I've been dragging my butt about writing this review, especially after seeing the amazing things that everyone has been up to and accomplished this year. And although I didn't have what the kids would call "Instagram worthy" moments, I do think it is incredibly important to write this review and set intentions for next year, given the year I have had.
When I was thinking about what word I would use to describe 2022, I don't think there could be a better one than RESILIENCE.
January had me completing my year of maternity leave, while February had me transitioning Lina to full time daycare (right in time for her first birthday - I still can't believe that people in the US go back before this - I could not imagine). Then March had me transition myself back to full time work - in a new role with new responsibilities. That, coupled with learning how to navigate our new normal of having two working parents, a teenager who is about to graduate high school and a toddler in daycare (with all the sickness), took an incredible amount of learning and adjusting.
If you're a parent who took parental leave, you understand how the transition back to work alone would have been a lot for someone to deal with in a year. With that said, I'm so proud of my family for learning to navigate this change but I am especially proud of myself for being able to accomplish what I did professionally and personally amidst the new routine and what would come our way in the last half of the year.
July had us travelling to Sudbury - our first "away" trip as a family of four - for my cousin's wedding. It was so nice to see family after a couple of years of pandemic life. Although, in hindsight, I did not enjoy this time with my family as much as I could have considering that only a few days later we would lose my brother. I wish that I would have worried less about Lina's sleeping arrangements and spent more time enjoying the evening - one where we would all be together as a family for the last time.
Since July, the months have been a blur. Between the time spent making arrangements, locating documents, closing accounts and trying to resolve my brother's estate (all while still working and parenting full time), I'm not going to lie - it's been a lot. Although most of the physical work is done, the "heavy lifting" of dealing with my brother's passing is not complete. This is because this is the work I cannot check off a list. It's the internal work I need to do - the work I am not quite ready to do yet, but the work I will need to do nonetheless.
It's been a year of new chapters and of ones that I couldn't imagine closing. With this said, it did take me a little bit to reflect on this year and to jot down what I am proud of accomplishing.
What did I accomplish this year?
Professional goals:
Asked for a change in role (understanding that this first year of returning to work and having a toddler at home could be a lot for me to deal with) which had my boss create an entirely new role for me where I could keep my existing salary, remove direct reports and allow me to continue doing the work I love - process improvements and training the team.
When I actually returned to work, was able to hit the ground running - successfully launching two large projects and making great impacts across my team and others (as expressed in the 15 responses I received for end of year feedback from my peers!).
Increased my annual salary by almost 8K, surpassing the original goal I had set for myself and learning that I need to dream bigger!
Learned to set healthy boundaries around my work/home life in order to reduce burn out (and allow me to tackle all the personal situations which would arise this year).
Personal goals:
Revived my "me-time" by building in fitness to my daily routine - including both a morning workout at my kickboxing gym and a mid-day one from home.
Continued nursing my daughter all of 2022. This started off by pumping midday until around April and then settling on morning and evening feeds only. Still no end in sight (lord, help me).
Creating better budgeting for the year to ensure that we had enough to cover expenses that came up and to cover us for the Christmas season, which always seemed to derail our finances. I was able to have a surplus for this year which I will be putting into a high interest savings account for next year.
And probably the most important - showing up every day and not letting grief completely cripple me. This allowed me to forge ahead and accomplish the list above. I am so proud of myself for this one.
What are my intentions for 2023?
This coming year, I am vowing to holding my boundaries, prioritizing more rest and self-care (by scheduling in more "days away from work" to reflect and check in with me) and strengthening my relationships with my friends and family (as I felt that they were on the backburner a little more than I would have liked - and I understand how quickly these important people can leave my life). With all those intentions in mind, my word for 2023 is INVEST. I will be investing in myself, my relationships, and also in mine and my family's futures. I can't wait to see what these investments will bring in 2023 - Happy New Year, everyone!