Like every other person on the planet, for me the end of a year marks a perfect time to look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the past 365 days. Some days are tough to look back on while others play on repeat as highlights. Regardless of what happened over the past year it’s great to reflect back on what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. That way in the new year you can make sure the good stays and you help invite the bad to leave.
Whether it’s in a blog, a journal, a vlog, or anywhere, writing down your reflections and thoughts on the past 12 months is a great exercise to encourage self-growth. Acknowledging what worked and what didn’t, where you want to double down on a time investment, what’s taking up too much or your energy, are all things that can help dictate your New Year to help you create the best year yet.
As I sit back and begin my reflection on the past 12 Months, I can’t help but look back even further. Truly deep down, the past 2 years have been a driving force in my 2022, and I credit the lows in my life for driving such a year of abundance and self-awareness.
Let’s Look Back at 2020…
I was living what I thought was a high point – It was COVID-times, I left my life in Boston to come back to Long Island. I was dating someone I truly and deeply cared about. I got a new job where I was able to explore a new skill set while continuing to master and further grow my Sales skills. I bought my dream car. I was on cloud nine, until every bit of that came falling down. It was like watching dominos fall, one by one getting knocked down and ultimately leading to a disastrous mess that takes 100x longer to rebuild than it did to break it down.
2020 taught me that I was strong. 2020 taught me that I would no longer settle for anything mediocre and that I deserved the best in every aspect of my life.
Let’s Look Back at 2021…
I was an emotionless shell of a human. I was still trying to process what happened in 2020 and how it got to be that way. My dream car was totaled. I tried to fill voids with people without giving myself a chance to heal. I started taking action on what really moved me. I removed things and people from my life that were taking my energy. I started to really focus on my meditation practice. I slowly got out of my funk and adopted a much more active lifestyle. I lost a decent chunk of weight. I got a new job back in the tech space that combined everything I am passionate about.
2021 taught me to feel all the emotions I was feeling. 2021 taught me to take action on what I wanted my life and it’s ok to let people go.
Now Let’s Look at 2022…
2020 and 2021 were two pivotal years in my life. I understand the some people’s timelines are different, sometimes it takes a few weeks other times it takes 10 years. For me, almost 2 years of dark days and sour emotions was enough to start climbing out of the dark hole I fell into. So enough about the looking back – let’s get into why you’re here – An Elder Millennial’s Reflections on 2022.
An Elder Millennial’s Reflections on 2022
1. Prioritizing Time for Yourself is Not a Bad Thing.
I’ve truly learned to enjoy spending time by myself – so much that I have to constantly remind myself to hang out with my friends. I found a new friendship with myself this past year that I’ve wanted for a really long time. 2022, being a fully remote employee and having to curate my entire day, having to build out a schedule that doesn’t revolve around commuting, was tough at first but it forced me to prioritize myself over most other things. Am I eating the best food? Am I getting enough exercise in every day? Am I happy? I was able to evaluate all of these things and am really proud about how I am ending the year. Feeling great about myself, my job, my relationship, and just my life in general.
2. Moving to a New Place Was One of the BEST Things for Me.
Maybe it’s because I hate being stagnant, but moving to Long Beach (read about it here) really kickstarted the positive events in my life. I had thought of moving to Long Beach since I moved back from Boston, it was always on my radar since I began playing beach volleyball there in 2016. I would drive back to Long Island from Boston to play in weekend tournaments and instantly fell in love with the town. Moving to Long Beach was the catalyst behind me taking back control of my life. I explored moving to New York City, but it just didn’t feel right and I am so grateful that I trusted my gut on this one.
Long Beach forced me to get out of my shell. I met tons of people. Some that didn’t last and others that are now key friends in my life that I couldn’t go a day without talking to. I was able to double down on what I loved and naturally fell into an active lifestyle. Moving to a new place is what really showed me that I am 100% in control on my life and can create whatever reality I am imagining.
3. Continually Evaluate What Drains Your Energy is Needed for Personal Growth.
Sometimes commitments, friendships, passions turn into energy drainers. Energy Drainers are things or people that cause you to feel drained – if you are coming back from an engagement and you are physically exhausted and can’t imagine having to interact with anyone, chances are you had your energy drained. Identifying what takes your energy and what recharges it is important. You shouldn’t cut out everything that drains you, but you should evaluate it to understand how you should handle situations and how you can remedy draining tasks by shortly after engaging in a recharging setting. Life’s about balance, but you have to be able to define the difference between what you are balancing before you can have a healthy balance.
2022 served a year to evaluate lots – there are many things that once brought me joy, that were recharging my energy and giving me a sense of purpose that not seem to take more than the give. Finding a balance and then continually evaluating it is needed because change is inevitable. What once was great for you, might not work anymore and even the other way around! Something that drained you might actually turn into something you need in your life.
4. Other People’s Opinions Do Not Matter.
It took you to 31 to figure this out, Tina? No, but also kinda Yes. Have I always known that opinions of other’s don’t matter? Yes. Did I still let opinions of other’s get under my skin and affect how I live my life? Yes. I also looked for validation from others – significant others, friends, family members, strangers even – and that is no way to live. Constantly under the scrutiny of what you think matters to other people. Spending time with myself helped me see that the only people I need to impress is myself.
The moment, and it took some time, that this finally clicked, I genuinely became a new person. I started doing things for myself and not for anyone else – I stopped trying to impress others and all these amazing things came into my life – people, new hobbies, new business ventures, the list goes on.
5. The Universe Brings You What You Need When You Need It and It Takes Away What’s Not Meant for You.
2020 and 2021 were years of loss. So much loss that I didn’t even know who I was anymore. 2022 showed me how to fill those gaps in my life. It brought me purpose and passion. It brought me new income streams and a great investment mindset to take into 2023. It took away toxic people that I once thought were pillars in my life, and brought me a person that I couldn’t imagine ever being without. 2022 was a year that really painted the entire picture for me. When things get bad, they may get worse but that’s ok because at the end of the day they will get better. If I could tell myself in January 2021 what I know now, I would of had a very different year. 2022 will always be the year where I learned that I am in complete control of my life, success and failures, highs and lows, and everything in between.
6. There’s A Lot of Division and Hate in the World and That Needs to Change.
2022 seems to be a peak in the divide between people in our country. I try not to get political on this blog and this is not meant to be a political statement, more an observation. It is very said to see the hate spread between our country – the way the media bends stories and narratives to grow the divide even further. The comfort that people have to spew hate on social media or create fake news, while hiding behind a screen is not only cowardly but only deepening the divide. Looking back at 2022 and heading into 2023, I hope that we can all acknowledge the negativity that is around us and act to make a change. If it standing up for what needs to be said or confronting those who have put their blinders on the being open to different ideas, any positive action can make a change that is so necessary.
This is the first year in 3 years where I can say that I am heading into the New Year on the right foot. The old me would have been scared to admit that, I’d try to find something wrong to hone in on. Not anymore. I am healthy, I am in the best financial standings I have every been, I am in a healthy relationship, and I am building things (like this blog and some other amazing ventures that I can’t wait to share) that I am so passionate and proud of. The future is really bright. I am excited for what is to come – whether it’s continued positivity or a speed bump that comes up in my path, I know at the end of the day the Universe has my back. 2023 is going to be a good one!
Heading into 2023 in a few short weeks, I wish everyone the healthiest and happiest New Year yet! If you are on a high, I hope that continues and that the positivity and high vibrations continue to flow into your life. If you are starting off 2023 in a rut, I am sending all the good energy your way and hope you enjoy this time because I can tell you from personal experience you cannot truly feel the highs if you have not experienced an extreme low.
Teena Fey 