2024, the year that was 🎉

I have never been one to write an epistle, but here I am now because I’m feeling a bit nostalgic and reminiscing about the times I used to write more.

✨Choosing the Theme of the Year

I start the year by giving each year a theme. 2024 was the second year of doing this in a way that works. There is nothing fancy about how I choose a theme for the year. It is usually coined from something I have said in a soliloquy about the new year. It can come to me at the most random times (I got my theme of 2025 as early as October this year). I realise now that most of those times have been when I was irritated, frustrated or downright angry. So they always sound like I’m in a battle against the world😂. I am glad to say the theme of 2025 is calmer and happier. It’s in battle gear but peaceful all the same.

🔖Starting the Year with Realistic Goals

The previous year (2023) was me trying to settle into life in a new country — pass probation at my new job, push through my first winter, battle SADs and get used to a new country. This year was about finding my feet, standing tall, and getting to know myself.

I have always wanted to make my goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Relevant and Time-Bound). This has always been hard for me because there are more things out of my control than things in my circle of influence. I always want to be as realistic as possible to reduce the impact when things don’t go my way. So, I decided to make a 6-month plan for some areas and do a mid-year review to add more later. Who was I kidding? I noticed that I needed to go back to it, and procrastinated my way past it till it made no sense going back. Despite how much was out of my control, I still completed most items on that list. So, there is an argument that the SMART framework works.

There will always be things outside our influence that impact some of the things we want. The key is to focus on what we CAN change.

It has laid the groundwork for the most elaborate year-in-review and goal-setting session I have ever done.

🗺️ The Journey of Personal Growth

This year was an improvement on many fronts to the previous year. I may have dropped the ball on many things, but mentally, I’m a lot happier than I was the past year. I’m settling in a bit better into my new home and beginning to dare to dream.

It occurred to me in 2022 that I was so engrossed in work and the ideas of how I should think and act handed down by society that I wasn’t sure who I was and was generally scared of living. It made perfect sense considering the environment I was in, which was Nigeria. It is not the most forgiving landscape. I didn’t have the luxury of trying and failing — of pivoting at will — every decision was critical. As a result, I hid my personality and presented a tough exterior to survive. So, 2023 was about exploring new things and settling into this new place. 2024, I was settled (whether I accepted it or not) and was ready to extend what I had started in 2023, challenging some fears I had while at it.

I did a lot more introspection this year, and it’s so enjoyable (therapy is expensive). I am not only learning more about myself, but I am learning more about the world around me. I had a goal of reading five books this year. I’m done with four and almost through with the last book. I decided to stick to physical copies of titles to reduce my dependence on technology marginally. It made for a good wind-down activity for bedtime at night. The only problem is I hardly ever read much at bedtime. I would go for days without touching the book because I felt I had so much to do. What I loved about reading is it made me hungry for information. I thought I lost that chasing career advancement and tried to get it back. I tried to be like the “super-wise” people and read self-help and other non-fiction books, but that didn’t work. Although I read fiction, well-selected books expose me to new ways of thinking and fun facts, which can lead me down a rabbit hole of information. If only non-fiction writers could write the way fiction writers do.

I didn’t anticipate how much information I would consume through podcasts. I listened to a LOT of podcast episodes! I discovered The Diary of a CEO podcast and listened to a few cool episodes, but I hit the jackpot with Trevor Noah’s podcast — What Now. Both podcasts bring on great guests who talk about deep things. Trevor’s podcast has a playful vibe to it, which I appreciate. It feels like friends hanging out and talking (my favourite pastime). Some episodes would leave me feeling like my brain was on fire (I think it’s on fire now, too).

This deep introspection is changing me; I’m more aware of the stereotypes I conform to without questioning them. I’m also establishing my dealbreakers and core values and beliefs. Slowly, I am creating a clearer picture of who Linda is and what makes her tick.

Apart from all the time I spent in my head, I went out more. I embraced exploring things solo and did what I wanted without thinking if it made sense to do it alone. I took my first holiday — planned it all on my own, too. I went to see Hans Zimmer’s concert and The Script. The beauty of these things is they are things I would never have imagined myself doing on my own. See, because of how communal we are as a people (Nigerians), it’s easy to take for granted the communities that we have around us and the assurance they provide. On the flip side, it’s also very easy to give in to FOMO or the herd mentality because of these communities. I was far from the communities I had cultivated and didn’t know how to proceed. I needed to create new ones, but more importantly, I needed to enjoy my company. This opened up a new possibility for me — the opportunity to indulge in those things I liked that I previously thought my community wouldn’t like and, therefore, denied myself. The lesson I learnt is perfectly captured in this quote I saw somewhere(can’t remember where);

If you want to do something, do it — don’t look for company. Sooner or later, like-minded people will find you.

I have gotten used to the weather and avoided the winter blues completely! I also skipped the flu this year, so I had 365 days without a single ailment. I overcame my social anxiety in the gym and can tolerate being around people (I even made a few acquaintances there). I have fought my social anxiety to try online dating apps… all I can say is a win is a win.

We listen, we don’t judge.

📈Navigating Professional Growth

I would be remiss not to mention work. We spend most of our time there, whether we accept it or not. So it’s no surprise that what happens at work affects other parts of our lives greatly. It was the main reason I felt I was in battle mode last year. I was learning a lot about the corporate world that I didn’t know, and I was thrust into the fray immediately. It made me feel very helpless and not in control. In response, I entered the new year trying to bring my head above water and find my own two feet. I tried more things at work; I gave the biggest presentation I have ever given (not counting debates and public speaking in uni). I also took on more responsibility in and outside of my team. I have received wonderful feedback from people I respect that means the world to me.

Conclusion

I set into 2024, wanting to be better and grow. I did that. It was scary and daunting, but courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s moving despite the fear. There are areas that I didn’t cover here because there are still unanswered questions and things I have yet to get to. I stuck with the theme for the year, and I now sing like Isabella from Encanto: “What else can I do?” I’ll spend the new year exploring how else to grow and thinking further into the future because it doesn’t feel so scary anymore — it’s exciting!

Here’s to the adventure the next year will bring!