopeful. Collecting the courage was my proud moment

3. 2 + 2 + 2 fights. 2 professional Muay Thai, 2 amateur MMA and 2 grappling tournaments

4. Mental work. I want to give myself a high five for all the journaling, sessions, consulting, goals planning, go-board creating, reflecting, gratitude practices, pre-fight mental practices, and more. It was a huge deal of what I did in 2023 and I can't highlight more of how important it was!

5. Finding the right people. A) realizing who is like a family for me, keeping them close, and being grateful for them, and B) filtering my socials so I could see the inspirational people, coaches, speakers, creators, and those bringing value to my life.