2022 Life Plan: Be More Critical, Speak Less

Exactly a year ago, I wrote about Progress and Pause . I challenged myself that while it is good to work hard, it is equally necessary to take pauses, or, to rest. Despite the demands of my career, I think I managed to take quality pauses. 

Among the many vacation leaves I have taken, my most favorite is the one to two-week vacation during the holidays. I stay at my hometown in Las Pinas. This is my opportunity to rest, bond with the family, contemplate about the year that is about to end, and prepare for the following year. 

Looking back, 2021 has been a great year. I can say that I have changed a lot - matured a lot, actually. I can confidently say that I am in a much better position both intellectually and emotionally. When I say intellectually, it doesn't mean the book-ish and cerebral stuff. It means being more strategic in life, being more street-smart, and having that ability to just focus on what truly matters. I have also noticed myself becoming emotionally mature.  There are some triggers that do not affect me anymore, like people's perception towards me, and other "noises" from several Marites and Marisol of my life whose opinions do not count as relevant. 

After more than three decades of living in this world, I have achieved full independence. I am fully in-charge of my life, finally. While I still take into consideration loved ones' advice and opinion on how I should live my life, it is only now that I am having the final say. I intend to do it this way. I think I am being prepared for something big - a major shift that is about to happen sooner or later. When that time comes, I need to be more fully aware of myself, own my decisions, and never look back. 

Ironically speaking, while I enjoy my independence, I also learned about the importance of spending QUALITY time with my family, with the elders of my hometown. Whether I accept it or not, I am getting old and I am embracing it. As I get older, my Mom and Ate Mal get older, too. They are getting grayer by the month. It reminds me that I have limited time left to spend with them. So I make it a point to treat them well. Although sometimes, my kamalditahan gets in the way. Thank goodness they still love me. =)

I put emphasis on QUALITY because it does not matter how many hours or days you spend with your loved ones. What matters is how this time is spent with them. Who knows how much time I have with them? I want to remember these as wonderful memories that I can cherish in the future.

My 2022 Life Plan

In the next 24 hours (as of writing), we will all leave 2021 behind and face another year full of hope. My Mom, an amazing palm reader and a bit of a fortune-teller, tells me that 2022 will be an amazing year. But it can only be possible if we put in some effort. So, here is the plan:

1. Self-Love Continues - The middle ground between rewarding yourself with comfort food and challenging yourself to exercise and to go on a healthy diet is what I consider self-love. I want to be healthy and live a long life. I watched a KDrama and one of the characters there said something remarkable. He said, non-verbatim, that one must strive to live a healthy life. Being rich or being reputable is futile if you are always sick. I have seen people with money and with a good name but died a painful death because of illness. I do not want that for myself. 

2. Time Management - This is my recurring problem. I have issues with time management. I cannot work for continuous 30 minutes without any distractions. But this time, I need to be more strategic with my daily life. I need to strengthen my focus so I can finish one task at a time. I also need to do this so I can have more personal time after my work shift. 

One hindrance to proper time management is huge and complex tasks. I easily get overwhelmed, and when I get overwhelmed, I allow distractions. In the end, nothing gets done.  This has to stop. Change starts now. 

3. Be More Critical - I recently got promoted and transferred to another department. My new work entails a different kind of skill set. I need to be more thoughtful, to dive deeper to eventually become a subject-matter expert. 

I appreciate my new leader. While I am always in a hurry to accomplish something, she would remind me to take a few steps back and think about what to do. In a fast-paced BPO world, this is not always the best route. But I trust her. She is exactly the reason why I transferred. She will teach me to be more critical. 

But I have to be ready. Being critical will rock boats and disrupt norms. Let me share a story.

Austrian physicist and one of the proponents of microbiology Ignaz Semmelweis ordered his fellow medical professionals to wash their hands before and after assisting mothers in giving birth in the 1800s. This lowered the mortality rate in birth clinics up to 90%, eventually 100%. During his time, Semmelweis could have gotten a Nobel Peace Prize or any related award. Instead, he was murdered by his fellow doctors. Semmelweis had a reputation of questioning the current standard practice. And his contemporaries did not appreciate being ordered around to wash their hands. 

Semmelweis' story is part of the book I am currently reading entitled When The Earth Was Flat: All The Bits of Sciences We Got Wrong by Graeme Donald. It is my year-end book - a timely read and is exactly what I need right now. 

We are all used to just accepting what books, media, or experts tell us, but we have to be very critical especially now at the age of fake news and information overload. Semmelweis was very critical, and he fought for what he believed was right until the end. While it is not wise to die fighting for what is right, I have to be ready for uncomfortable discussions, debates, and difficult conversations that come with thinking differently. This is what 2022 will look like, at least for me. 

4. Speak Less - This is a big challenge for a motormouth like me. But part of maturing is mincing the words before blurting them out, and knowing the right time to say it and the right people to share it with. My strength and weakness combined is I easily get comfortable with people that I forget if the things I share are relevant to them. I promise to minimize the noise and just express what is necessary. Short. Straightforward. Sweet. 

Most especially, I commit to write more here in this blog. I launched this in 2019 but I have written only a few. I consider this as my personal diary, but I am so pleased that you also get to read about my reflections. To those who have been reading my blog, thank you so much! 

I wish you a great year of 2022. Always make the right choices. Enjoy life! 

Happy New Year!