Hi reader,

Wish you a very happy holiday season, and Merry Christmas!

I hope you are enjoying these last days of 2022, with your family, friends, and loved ones, either with the beautiful trips or with the delicious delicacies or having house parties and playing games, or going on cafe-hopping or food-n-music festivals, and if nothing, then just sitting idle doing nothing and just binge-watching your favorite movies or TV Shows. Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

Every year starts with the Resolutions and ends with a review while updating-n-striking off those resolutions. I know, many of you might not agree or believe in either resolution or reviewing the resolutions, or both, as it is most horrible to see how ambitious, positive, and focused we are at the beginning but as time goes by, we start neglecting or procrastinating. But no matter if you believe it or not, everyone does look back on the year of how it went. Organizations may do analysis, and call it something or other, but as an individual also, we all look back at the various aspects of our life, from professional to social, family to personal, career to love, friendships to relationships, and situation-ships. We all do a recap, and I am not talking about the social media recap videos just put your pictures and videos in a pre-defined template and let you share them. It is also good but this is what you show to the world, not something that you offer to yourself. 

Every 31st December, people think of doing something different, productive, or something self-gratifying that could make them content, giving them a sense of achievement that they could carry with pride and end the year on a positive note. Somehow, people on 31 December, have this feeling that they did not do enough for the year. They should have accomplished more. They should have achieved more. More money, more power, more respect, more travel, more recognition, more, more, more, more… And in order to do it, at least on the last day, they try at least one thing that could fulfill that “More” feeling. A few days back, one of my friends posted on social media asking for suggestions on what could be done for the last few days of the year as it felt it wasn’t enough (however my friend, you did enough and I am so happy seeing you grow). Social media, if we see it, is filled with very interesting content about how people are reviewing their years. Some are updating their goals, like Saving $150,000 to $150,000 and marking them Done. And then there are some self-consoling quotations to make you feel better. However, the question is, is this all necessary? Do we really need to do all of it?

Can’t we just take a look back at the year, and just accept it? Good or bad, just accept it as is? And when we think of next year’s goals (if you do those resolutions) then keep a note of the year recap. Do we really need to be so harsh with ourselves by putting extra pressure on the last week or day of the year? Can’t we just appreciate on the last day of the year with who we are first? 

2022, has been a hell lot of a journey for me if I talk about it. From going on vacations with friends (first time in life), cousins and family, to buying the dream piano and laptop, from going to food and music festivals to concerts, from playing piano in a room to playing piano at the office and mall, from being in the comfort zone of the job with family alike colleagues to moving into a new role with the new team, from the learning with the challenges to coming out in glory, it has been as exciting as it could be, and if someone asks me I want any changes, I would like to live it the same, every time.

Now, this doesn’t mean it has been perfect, I would have wanted MORE, but wasn’t able to do so (like travel overseas), and had some unfortunate troubles as well from family to friends. There had been situations where I was on the verge of losing the closest circle, multiple times, but was fortunate enough for the people who kind of popped up from nowhere, and helped me sail through and brought the things in plain sight. There are a lot of things I wish to say to many people, to meet them and tell them how important and special they are, but not been able to. However, it won’t make the year any less. 

Friend, you have done a lot this year. You have achieved a lot. Some of you may have achieved wealth, some would have been healthier. Many of you have started a new chapter of your married life. Either you moved to a new location (maybe to a foreign land), or switching jobs, or travelling the world with the new role. Some might have struck the best note of their melody, but if all this sounds big then at a minimum, we all have been a year wiser, a year more educated, and a year more experienced. 

No matter whether you won a big prize or bought something big or small, or got promoted or for instance, lost a job, you must have brought smiles to your people. Look around, look at your parents, partner, or friends, and look at the smile on their faces when you meet them. If still, this isn’t enough, you might have made someone’s day by talking to them politely on their hard day (maybe a Good Morning or Thank you with a smile?). You might have lost friends or people close to you this year, but you met new people. Old bonds might be broken but new ones formed. 

We often have big goals or objectives in our life (and we must have them). These goals are something that is so big that you can’t achieve them head-on. For example, Messi wanted to win the FIFA World Cup, but can he directly play and win the final? No, he has to play the whole tournament and win every single match to win the tournament. Can some college graduate (let’s say from Harvard) can become CEO of any Fortune 500 Company on the first day of his work? No, he has to work through and progress through his career. The deal is, in order to achieve something big, we win small first. Big wins, don’t happen overnight. 

You might not have won something big this year, but you have won many small battles, and those small wins will someday make you win big. This is what, we call “Growth”. A big win is a success, but these small wins that help you prepare and grow for your bigger goal give you growth. It will take time, from Days to Months to Years, depending upon what your Bigger Objective is, and till then, you will win or learn.

Thus, on December 31, when we look back at the year, let us just appreciate our growth through the year, of what small we achieved while working on that big goal. This year’s end, if we do a recap, let us just focus on the small moments and celebrate life while we welcome 2023. 

The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.

Dalai Lama

I wish you the best of this holiday season. Take care and enjoy!

Cheers,
Navneet