2019 in Review — What an amazing beginning!

To an end is another beginning.

I bet it’s not too late to write my 2019 in review post. I am going to try to make this post as honest as possible and even more as real. I choose to share a little bit of my life on the internet because I believe there are a few people out there who would like to read about it. I also think I go through several things other people like myself go through and it’s a bit consoling to know that I am not alone on this journey, neither are they.

2019 was pretty much an interesting ride.

On Self-discovery…

Last year was a year of self-exploration. A lot of self-realization moment happened. I uncovered my passion for health and technology. I started coding classes but I did not go far in it because I had to commit more to school to get the grades I needed to finish uni well. I also realized how much power I had and how much I could do as an individual. I allowed my mind to take me on several journeys. I always had an idea of the kind of woman I want to be but 2019 helped me to set my values in place to be her.

On Relationships…

I immersed myself so much into my friendships and almost lost myself. Earlier in 2019 when I had not properly defined some of my standards, I was ready to take on anything that I thought looked good to the world. I wanted to be outstanding but I was losing a part of myself. It did not take long to find myself back because I dedicated certain times of the year to reflect. After realizing where I was missing it, I was able to put in certain measures to fix things up. This involved intentionally withdrawing from some of my friendships, reading more about self-confidence and how to set my standards. Towards the end of the year, I realized I was a very different person from who I was when the year had started.

My career…

Being an overly ambitious woman with very high standards, I knew I wasn’t ready to compromise on my career even if it made people uncomfortable. I was ready to take on any new challenge as long as it gave me headway in my career either through discovering more things I love or through knowing the things I do not enjoy. In November, I was able to secure an internship job with She Leads Africa and this has pushed me to become more professional in my career. I was always ready to put in the work. I remember many times, I would complain, scream, cry, and experience a mental and emotional breakdown but I would get back up, pick my laptop and go on with my work cause the journey may be tough but the reward is great.

On spirituality…

I am the girl who is a baby girl on the outside but inside, I am constantly talking to God asking him to use me, reveal more to me and open my eyes of understanding. In 2019, God answered a lot of my prayers and my faith was greatly strengthened. I saw miracles happen. I testified a few times in church because I wanted to share my joy with people and to also strengthen the faith of anyone who may be getting weary. God was faithful.

On health…

I decided to take my health into my hands in 2019. For the first 6 months, I tried out veganism in Nigeria. Safe to say I did not completely get the hang of it and I did not have a sustainable plan so I had to stop. I took my fitness life a little more seriously. I ran at least 4 miles on most Saturday mornings and tried to hit the gym for about 35- 45 minutes between Tuesdays and Fridays. I became fitter, felt better and made better health choices.

It’s more about the process than the result

This might sound ridiculous to people who are result-oriented but one major thing I learnt last year is that it is not really about the result you produce, it is about the process. This is not to dispute the outcome of a process, but the process remains more important. What lessons did you learn during the process? What values did you gain? What were the highlights of the process? What extra effort did you put in? Can you reproduce the result?

In 2020…

In 2019, I asked God for a word for my 2020. He gave me a phrase — “take action and persist in prayers.” I am going to be taking several actions, new adventures, and constantly be on my knees talking to God. I also want to connect with more people with like minds, build a community of women and continue growing my network. I am going to put in efforts in my relationships and stick with people who do not sing mediocre as their anthem. I am also going to put in more effort into discovering my identity, tapping more into my power and getting my fitness life together. I am going to doubt myself less because I have realized while we are busy doubting ourselves and everything we have to offer; so many people are looking at us from afar; admiring and looking at us for inspiration.

In conclusion, I will leave you with a quote from one of my many mothers, Maya Angelou, which says, “Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have travelled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well.”