The changing of the calendar gives us a clean slate. A new year offers a chance to do more and aim higher. The opportunity to shed what once was and bring forth what could be — and that’s especially necessary as the world endures geopolitical upheaval and global, painful economic slowdowns.
When I reflect back on 2022, I think first of a world still stumbling out of a pandemic. While less often than 2021, COVID-19 continued to draw headlines. I still had friends get sick. I also caught the virus for a spell.
This year I dug deeper into the habits I’ve always had — daily, non-negotiable exercise, reading, journaling — and I’m a better, wiser individual for it.
In any case, the waning days of December inspire poignancy. There’s something touching about looking back and seeing how far you’ve come. The achievements, time spent with and without others, the experiences now relegated to memories.
I use these reflections both as a springboard to move forward and a roadmap for what could come next. New Year’s eve offers a chance to envision something better — more accountability, more gratitude, more intention in leading a life of your own design.
But challenges don’t just halt when January begins. They follow like a shadow. Whether it’s a bad boss, a dead-end job, or a toxic relationship, these things can weigh heavy and distract you from what matters most.
But if you let it, New Year’s can be a reminder that things can and do change, so long as you take action. Use the calendar as your catalyst. No need for tricks or negotiations, just aim for honesty, and leverage that to strategize.
The pandemic years have shown us just how bad things can get when we give entropy additional leeway. It’s given us a reason to not only aim for better times, but jarring evidence that it’s up to us to work each and every day to build it.
One proven way to level up in 2023
I write often about the importance of personal projects, and their capacity to boost your career prospects and personal development.
For me, this blog and two books have been what I spent much of my time on in recent years. In addition to working diligently in my job as a reporter, I prioritize striving in other parallel directions. These outside pursuits have bolstered my ability to get hired, gain fellowship awards, and recognition for my professional work.
The best way to level up in personal growth and career development is to put genuine effort into a side project. That should be on everyone’s new year’s resolution list, every year.
A good side project is something that gives you the skills you’ve always wanted, and also the opportunity to see how far you can follow a passion.
It’s worth noting that working hard at your job is nothing to scoff out. But that’s what you’re supposed to do. It’s what everyone else is supposed to do. That’s why it’s called a “job.”
Being good at your job isn’t the same thing as going above and beyond or standing out in a crowd. It is a side project — a blog, a book, a YouTube channel, a podcast, etc. — that distinguishes you.
So what would you be proud to do everyday, that you would want to do even if no one immediately compensated you for your time?
Who you would be if you did that thing everyday for a year? What skills would you pick up? What body of work could you build?
On December 31, 2020, here’s what I wrote:
Think about how much you’ve endured on accident, and let it remind you how much further you can go on purpose. Take stock. Lock in. Remember how tough you really are.
Here’s to something better. Here’s to moving up.
Happy new year.
Complement this reading with Ernest Hemingway’s best writing advice, a guide on how to improve your focus, and the story of how I wrote two bestselling books without taking time off work.
I write about powerful ideas, recession-proof skills, and building a personal brand in my newsletter every week. Join 1,800 subscribers here.
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