83 - Wrapping up the things

Taking stock of the year and planning the coming one

December.

The final month of what has been a very interesting year. For me at least. There were as many downs as there were ups and as thankful as I am for all the good things that happened this year, I am also ready for it to be over.

Over the next few weeks, I shall be taking stock of the year and planning the coming one. This week I’ll be sharing some of my planning tools.

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Year Compass. I discovered this planner a few years ago and it has been my favorite planning tool since. I like how it covers different life domains and isn’t super focused on setting big goals. It is also a great reflective tool for looking back at the year and carrying over whatever is outstanding into the coming year.

Calling and career challenge. One of my dear friends and readers shared this one with me recently. It’s a 21-day journaling challenge with daily prompts that help you connect with yourself and hopefully discover your ideal calling/career. I’m not usually one to pay for things like this but this came highly recommended. As one who is keen to pivot away from her current career, I am excited to get into this and see what comes from it. I don’t know what to expect but I’ve always believed in the magic of putting pen to paper so I shall hope for some magic.

Vision mapping. Brandie is a personal transformation coach I found on Instagram a few years ago. I completely forgot I had signed up for her mailing list until I received an email about this. It is a vision board and mapping workbook so I’m guessing it is like the Year Compass but not free. I have yet to pay for it myself so I have no idea what it looks like but I am curious enough to find out.

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In secondary school, we used to have a quote of the week posted on the main notice board and one that stuck with me was “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.

And I do not plan to fail, so plan I must. Life has taught me that even the best-laid plan can go tits up when you least expect it, but I think things work out better when there is a plan. I just maintain a lot of flexibility and don’t beat myself up when things don’t work out but I believe in trying.

I tried many things in 2023 and I am glad I did. Here’s to trying even more things in the coming year.

This week I read

The mountains sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

I saw a very nice-looking lady on the train with this book in her hand so I decided to check it out. The book is set in Vietnam and tells the story of the Vietnam War through the experiences of multiple generations of one family. I’m not a history buff and know very little about world history so I always appreciate writers who tell these important stories using fiction. This was a very well-written account of the devastations of war and its far-reaching consequences. It took me a while to get through it but it was a good read.

This article on how to strengthen friendships.

This series of queer Nigerian stories.

December has always been for enjoyment and I intend to keep it that way. The weather is trying to kill my spirit, but I am giving myself things to look forward to. I already have an outfit picked out for my work Christmas party next week. I’m also looking forward to decorating my flat and then leaving said flat to spend Christmas with my friends in a different city.

This is going to be my last newsletter for the year and I want to say a big thank you for sticking around and reading. I appreciate it more than you know.

I hope that your holiday season is filled with joy and laughter. As you look back on the year that has been, I hope that you’re gentle with yourself and that you find many things to congratulate yourself on.

Here’s your congratulations for making it through 2023.

Chioma.