Reflections On 2011

IT is hard to believe that the year is almost done. It feels like it was only yesterday that we were ushering in the New Year. As I’m sure it has done for many, the month November put me in a reflective mood. 2011 has been quite an eventful year, and my instincts tell me that 2012 will prove to be a much livelier one. There are a couple of things I learned, which I hope to continue with and others which I hope to put into practice next year. The first is that exercise is one of the best gifts a person can give to themselves. The very act cleanses the body of toxins, keeps one fit, purifies one’s thoughts and the endorphin-high one gets is priceless. Exercising in 2012 will hopefully be more of a consistent activity for me, and not a sporadic guilt-induced act; the result of an indulgent diet, amongst other things. I’ve found that the mundane activities of making lists and setting deadlines are incredibly helpful. Life-changing decisions are followed through, and mountains are moved. Seemingly insurmountable goals are overcome by simply listing what has to be done to achieve them, and setting realistic time limits to do so. Plus who would ever think that writing lists could be fun? Someone told me to not get too carried away, or I might find myself writing a list of how to write better lists, something he attributed to being what is known as the ‘freshly converted enthusiast syndrome.’ In any case, drawing up to-do lists and setting realistic deadlines are super helpful activities in the scheme of life. Unproductive comfort zones are areas that must be steered cleared of when it comes to one’s development. Be it career development or personal self-development, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results has been termed as insane. Whether it is picking up new hobbies, changing jobs, volunteering with charities, renouncing destructive habits – it is important to self-reflect and move away from comfort zones that do not harness nor build on one’s potential. It is easier said than done for sure, and my recent decision to try my hand at golf (an intimidating sport, physically and financially, if there ever was one) is an attempt to shake up a comfort zone. Financial literacy for women is as necessary and important as knowing soccer details of the Barclays Premier League is for men. I have experienced sweaty palms at the sight of a detailed restaurant bill; shun books that talk about finance while using squiggly drawings and not content from the alphabet, and generally have mental blocks with the goings-on at global stock markets. This however, is something I hope to change in 2012. In today’s world, financial literacy is a necessity. Every woman over 30 who can must be able to buy public shares if she wants. If she has a company, she must be conversant with the financial books. Importantly, any educated woman over 30 must be able to grasp international financial events, and what impact this has on her environment. That said, the year 2011 has also showed me once again, that family and friends are the glue that keeps one’s life together. I hope that 2012 ushers in new friends, and strengthens family bonds and old friendships. deempyisi@googlemail.com