2018: My Year in Review
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write this but I thought a lot of young folks should see this.
I write this year-in-review as a means to:
- Remember both the good and the bad parts of 2018
- I hope my learnings can inspire/help at least one person
- Provide a transparent account of my life
- Appreciate the little moments
- Reflect over my choices and analyze outcomes
- Give a massive thank you.
Thank you to everyone — my family, friends, enemies, mentors, coworkers, peers — everyone who stood before, with, and against me. While life is largely a single player game, I know that I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I owe everything to those who have helped me make it this far. Thank you.
2018 was another year of personal, social, and professional growth. From exploring my personal tastes and preferences to acquiring new skills to stepping out of my comfort zone, this was another year of extreme learning.
This is my personal story of naivete, little wins, and growth.
Things I learned and hopefully you can take away from this story:
- Success = (a bunch of little things over a long period of time) * LUCK
- Doing > Talking
- External validation is a distraction
- Do one thing really well
- Help people for free when you can
- We perish by what is little. Little negligence, little laziness, a little delay
- Saying no is hard
- Have fun
Flashback to early 2018. I had just completed my final semester and graduated with a second class upper in International Relations. I was 20 and turned 21 in May. Professionally, I was quite naive.
I had started a few businesses in the past, but nothing huge. I knew no one and had no connections to anyone in the big “tech community.” I had no real “technical skills.” I was not active on Twitter. I had never had a real relationship. I had no big goal. I really had no way of providing value for other people. I was kinda (okay, very) lost.
It was at this time — now around March — that one of my lucky emails landed in the right inbox at the right time. I got an internship at a fast-growing company in Lagos- Hotels.ng, and later progressed to being a staff 😁.It was another chance to catapult and hopefully greatly accelerate my growth.
My company (Hotels.ng) sent me for a pitch in Abuja. My first pitch ever guys!!! 😳 and guess who I pitched to? President, Muhammadu Buhari. 💃
Luckily (and I emphasize extremely luckily), one of those cold e-mails I had sent back in August landed in the right inbox at the right time.
Guess what???
I’ll be starting a new journey in January. 😁
I wish you a happy new year and an awesome 2019. Dream big for 2019 because this next year is going to be the best.
I am always here to help. email me suzyike80@gmail.com or tweet me
