2022 Yearly Review

I don't do resolutions! I do vision boards and yearly reviews, which I usually complete in December but I'm a little late this year because of my travel schedule. I chart the progress of my life in areas of accomplishments, consistencies, mistakes, and setbacks. Noting memorable events, milestones, revisions to habits necessary to achieving outcomes, and realizations from lessons learned. I am constant evaluating my choices to make sure that I am doing right by my own standards, designing a life that I can be proud of, checking my ego, and being of service to my wife and others.

What Went Well

• Restarted playing basketball recreationally with other people
• Saw majority of my close friends for 1st time in several years
• Traveled Domestically to: Oklahoma, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington, California
• Traveled Internationally to: Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, and Mexico
• Prayer became a daily habit
• Tracked Finances better
• Formed solid relationship with In Laws
• Lived off Assets (dividends) and savings for full year
• Went to 4 STL Cardinal baseball games
• Eye Surgery and Dental Appointments

Accomplishments

• Got Married (including marriage counseling)
• Finished writing in a journal front to back for the 1st time ever
• Made more money options trading than any year
• Ran over 1,100 miles included 1 official 10k race
• Finished my 3ft double sided vision board that I started in 2013
• Gained Data Analytics skillset & certification
• Decreased Alcohol consumption considerably and added more water
• Using rescue inhaler for Asthma less than 200 times
• Seeing my brother play basketball live for the first times ever

Consistencies

• Walked a minimum of 1 mile 365 days in a row
• Journaled every day for 365 days in a row
• Cooked multiple times a week for first time in adult life
• Read multiple books
• Practicing gratitude and telling people I love them
• Incorporating no spend days in my calendar
• Intermittent fasting
• Proactive about dealing with grief
• Being present. First year I was physically located in USA for majority of year

Mistakes & Inconsistencies

• Not reading the labels and ingredients on food items regularly
• Getting too relaxed with my own covid protocols and getting covid
• 1st year I didn't noticeably advance in my professional career
• 1st year in adult life my income didn't increase
• Minimal effort to increase & strengthen brotherhood amongst male friends
• When eating out spent an excessive amount of money

Setbacks

• Loosing family members to gun violence
• Not lifting weights
• Family dynamics regressing
• Replaced purpose for restoration without defining next steps. Felt somewhat lost and like a wanderer for some of the year

Lessons Learned & Realizations

• Identity outside of career is important. I am more than my job title, who I work for, and the responsibilities due to my employment.
• Ended and discontinuing unhealthy relationships is hard but necessary. 2 friendships that were over 15 years old weren't serving me properly, so I had to create some distance and protect my energy.
• Boundaries are a must in to preserve integrity. Don't feel guilty for standing firm about how others should treat you. No matter what their position and rank is.
• Being intentionally about focusing on my happiness, finding reasons to smile and be grateful. Happiness is a choice and choosing the right daily habits sponsor positive attitudes.
• Trust people's behaviors more than their words. Don't let my hope for something/someone cloud my judgment of the reality of the situation.
• Grief of losing loved ones had me questioning a lot of things. Took time to rest and heal. Redefined my purpose while exploring what matters to me now.
• Understanding your own worth takes time, and it's okay to be patient with yourself. American hustle culture makes you feel guilty for not moving at the speed of the shifting/developing labor market. I had to grow comfortable not subscribing to being exploited and in constant competition with myself and others.
• Making money outside of traditional employment is scary but feels so empowering when done consistently.

Questions I Ask for Reflection

What Gave Me the Most Joy This Year?

• Getting married & taking my commitment to the woman I love to a new level.
• Elevating my presence in my most valued relationships.
• Traveling and moving out of the country
• Focusing on positive habits like proper nutrition and my mental well being

What Caused the Most Stress?

• Grief of losing loved ones due to covid and cancer & not having access to them hit so heavy at times that it felt debilitating and overwhelming.
• Family Dynamics: Not having a basic level of support I felt I needed when I needed it. Boundaries were created and tested. As a result, it feels like my relationships with the women in my immediate family has regressed.
• Underemployment: I've defined myself and took pride in what I do and who I was employed through for so long that not having that as my primary identity took time to work through.
• Health concerns with my eye due to a large chalazion. My vision had been impaired for so long that I didn't realize how much it impacted me until I had the procedure to remove it.
• Social Media: I waste too much time on it, use it as a substitute for not talking directly with friends, and frankly don't use it effectively as a tool.

What Were the Most Challenging Moments

Living America After 5 Year Abroad: Cost of living, depressing news reports, gun violence, covid protocols, obsession with politics and social media, and travel restrictions. All of it was a culture shock after having been gone for so long.

ex: Gun violence in America is so normalized. Every day the local news channels in St. Louis start with reports of a shooting or killing... In most countries its unheard of to have that kind of violence hit close to home daily.

Wedding: Planning an international destination wedding had its challenges. From finding the right venue without seeing it, guest list, and managing expectation of cost. Surprisingly everything went well and close to the original plan and budget.

What is 1 New Thing I Learned About Myself This Past Year

• Taking care of my body through counseling, medical appointments, nutrition, and exercise is vitally important
• Being humble is played out. Its time okay to brag and hype yourself up in ways that make others uncomfortable.
• Know your worth so folks don't treat you like something that's cheap
• The right relationships are good for your health.
• Trust my instincts, it's a guide to being on the proper frequency and attracting what I need.

There is a lot more that goes into my review. Asking myself tougher and more specific questions. Tracking my habits and rituals more rigorously. While creating list of things that I would like to do that are so outlandish that it would make me scared and proud to accomplish them. For the sake of attention I will just leave you with this truncated version.?