In December of 2021, I told myself, “2022 will be the year of foundation and stability.”
Let me tell you, it was anything but foundational and stable. The only aspects of my life that met my vision for foundation and stability were the ones that kept me grounded in difficult moments.
So while my life felt anything but stable, my personal growth and my ability to self-soothe set the foundation for a successful future.
In this post, you will learn from my lessons, cringe at my mistakes, and see my version of success. My goal is that you read this post, learn from my journey, and see your own growth from 2022 a little more easily.
I have for you below my Top 5 Lessons, Top 3 Bloopers, and Top 2 Successes for 2022.
Top 5 Lessons
1. No matter how close you are with coworkers or leadership, you are just a number
Hate to say it. I have been told it my whole life and now the reality has set in. No matter how hard I worked to get the offer from Twilio, how hard I worked to add value to my team, I was just a number.
2. A hobby and a community outside your job are critical to happiness
In my early 20’s, my job was everything to me. My life was working out, working, reading, and occasionally spending time with friends/family. If I was laid off then, I do not know how I would have coped. In the last four years, I have built a life for myself beyond the gym and work. A rough day at work doesn’t mean I had a bad day.
In 2022, I embraced life outside of work. I focused on the communities I am involved with, volunteering, learning, my dog, and trying new experiences. Some of you may have even picked up on the new creatives, writing, and other projects that I am exploring.
The point is – a corporate job alone does not create happiness. The life you create is what builds happiness.
3. It’s not about where you live but how you make the most of living there
I’ve lived in CT, WI, NY, NJ, and CA. Most recently, I moved from NJ to Manhattan. I’ve been avoiding Manhattan my entire life yet somehow, this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Do you know why? I am making the most of where I live. I have the mindset to maximize my experience here.
It doesn’t matter where you are. It matters how you make the most of it.
4. Understand your bandwidth in life: to accomplish more
If you’re spread thin, you can’t do well in each area. I know this because something always goes astray when I’m spread thin. This is something that is consistent in my personal life. My ambition and fixation on a different future for myself allow other areas of my life to fall off as a priority. This isn’t ideal.
For some reason, I struggle to identify proper life balance/bandwidth. While I do know how to identify my bandwidth with work, the personal life balance board does not even out.
Any advice or tips here are much appreciated.
5. Life is about how you make other people feel
After my layoff from Twilio, my phone was flooded with messages about how I impacted people in a positive way. I worked there 7 for 8 months and somehow made an impact. All the pain of the layoff still hurt, but I can be proud of my time at the company knowing others were inspired by my presence.
After starting to write on LinkedIn and Maple’s Mission, I heard from old friends and strangers about how posts impacted them. Insecure people felt seen. They felt less isolated. They felt beautiful.
If I die tomorrow, I will be content knowing how I made others feel.
Top 3 Bloopers
- Falling down the subway stairs
If you didn’t read the post, I wrote about falling down the stairs after it happened. Now I understand why people hold the railing down the steps.
2. 70% of my dating life
Let’s just leave it at that.
3. The two frazzled interviews immediately after being laid off
Those interviews immediately after the layoffs were difficult for me to navigate. If these were Sportscenter bloopers, I’d imagine (two of) the interviews to be the footage that makes one cringe and wish they didn’t witness something so painful.
Top 2 Successes
- The courage to write publicly
If my writing helps others, then I love writing. So in 2022, I finally found the courage to write publicly. If it helps one person, the post was worth it.
2. Sticking to my values even when it was hard to do so
Here’s one example: In March of 2022, I received 2 offers within weeks of each other. I thought one company completely shifted to another candidate and put all my focus on another. I gave Twilio my word once the offer was made and a week or so later I received a call from the other company, the consulting team, with another offer.
Both opportunities were dreamy to me.
Ultimately, my word meant (and means) too much to me. I could not be the candidate that gives their word then leaves for the next shiny opportunity.
Well, that’s a wrap of 2022 for me. Let’s hope 2023 goes a bit differently.
***
I will leave you with this:
You can set a vision, set keywords, and set goals for 2023. Simply remember, those ambitions and goals for yourself are typically not life or death. If life throws a few curveballs, you must learn to adapt to the pitch. It is completely OK if your word for 2023 is stability and somehow it turns into the rockiest year of your life.
Remember to focus on what you can control. 2023 is your year.
If you’re looking for honest, feel-good, and hopefully helpful content, please feel free to follow.
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