2022 Recap & Review
I drew inspiration to write this from Rufus Oyemade's post but struggled to write at first. It stayed on my content calendar for weeks & I kept bumping it forward because I was measuring the year's success based on the initial goals I set - which, understandably, is how one would typically evaluate their year.
Now, I didn't meet all of the goals I set (at least in the ways I wanted to), but I ended up being surprised by the joy that came from unexpected moments and experiences. I made this realization as I finally forced myself to sit down and write 4 weeks after I intended to.
For instance, I shared at the end of 2021 in my recap post (you can read it here) that I wanted to be deliberate about fun and also keep myself accountable by reviewing my progress on a quarterly basis. I did none of those two things. However, I still ended up finding ways to have fun - like taking spontaneous trips, and accountability looked like journaling at the end of each month rather than a structured quarterly review.
This is a lesson in flexibility for me when it comes to goal-setting and measuring success. It's always a good idea to have something to measure against, but sometimes, we forget or lose sight of how far we've come when we focus so much on how much we're yet to achieve. Reflecting on the past year helped me realize this. So this time around, I'm taking a more comprehensive perspective and considering the year as a whole rather than a sum of my individual met/unmet goals.
In this blog post, I'm sharing:
Three things that went well
Two things that didn't go well
One hope for the new year
Three things went well:
1 - Loving people:
My greatest joys are the loved ones I'm surrounded with. When I recall the time spent with them last year, I remember the laughter, dancing, and food! One of my favorite moments was from my mum's birthday celebration during the year: I got to wear a beautiful traditional Nigerian attire and dance till my legs hurt (picture below).
I also caught up with old friends and saw dear friends I'd previously connected with online for the first time in person. If I were to give 2022 a theme, I would call it "Surprised by Joy!" Building relationships was not something I intentionally walked toward; it just so happened that I got the opportunity to delight myself in all kinds of relationships - both new and old - and I'm grateful for this.
One of my favorite moments was from my mum's birthday celebration during the year: I got to wear a beautiful traditional Nigerian attire and dance till my legs hurt (picture).
2 - Travel:
Remote work blessed me, from London to Miami, literally! I got to travel out of the country multiple times, and I think I finally got the hang of remote work as I found it very easy to get work done while moving around and without needing an elaborate setup.
This shifted me beyond my comfort zone (which is at home, buried in a book, or playing Candy Crush), and I like that it did. It gave me an opportunity to experience new things (I mean: food) and invest in relationships. I'm glad I did, and I hope to do more in the new year.
3 - Work & Investing my talents:
I think of volunteering as investing my talents - especially when it comes to using muscles that don't get flexed as much in a full-time employment setting. I'm very happy about the work I was able to do for others in 2022, it was stressful in most moments, but it brought me joy.
On the career end - I worked hard and got two new certifications to show for some of this work: I'm now officially PMP certified and also a certified DiSC profile trainer. I leveled up both my project management and training/facilitation at work. I leveled up!
Two things that didn't go so well:
1 - Taking care of myself:
I don't think I balanced focusing on the outside stuff with focusing on the inside stuff. Take, for instance: working out: I prefer to go to the gym in the mornings but would often sacrifice this time to catch up on work - both personal and professional - or to do other things I prioritized above my physical health.
I also enjoy journaling and, even more, spending time alone in prayer or meditation, and frankly, I think I focused so much on my travels and getting all these other components of life together that I forgot to actually pause and recharge. I wrote about this in my newsletter at some point in the later part of the year when I started feeling worn out. You can't pour from an empty cup, so I hope to do better in the new year.
2 - Getting into grad school:
I've heard a lot said about higher education - how it's not so much a worthy investment in this day and age and so on but still, I'll admit, I like school. And I want to go all the way to a Ph.D. someday. I like being in a classroom and learning with others. I like discovering new things and challenging my assumptions. It's why I keep signing up for mini-courses and certifications - I enjoy researching, learning, and testing my knowledge.
So I applied and got into grad school but found I really couldn't afford it even after applying for scholarships and loans (I'd set a debt limit for myself). This sucked a lot. I'm still bummed about it, but I'm choosing to think of it as a reroute, an opportunity to consider other alternatives. And perhaps, a time to rest.
One hope for the new year:
There's a joy that comes with seeing something grow from scratch or seeing it evolve into a better version of itself, and that's one thing I hope to experience more of in the new year.
I hope to create more.
I want to write more, design and facilitate new classes and courses, come up with more efficient processes at work, and really take action on the many ideas I've had and written down over the past few years. There's a joy that comes with seeing something grow from scratch or seeing it evolve into a better version of itself, and that's one thing I hope to experience more of in the new year.
Gratitude
I spent a big chunk of my November reflecting on the year, reviewing my accomplishments, and counting my blessings, and I ended up in gratitude for the people and experiences that have shaped my life in 2022.
I'm grateful for mentors, coaches, and teachers who shared their wisdom with me, friends and family who have been my confidants and moral boosters all year round and who have supported me through new challenges and for the new connections made with inspiring people. Because of these things, I look forward with joy and hope for the future. The best is yet to come, and for that, too, I'm grateful!
So here's to 2023 - may it be filled with joy, laughter, new experiences and discoveries, travel (safely), growth, and creativity!
