I’ve had a lot of new experiences this year. Some good, some bad and some strange. My first on-location video shoots took place, passed the milestone of 1 year self employed, had my first operation, been rug pulled and subsequently un-rugged alongside many other things.
There are a few things I’ve learnt over the last 12 months that I need to remember for the near future, and possibly carry on through life with in the back of my mind.
- Post-it notes might be the most important piece of stationary ever created
- Keep notes in one place. Switching between my notes app and a notepad is a nightmare
- Check the notes before updating software – will it impact my workflow? (Adobe – thank you for Premiere Pro transcription!)
- It’s okay to make a bad decision every now and then, how can you learn without a mistake?
- Find a way to ground yourself when things are going exponential. This is probably my most important takeaway from the year.
Adding to the note about grounding yourself, there’s been a few times this year where I’ve seen investments begin to skyrocket and a new mindset takes over. Complete greed. I watch the price rise, telling myself it’ll never dip back down which has almost always led to me missing out on profits.
Similarly in my career, there’s the odd week where I receive lots of positive news and it’s overwhelming. I get over-excited and forget what I actually need to do, leading to what can sometimes be a sloppy product. I need to remember what I’m doing, and continue to work on projects as if they’re the most important regardless of what may be lined up for the future.
I’ve set a few simple goals for 2022, things that are easily achievable but will require a shift in habit.
- Constantly evaluate and filter my social media channels – am I following the people and businesses that provide value or positive influence?
- Read at least one book per month, I need to solidify a part of my daily routine to reading as a way to get away from the digital loop.
Moving away from simple goals, there are a few things that I just genuinely want to do in the next year.
I’d like to travel somewhere on my own, just taking a week out of my life to explore a new area and interact with new people without a push from family or friends to do so. As a person who lives very much in a comfort zone, this would be a big challenge to overcome and I know that it would play a benefit to the way I continue to interact with others in the future.
Zak Michaelwaite 
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