2022: The Year It Didn't Happen

One word to describe 2022: Omooooo^[n]

I had plans to take over the world in 2022 but as you can see, it didn't happen. This year did not go according to plan at all. I went through a lot that I thought I would never recover from but here I am. I didn't accomplish up to 20% of my goals but now that I look back, it was still a good year. I'm alive and in the end, that's what counts. Without too much talk let's get into it.

Part 1: What Went Down In 2022 aka The Review

Job/Career

I have a thing as a freelance web designer & WordPress developer. I got a ton of referrals, which meant I worked on many projects this year. I got to a point where I could reject offers that didn't align with me (didn't pay enough to be worth my time or would put me through a lot of stress). My clients were happy with my work which means I'm doing something right. I'm still an imposter sha. Oh, I also got better at JavaScript and picked up Nodejs, Express, and MongoDB.

Health/Fitness

Still physically unfit but I maintained a healthy weight this year. Glory to God.

Finances

Somehow I 3x'ed my 2021 income which was 100x all the other years combined. Did I make 7 figures? Who knows??? I gave some of it away, saved some, and spent the rest on food, internet, clothes (I don't even leave my house), passion projects, a bunch of unnecessary stuff, and an iPhone. I also managed to hit my emergency savings fund goal of $1000 (twice sef) but an emergency happened shortly after so it's mostly gone. I still suck at managing money.

Relationships

I'm still not the best friend anyone could ask for but I did my best to be there for my friends, cheer them on, steer them away from bad decisions (cough Mobola), and support them. I also ate my first breakfast this year which left me unproductive for almost 5 months. Afterward, I managed to stir up the excitement of meeting new people and forming new friendships. Oh, I also managed to hold my position of favorite child and sister for the 22nd year in a row.

Travel

Without any proper planning, I bought a ticket and went to Abuja in March. Some of the best weeks of 2022. I also learned that we are suffering in this Lagos sha. Was supposed to visit Ibadan this year just so I could ride the train but that didn't work out.

Spiritual

Spent a lot of time with God, listening, talking, and mostly crying (as I said earlier, I went through a lot). My relationship with the Holy Spirit got so much better and sweeter this year. I realized how much I'd been missing. It is safe to say that the only reason I'm alive and sane, writing this review is due to his presence in my life.

Confidence

Let's say this grew, dropped, and grew 10x again. I am more confident in my body than ever before. I did things I thought I would never be able to. I preached in church on Sunday. I started conversations. I dressed up however I liked. I cracked my corny jokes. I did some stupid things that I do not regret 😂

Part 2: What Sucked aka the bad

• Due to the breakfast thing and being unproductive for such a long period of time, my drive for work declined for a while so I couldn't move forward with many of my work/career goals. I basically abandoned all my responsibilities to cry and mope around until like October.
• I suck at managing money. Looking at my income tracker I can see that I made money someone as lazy as me has no business making but all that money is almost nonexistent as I write this.
• I still have a terrible attitude toward communicating with people including friends and family. People that know, know.

Part 3: What I'm going to do aka the plan

• I want to do a lot more volunteer work and work on more passion projects either in tech or in church. If you have something for me, do not hesitate to let me know.
• I need to get a job or an internship in 2023. I want the experience of working as a developer for an actual company.
• I want to do a lot more writing in 2023 (story writing, content writing, technical writing). I just want to write again.
• Dating/Romantic Relationship? Nahhh. I am open to meeting new people and my heart is definitely open to love (not even a hard breakup can take that from me) but a committed romantic relationship? No way. Y'all be safe though.
• This tech money that you people talk about, the one y'all are spending, I must make it.

To be honest, it was a boring year. But in summary, I am grateful. For my family, for friends, and the people I've met along the way. For the people who helped me through those tough five months (my mum, Bolu, Funmi, Tope, Emmanuel, Mobola); for the people who always know how to make me laugh (special S/O to TamTam and his corny jokes); for the people who encouraged by telling me how great they thought I was and would be (special S/O to my gateman); for the ones whose growth inspires and challenges me every day (Geek & Ghost, the only two tech bros I know 😂😂); for my friends in school who risk their social status by being friends with an awkward girl like me 😂😂 (S/O to Aisha, Tomi, Fikayo, Chidera, and my Computer Science girls); for the best roommates ever (Tokunbo, Teni, and Aishat); for Winning Faith Assembly (my second family); for that one conversation I had with Pastor Ehigie that saved my life; for my younger siblings who love me regardless. For the one that broke my heart and for the one that made it beat again. For Jesus for proving time and time again that he will never leave me.

Regardless of how shitty this year was, looking back, I can see that I've come very far from the timid, lost girl I used to be even though I still cry a lot.

Here's to a bolder, more confident, wiser, kinder, happier me. What more can I say? 2023 is gonna be good.