Life Lessons from 2023

Happy holidays everyone!

I almost cannot believe 2023 is ending already. It’s been a year of highs and lows, so if you ask me, it’s a raft of mixed emotions here. Chances are that if you also look back at the last 11 months, you’ll feel the same way. 

No matter how the year has been, there is one thing you must do before the year ends: You should look back at the past year and take stock of your experiences. Life teaches great lessons you’ll miss if you fail to sift through your experiences intentionally looking for them. 

Five Life Lessons From 2023

In 2023, I learned many life lessons. Here are the five I consider to be most important

#1 Those who wait for the perfect time never start anything

After years of pushing the decision forward, I finally braved all the odds this year and launched my website. I had so many excuses as to why it was not the best time to start the blog, but I did it anyway. And the experience has been wholesome! 

If I have learned anything this year, it is this: the timing will never be right for many things you need to do. That shouldn’t stop you. Instead, it should put you on your toes. Perfection is not something you find on the sidelines. You find perfection in the journey, so if you never step out, chances are you’ll not arrive at the point of perfection you’re seeking.

Does this mean I’ve gotten it all right on the blog? Of course not. However, every step I take is one less step I need to take. The key is to keep making progress towards your goals every time.

#2 Get yourself a team

I’ve always excelled at doing things alone. Or maybe I thought I did. This year, I have learned that there is much more achievable with a team. From completing projects to learning, a team uplifts you when you would otherwise give up. 

In case you did not know, I had a team working behind the scenes with me on the website to grow our reach on social media and drive more people to the website. Did it work? Absolutely. I had beautiful people work with me on the Mental health campaign that reached over 50,000 people.

As NBA star Michael Jordan noted, “Talent wins games, but teamwork (and intelligence) win championships.”

#3 Never stop learning  

It’s easy to become satisfied with what you know when what you know seems to get you the results you desire. Satisfaction is the enemy of progress. The moment you think all you know is all there is to know, your relevance begins dwindling.

Life is like an ever-changing kaleidoscope. As new patterns emerge, your ability to adapt will depend on whether or not you have continued to learn.

Add certifications along your career path. Reskill. Read a new book. Learn a new language. Learn to play a new musical instrument. Whatever you do, the central idea is not to stop learning, ever!

#4 Responsibility is a choice. 

One of my life lessons from 2023 has to do with being responsible. From the beginning of time, man has never been one to take responsibility when things go wrong. The idea is always to blame it on something other than yourself. In 2023, I learned that being responsible is the difference between those that make things work and those that wait for things to work.

No matter how busy you are, you must be willing to take responsibility for what you want to see work in your life and around you. You must be willing to make the hard decisions to pursue your dreams. You must be willing to let go of the relationships that haven’t helped you anywhere closer to your goals.

Responsibility is a choice, and It is one that no one can make on your behalf.

#5 Give what you want to receive.

I just had to include this. You attract the same things you give off. If you’re merciful to others, you’ll also enjoy mercy. If you are friendly, you’ll find friends more easily. If you show love, you’ll find love. If you give off bad energy, the same will find you. If you’re always negative, negativity will seek you out.

If we give the right things, then we can be sure that the things we expect will find us in return. There’s much more to share, but I’ll let you talk next. What other life lessons did you learn in 2023?