As I’m writing this, there are just under 5 hours left to go before the new year. A great time to reflect, look back and reminisce on the big wins and challenges this year.

This post is a summary of my year, and a chance for you to ask yourself the key questions that will set you in the best place for 2023!

Questions to Reflect on 2022

Inspired by Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast episode ‘7 Questions to Successfully Reflect on 2022 and End the Year with Confidence':

1: What was a challenge that you overcame this year?

I have the worst memory when it comes to looking back at what I did during the week, let alone the year - so writing key insights in my journal helps me to reflect.

One of my biggest projects this year was taking my first steps with content creation; learning about the mindset I needed to have to be able to provide value, and the fears and anxieties I'd need to overcome. Thankfully, I eventually started out on every new platform I intended to, and I'm glad that I did.

Here are some of the biggest challenges I went through:

• Writing regularly each day and staying consistent
• Publishing my content on this blog, and getting past the fear of doing it
• Posting on YouTube and Tiktok to experiment with new media
• Learning how to edit videos for my food blog
• Developing camera skills (both using them and speaking to them)

2: What's a surprise that you dealt with?

Sometime a few months back, I found out that (once again) I'd gotten a kidney stone. My body tends to form them naturally, and they can be a pain - quite literally. I think at this point I've become accustomed though - it's weird how adaptable we can be as humans, but taking measures to make sure I minimised the effects, drinking water, eating well and managing stress, I made the most of it.

3: What's something you bought this year that you love?

About a month ago, I finally caved and purchased the thing I'd been wanting for about 5 years - a Nintendo Switch!

I grew up playing Animal Crossing, so hearing about the release of New Horizons in 2020, during a time when everyone was sat in their homes, needing something to get away from the troubles of the world - I would spend most of my time watching gameplay and waiting for the moment when I'd finally get one.

After 5 years, I finally told myself it was time, and did it - and I couldn't be happier. It really gave me the opportunity to relax, destress and take the break that I needed during a time when I was focused solely on work. I think consciously taking a break from work is something I intend to put more effort into in 2023.

4: What’s the best book or podcast you listened to this year?

It's so hard to pick one, but for me, discovering Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast, and rediscovering Ali Abdaal's Deep Dive Series gave me so many insights to take forward in my career. I love listening to people at that stage of their career, pursuing things that they genuinely feel passionate about, and are pretty clearly having a very positive impact on the world - and I aspire to do the same one day.

5: What are your blind spots for next year?

I think last year when I was goal setting, I wanted to do and be everything all at once. I set 22 different goals, and although I did a little bit of all of them, very few of them were actually sustainable. Going into 2023, I'm carrying forward a mindset of simplicity - aiming to hyper focus on the most important things right now, and once they're developed into habits, I can move on.

6: What made you happiest this year?

I really appreciated the time I spent with the people I love. The more I think about the future and where my career and life are going, the more I wonder how I'll be able to balance work and other responsibilities with simply being present during the time I have with them. Regardless, it's something I'm not prepared to take for granted. Actually making progress with my goals from last year was also really helpful, and something that really gave me the drive to keep going, having seen that personal success.

7: Who is a person you couldn’t have got through this year without?

At risk of sounding like I'm dodging the question :) I'm really thankful for everyone I talked to this year - old and new. My family, my friends, and you, reading this right now. Getting the chance to share my message in this way has been a great experience for me, and really taught me a lot about myself.

Goals for 2023!

I wrote a post recently about the experience I went through goalsetting this year and last year, that I think sums up the lesson I learnt really well:

I mentioned before about trying to simplify my goals, so I settled on two main all encompassing focuses, at least for the beginning of 2023: self care, and creating content. Through self care, I can keep track of my sleep, make sure my diet is on the right track and get the exercise I need. And after 2022, where I learnt about the superpower of creating content and teaching online, I couldn't be more motivated to get started with new ways of sharing a positive message.

Happy New Year in advance, and best wishes for 2023 :)

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