#64 Let's recap the year 2022!

This blog is dedicated to the learning we picked up in last 12 months in personal and professional front :)

As a kid, the new year used to hit differently as we had to consciously make an effort to get the date correct at the top right corner of our notebooks. As time changed, we now earmark the new year with a lot of trips, family time, parties and meet-ups. We start the year with a list of our goals and new year’s resolutions and try to have a ‘new year- new me’ image.

2022 has been a crazy year especially post Covid, everything opened up and life came back to the usual pre- covid era with people roaming around the new places, corporate offices opening up and offline sessions, and classes being back on track. Last year (2021) ended on a high note on the professional front for me when I chose to try out the process of switching from an Indian Bank to an African Start-up. This year has been outlandish for me as I could successfully switch my role and also got a chance to stay in new cities - Bangalore (India) & Nairobi (Kenya).

1. You should grab new opportunities as they come your way

   We often let the new opportunities because we think we are not good enough or can’t do it but feel anguish if someone else grabs them and turn them in their favour. We fail to understand that the idea of trying new stuff is not always to ace at it, sometimes you can just give those your best shot and see what works or come out of it. Do your pros and cons analysis and see how can you make the most of the new events and learn from them.

   Don’t regret later for not taking any action at the right time, so do it now than never. This lesson made me trust myself and expand my workshops to new cities now and also pivot my career towards a new market despite all odds.

2. Leadership is a skill to be garnered

   As I started working with new people at the new organization and also expanded my start-up team, I realized that leadership is an art which you need to devour as you grow in your life. This comes with experience but depends on your interpersonal skills, your idea of team culture and your outlook towards the challenges that come your way. Every person is unique and how you get them to come together breaking their stereotypes is the key.

   Leadership is not barred by any designation or position you hold in the organization, it is a personal growth motive that you want to learn as you grow your teams. Every good manager can’t lead the team after all.

3. If you want - You can move mountains

   We often lose out on motivation when we are surrounded by multiple hurdles during execution, in such a case giving up comes easy while pushing back or trying harder is tough. For the past few years, I was facing challenges to execute every plan in the perfect way I used to plan, often I used just give up on my plans. It affected me and also the people around me but I was not moved by the idea of correcting it until a friend of mine spoke about conviction to me. That conversation put me in a spot and I had to reconsider my stance of giving up on plans.

   Giving up is not wrong but give up when you are done (post shaking up things through your actions) and not just when you think you are done. You can only convince others when you are convinced by your thoughts and planned actions. The cycle of trying out is simple: Convince yourself >> You get motivated >> Confidence kicks in >> You act upon the plan >> Face the Outcome :)  

4. Love keeps evolving

   Love doesn’t confine to any boundaries and that’s what this feeling so special. Unconditional love is hard to find but it keeps your mind, body and soul in right place forever. It keeps changing the forms and pours down sometimes in a way of advice or care or a fight but the essence is to ensure your well-being.

   Distance, time, work or any other thing can't put people apart until there is genuine love residing between them. It keeps evolving with you and is an essential ingredient for healthy relationships with your close ones. Maintenance becomes easy when you add some love and respect to the bonds you share with the individuals.

5. Hold onto your passion for yourself

   We all have accepted the number game and we run behind getting more follower base or likes and comments from the universe. While this sounds like a good game for your business may not be for your passion or for things that you like to do, The other day a person asked me about my blog and why I write it consistently every Saturday morning, what am I trying to achieve?

   My response was very plain I enjoy writing and have always wanted to enhance my skills which I am aiming for through this blog.

   Some activities uplift your mood and satisfy your soul which need not make business sense to others. Keep the number game out and happiness game in by indulging in them consistently. They help you move closer to your goals and dreams.

6. Don’t compromise on your needs (not wants)

   Compromise is touted as a negative word in the usual use but it is indeed a positive and strong word. It’s not always required to lower your expectations or manage with what you have when it comes to your basic needs. I learnt this lesson a harder way this year when I was struggling to build a team for my platform. We might want to instead find new ways or look from a different perspective to align our requirements and expectations but may not always put ourselves in a compromising position.

   Defining your needs and wants solves more than half of our life's roadblocks. Compromising should always leave you with a positive vibe and if that's not the case then you need to step back and try again.

   With these lessons, I am closing my year 2022 and looking forward to the new year 2023 which begins tomorrow, The clock is ticking for us to move ahead and leave past our bad experiences and kickstart the new dawn with new energy.

   Happy New Folks!