TL:DR: What a nutty, unexpected, and exhilarating year!
I’ve seen so many blog writers posting pieces of their predictions for 2023 or a wrap-up of 2022 this week. I might as well jump on the bandwagon. This last year has shown me just how terrible I am at predicting the future so reflections it is! Which I guess I just did by saying 2022 was unexpected. That is an understatement.
Back on December 31, 2021, there is no way I could have predicted what the year would hold and where I would be on December 31, 2022. Not only did the year hold a series of unexpected events, my reactions to them were uncharacteristic for me. I am mostly happy with the way things have turned out and excited for 2023 but I marvel how I got here at all. What a crazy year!
I started the year in a job I loved and planned to stay at until I retire. I end the year self-employed with a brand-new business and no idea what the future holds. I also end the year with a renewed passion for travel, books, art, history, and learning, all things I had forgotten about in the last couple of years as I spent all of my time working. I hope there will be more of the fun things this year. For the first time in a long time, I am also less worried about my future and more confident in my ability to figure it all out, eventually. If you know me at all, you know how unprecedented that it for me.
It’s important to know that I am normally very risk adverse when it comes to my safety and my future. I had very specific and detailed plans for my future that required me to stay at my job for another 10 years so I would have enough money to take care of myself as I age. I am a planner. I don’t like to stray from my plans and I don’t like when my plans are upended.
But at the beginning of 2022, that is exactly what happened. The unhealthy atmosphere at my job got to be too much and I made the decision to change my entire life. I quit and started my business. I have no idea where I got the courage to do that. I wasn’t even that worried about it. I just did it. I knew it was the right thing to do, for my mental health. And I hope it will be the right decision for my future.
I’ve loved the last 7 months of self-employment. It has been exciting, creative, and fun! I am continually amazed that I’m able to get up every day and do what I love to do, without being stuck in endless meetings or having to answer to an unreasonable boss. I have surprised myself in how blindly I jumped into this life without worrying about my future. It doesn’t matter if I don’t succeed. I’ve already succeeded.
I’ve learned so much about myself, my craft, and about business. I’ve learned that it is ok to admit when I don’t know something. I’ve learned it’s ok to ask for help. I’ve learned there are plenty of people who are willing to help. I’ve also learned that I am more capable than I give myself credit for. Most of all, I’ve learned that I’ve got a lot more to learn. That’s what I am looking forward to doing in 2023. I have no idea what the year will hold. But I do know that I will embrace the learning opportunities that come with every day.
Every year, Chris Brogan identifies the three words that will guide his actions for the year. His words for 2022 were Scout, Co-Create, and Pluses. For 2006 (the first year he did this) they were Ask, Do, and Share. I look forward to finding out what they are every year. My words for 2022 were Write, Courage, and Advocate, which is kind of funny given the year I had. I chose them for entirely different reasons, but they are incredibly fitting for how the year turned out. Maybe I had some unconscious inkling of what was to come.
So, as a reflection of 2022, my words to guide me in 2023 are: Boundless, Create, and Discover. If I use these words to guide my actions and planning, I’ll have a great year, regardless of the unexpected events that may occur.
Happy New Year, all! Here’s to a productive, safe, and peaceful 2023.
