As 2022 comes to a close, I took the time to reflect on what I learned over the past 12 months and what could serve as a guide in 2023.

Data collection through journaling

The lessons I am referring to here derive from regular journaling throughout the past year, which, in my opinion, is the most efficient way to grow and learn from past mistakes and experiences.

Without further ado, here are 10 lessons that shaped my perspective and approach to life in 2022:

1. Being able to decide about your schedule is a gift

Whoever works remotely or, even better, as an entrepreneur/solopreneur or freelancer will get that point. Our time is our most valuable resource. However, when you constantly work on-site, this resource is stolen from you since you are not only working on other people’s schedules but also spending time, money and energy commuting back and forth from your job. By being able to decide about your own schedule, you gain back your time, you are more productive since you work whenever it fits you better, and as a result, you have more mental clarity and peace of mind. Money is good, but it can’t buy everything, even if you are well-paid. And it definitely can’t repurchase your time.

2. Everything comes down to repeating the fundamentals

You may have read that success is the sum of small steps. And that couldn’t be more real. But I need to add another point: success comes from repeating the –often boring- fundamentals of each job. It’s not the extra mile you go once in a while that makes you a good writer, doctor, athlete or engineer. It’s your ability to have an excellent knowledge of the fundamentals of your job and apply it consistently.

3. If something doesn’t work out, try a different approach or stop it before it gets worse

That lesson can be applied to almost everything in life, from your professional career to your personal life. If something doesn’t work out the way you planned it, change your approach or stop it altogether and try something different. Whether that’s a business goal or a romantic relationship that has stalled. By sticking to something that doesn’t work out, you prepare yourself for failure.

4. Prioritize quality over quantity in your relationships

That’s an idea that I have always lived by. But when you get older, it gets even more important. Networking or socializing is good,  but what matters, in the end, is the quality of your relationships instead of how many people you have met. That doesn’t mean it’s worthless to meet new people, but it’s essential to keep in mind that you should try to cultivate meaningful relationships instead of empty connections.

5. When you think something nice about someone, always tell them

We always rush around, trying to accomplish something and keep up with our hectic schedules and responsibilities. We often function on autopilot. And that affects our relationships too. We don’t take a break to embrace every moment with the people around us. And we don’t even say something nice to them when they deserve it. Whether that’s a nice gesture or something more trivial like a stylish outfit. Next time you want to say something nice to someone, spit it out. It won’t cost you anything, and you will receive a big smile from the other side.

6. Ambition is good, unless it stops you from enjoying the present moments

Ambition can be a good thing since it’s the vehicle for achieving your goals. But it can lead to disappointment and unhappiness if not combined with gratitude. By striving to be better and achieve more, we often forget to embrace each and every moment. But the notion that you will achieve happiness and contentment once you reach a certain goal is far from true. In fact, the only way we can enjoy this life is to be grateful while striving to be a better version of ourselves.

7. It’s all about the process, not the end result

You have heard it before from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. Continuing from the previous lesson, you sabotage yourself if you always think about the end result and not the process. And do you know what else you are more prone to? Procrastination. When you only think about the end goal, you don’t gain satisfaction from the little everyday gains, and, in that way, it’s more possible to lack motivation in whatever you are doing.  The trick here is to train yourself to enjoy the process. Easier said than done, but it’s the only sustainable way forward. Next time a difficult but necessary task comes up, try to deal with it instead of distracting yourself.

8. Protect your focus at any cost

We live in an era during which our focus is constantly under attack. PCs, calls, smartphones, social media, Netflix. Screens are all over the place. It comes as no surprise that we can’t focus anymore. According to recent studies, humans’ average attention span is currently around 8 seconds, almost 4 seconds less than 20 years ago. In other words, we can’t focus on something for more than 8 seconds before becoming distracted. Next time you need to work on your tasks, put your phone in silent or airplane mode, away from you, or/and disable notifications.

9. Flexibility is equally important as discipline

Discipline is vital if you want to achieve your goals and have more flow during your day. But I have come to the conclusion that flexibility is equally important. By that, I mean that whenever an external condition gets you out of your schedule for some reason, it’s important to regroup and find a way to work on your tasks. Don’t see the interruption as an obstacle but as a challenge to overcome. I am still working on that, but it has become more and more of an essential skill in the modern world.

10. Less thinking, more execution

You may be familiar with this. You have an idea; you try to think about every possible scenario and problem, but you never execute on your plans. Overthinking can be a critical burden and can seriously jeopardize your ambitions. I have struggled a lot with this issue, but I now try to deal with it by not letting myself explore all possible solutions and ideas since that often leads to idleness. Whenever you have a new idea, execute it immediately.

Recap

To sum up, these are the 10 lessons that shaped my perspective and approach to life in 2022:

1. Being able to decide about your schedule is a gift
2. Everything comes down to repeating the fundamentals
3. If something doesn’t work out, try a different approach or stop it before it gets worse
4. Prioritize quality over quantity in your relationships
5. When you think something nice about someone, always tell them
6. Ambition is good, unless it stops you from enjoying the present moments
7. It’s all about the process, not the end result
8. Protect your focus at any cost
9. Flexibility is equally important as discipline
10. Less thinking, more execution

That’s a wrap for this year. I hope you had a good one.

If not, 2023 is around the corner to try again.

Wishing you a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Until next time,

Christos