Some great moments from 2023

Last year wasn’t a total dumpster fire 🥳

At midnight on the 1st of January 2023, I was lying in bed in Kigali, listening to fireworks going off outside my window.

The world was happy but I didn’t share their joy.

But this year, it’s different. 2023 didn’t go exactly as planned, but I danced and sang when the clock struck midnight.

Here’s why:

I moved back to Nigeria and built a home from scratch: Traveling while working was hard. I hated it and without a final destination, I was constantly anxious. I decided to eat humble pie and shelf my digital nomad dreams. It was the best decision I ever made.

An aesthetically pleasing of my monstera taken by Maryam

I spent 365 days working at Float: In April, I celebrated my first anniversary at Float. Transitioning from an agency to in-house was a big leap for me, and I was proud of my growth in the first year.

I spent time with my friends and family: A major regret when I moved away was that I didn’t make enough memories with my family and friends. When I moved back, I was intentional about visiting people and being visited by people. I hosted my mum, sister, and nieces at my house. I threw slumber parties for my friends.

There was no gossip because everyone fell asleep 🥲

I worked on my first big project at Float: For the first time, I didn’t just execute an idea; I was involved in planning and managing a project. The case study project was a first for me. Even though case studies are a different format from what I am used to writing, the results were amazing. I didn’t know I had it in me.

😀I got a ton of compliments while working on the case study project

I started saving more and investing more: I wrote my first angel check and became consistent with my monthly investments. I educated myself about finances and building wealth.

I traveled to Japan for Float’s annual meet-up: It was my first trip outside Africa. And it was to a country on my “top 10 places to visit” list! I ate every food I had coveted in anime. I visited Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Naoshima, and Takamatsu and I loved every minute of it. I met my teammates in person, learned more about our product and company, and bonded with Romina.

Kyoto was a dream

I mentored about 50 people on ADPlist: I’m passionate about helping people figure out their careers as I progress in mine. I was glad to be able to share what I know with everyone who booked a session on ADPlist. I met some of these people in person recently, and it’s amazing how far they’ve come.

I started a Substack newsletter and it now has 65 subscribers: I didn’t expect that many people to want to listen to me. I’m thankful for every one of my subscribers.

Finally, I stopped waiting for the perfect life to begin on its own: I started living my ideal lifestyle. I moved into a large apartment. I slowly grew my garden. I drank tea out of a fancy jug. I took long aimless walks and exercised. I cooked random meals I found on Pinterest. I started drawing and cross-stitching. I wrote poems. I bought a bookshelf for my books. I took one day at a time.

I’m thankful to God for a great year.

This year had some low points, but I don’t want to dwell too much on time on them because I’ve been beating myself up throughout the year. This post is me giving myself a massive pat on the back. It is a reminder to push for a better year in 2024.

PS I wasn’t going to write this post, but I read Ruth Ikegah and Tamilore Oladipo’s posts, and I realized how important it is to reflect at the end of the year.