2019...It's A Wrap!

And here we are again...another end to another year and gearing up for a new one. What I typically do around this time of year is to revisit my list of goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year and I have to say I did pretty well overall in 2019. I realized most of the goals I had listed can be brought forward in 2020 and beyond. The reason is that there are things that are and should be constant such as investing the time in myself when it comes to learning or practicing empathy just to name a couple examples.

We all grow as people every single day, we learn new things and we also learn from our mistakes and this year was no different. So to keep consistent with what I did last year, here are some of my reflections from 2019.

Be Your True Self

I know we hear this a lot, but are we taking the time to do this? We get caught-up with so much whether it's at work or home and sometimes we forget who we really are. I don't want to speak for the masses here, but I know I personally experienced that. I had to really force myself to take a step back one day and have a conversation with myself about how I should just be me. And what really helps even more is when the organization you work for encourages it and they create a space for you to do just that. No judgement, no assumptions. I consider myself lucky.

Give Your Time

At the beginning of 2019, I said to myself "Monesh, it's time to STOP thinking and START doing!" A big component of that was volunteering. I did not waste any time to become a volunteer for an organization I am very passionate about and support on a consistent basis. Because of the nature of what I do for my volunteer gig, I am not allowed to publicly state the details on any social media platform, but all I can say is that I work with youth who are going through various struggles. It has been challenging, rewarding, emotional, eye-opening and so much more at the same time. But in the end, it's about being there for our fellow humans who just want someone to talk to. I have learned so much through this organization - specifically how one conversation with a stranger can make a huge impact and can actually save a life.

Ask Questions

Let me say this - I always thought asking a lot of questions would make me come across as inept or inexperienced, but guess what? I have a new perspective on that and I simply LOVE to ask questions now. As a matter of fact, I have been doing this prior to this year, but it was this year specifically I did this without any hesitation. For me, this comes down to having a growth mindset and the simple fact that I am genuinely eager to learn. Albeit I may be content with the status quo, that will never be enough for me because I always want to develop myself both personally and professionally and one of many ways I have found success is by asking questions. Simple, right?

Those are just a few of many reflections from the year and I would love to hear about one of yours if possible. On that note, I hope this year treated you well. And if you happen to be one of the many people I was fortunate enough to train this year as part of what I do for a living at Microsoft, whether you are in the US, Canada or Australia - I want to thank you so very much for the way you welcomed, supported, encouraged and taught me. This also applies to everyone within my organization especially our wonderful new hires that I was able to connect with during their New Hire Experience week, which will always be a career highlight. I am so grateful and filled with gratitude. I am ready to take on 2020 even better and stronger and I wish you all the same.