2022 Year-End Reflection
2022 brought several travel adventures (Paris, Dublin, Vienna), some unexpected health issues (gallbladder removal), and lots of time with my family. My family time is precious to me, especially as my mom's dementia worsens. I recognize I may only have a few years left with my parents, and I want to take advantage of all that remaining time.
©Krista Boivie, 2022
What significant life changes happened this year?
I was promoted at work, which made two promotions in two years. The speed by which my career has progressed continues to surprise me. With this promotion came some additional responsibilities. In addition to the work as an HRBP and Org Development strategist, I also lead L&D for our HR function, which is both challenging and exciting.
After 18 months of excellent health, I had a gallbladder attack, leading to its removal. I'm healthy again, but the recovery was miserable. I am hoping that 2023 is the year of better health!
What was I most proud of this past year?
I'm proud that I continue to make small changes to improve. For example, I've been consistently exercising (this is a massive deal for me) and trying to focus on establishing better habits--even if they are small.
What was the most significant thing you learned this past year?
I've attended two trainings at work this year. First, "Better Conversations Everyday," and the second, "GROW Coaching Model." Both were excellent and have helped me refine my communication skills. Although I am still hardwired to give unprompted advice, I am better able to catch myself--as I instead ask better questions and listen more intently.
Other Questions
What was the price of gas? $2.68
What were my favorite songs/podcasts/books/movies of the year?
Movies: Lost City & Top Gun: Maverick (both were just fun escapism)
Music: Tiptoeing by Hope Tala, Golden Hour by JVKE, Harry's House by Harry Styles
Books:
Educated by Tara Westover
The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
What was your favorite new experience of the year?
One of the standout experiences of this year was getting a library card for the Library of Congress. My friend Angela and I visited D.C. in May and decided to visit the Library of Congress--as we were at the observation point looking into the reading room, I mentioned that it would be cool actually to go into the room. Angela pulled up the requirements to get a card, and within 30 minutes, we had the cards in our hands and were wandering the book stacks. As the library was closing within 15 minutes of entering, we only had a little time--but it was still fun. I found a copy of The Book of Mormon and read a few scriptures from Mosiah 2.
What new food did you enjoy this year?
Tawainese style - fried chicken - when I was in Dublin earlier this month, we ate at Big Fan, and this was hands down one of the most delicious things I've eaten this year. Since eating it, I've been scouring the internet, trying to find a recipe I can try and make at home.
What new questions do you want to ask in the new year?
Do you have any special powers that most people don't possess? I recently read a blog post where the author was asked this question on a health form. I loved his response. It has me thinking about what my special powers are. I have some ideas, but I will continue to ponder this in the new year.
How can I find ways to be kind today? I asked myself that question while flying him from Vienna a few weeks ago. Even though the travel day was long and tiring, with multiple flight delays and stressful interactions, I found several ways to be kind to others, and it changed my whole perspective of the day. I want to be more intentionally kind in 2023.
2022 Goal Check-In
Honestly, 2022 was a bust. I planned to ask myself two questions each day:
How can I be 1% better today?
Who am I becoming?
In addition, to ask myself the two questions, I had intended to set up reflection sessions each month to see how I was progressing. The only thing that happened was I did print out the two questions and looked at them each day--but they didn't have the intended effect.
In May, I realized that I was getting nowhere--but I didn't stop and reset for the rest of the year. That's why 2022 was a bust. I made no meaningful steps to accomplish some of my big goals. Instead, I poured my energy into my job and allowed myself to squander my free time by bingeing too many TV shows. I'm not going to make the same mistakes in 2023. I will post about what I've planned for the new year in a couple of days. I am highly motivated by strict deadlines and clear goalposts. I never set any last year, which made it easy to ignore the plan.
Even though I accomplished only a few goals this year, it was still a good year. I had several magical travel experiences--I spent a lot of time with my family and built stronger relationships at work--and I will still accept that as a win!
How did 2022 go for you?
