Reflecting on 2024

Its that time of the year again! Time to reflect back on the past year. Also, the time to plan for the next. It was in Dec 2021 that I started reflecting back on the last year and planning or setting goals for the coming year. Since then I have come to realize that self-reflection is an integral part of transforming our lives.

Last December, I was not in a good place mentally and hence even though I knew what my goals would be, I didn’t write them down. There were a lot of ups and downs during the first half of 2024. The upside was reading. I had excellent reading months with some amazing books from Jan to Jun. The best reading month was Feb with 8 books.

But in almost every other aspect, it was a frustrating time in my life. In June, I was let go from a job that I was starting to hate. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise? As a Division Director in District 116 of Toastmasters, ending the term strong in June was a huge challenge which took almost all of my energy, time and effort. But it was a journey filled with lots of learning, creating lasting friendships and my network grew beyond what I could have ever imagined. There were many other challenges in my personal life some of which I’m still trying to overcome.

The second half of 2024 took me on a very different path. Since my school days, I was always passionate about the IT field and I worked in this field for 4.5 years after which I had to quit when my son was born. Afterwards, I was never able to go back to this field. I have worked in various other fields but was never completely happy or satisfied. In August, I joined Brototype which helps students and people like me to upskill ourselves before plunging back into the IT field.

It was overwhelming at first especially when I saw that 99% of my batchmates were just in their early 20s. Here I was, a 41-year old in the midst of students almost half my age. It is an intense self-learning program designed to mold us into individuals who can learn and implement anything in the least amount of time. I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to keep up. Even though I wanted to give it my best, I was scared it was going to affect the time I spent for myself. But it did not.

When I look back at my goals for the last couple of years, my main goal for 2023 was to manage my time efficiently. 2024 has shown me that yes, I have learnt the art of managing my time. Almost everyone I meet asks me “Naila, where do you find the time for all this? You do so many things!” All I have to say is that we are all given 24 hours. How effectively we prioritize things and how efficiently we manage the 24 hours is what makes the difference. I think this is one of my biggest wins of 2024 – finding the time to do everything I want to do without compromising on my family or health.

As an optimist, I always focus on the silver lining even when it is hard to find it. Even with all the struggles I had to face in the first half of 2024, I think I am ending the year on a high note.

– I was able to read 54 books in spite of having a full-time job until June and now being a full-time student.
– I was awarded Best Area Director of the Year for the term 2022-23.
– I ended my term as a Division Director in the best way possible creating an impact in many people’s lives.
– I have attended around 160 Toastmasters meeting in 2024 and enjoyed each one of it.
– I have come back to the field that I love working in and to top it I was awarded “Best Performer of the Month” in November – an accomplishment that I’m still trying to convince myself isn’t a dream.
– At least 4 people have told me that I have inspired them to either start or restart reading.

With everything that was going on in my life, I haven’t written anything at all this year; until now. I wouldn’t blame it on not having time as I no longer believe in that concept. I just wasn’t motivated enough to do it. Two days back, I read a book “Breaking Free” written by a first-time author and Toastmaster Farhan Kardame. The book is about overcoming our limiting beliefs. This book inspired me to write again. I have truly enjoyed reflecting back on 2024 and sharing my journey with all of you. Writing this has shown me how much I was able to achieve and learn in 2024. It has also made me the realize the joy of writing.

It is only when we write down each of the ups and downs that we realize how much we have accomplished and grown. I hope each one of you will try this even if it is just a list on paper. Trust me, it is going to change your perspective on how you look at your life. It is also going to help you decide on your course for the next year.

Stay tuned for the next post on what my goals for 2025 are.