Hello everyone and welcome to the year 2024. Yes! we made it, thanks be to God, the giver and the keeper of our lives.

I am sure as it is common practice, some of us have probably jotted down and highlighted our new year resolutions, while some of us have made new plans or reviewed old plans.
I am also sure some people might have had some quality retrospection and introspection
All good!

For the majority of us, a new year always starts with high hopes, dreams and plans. Some of us are blessed to be starting the year on a clean slate and with high spirits. Some are starting the year in a new phase such as being newly married, with new employment or changed and better jobs, new businesses that have been long planned and now being executed. Some with the gift of new addition to their families with gifts of newborn and/or adopted babies. These are precious and beautiful.

Let all these string up hope and ignite the spark to hold on and not give up for those, who did not end the year 2023 on the high note as desired, and longed for.

Yes! some not too good things happened to some of us. Some experienced broken friendships and relationships, lost jobs, the demise of a loved one, business fold up, betrayal, broken trust, goals not met, dreams not actualised, etc. Should we now give up if things did not go the way we planned in 2023?

Should we be complacent because things went just the way we planned. Or should we forget ourselves in the euphoria of the great things that came our way beyond our expectations?

This is for everyone, do not dwell in the past, be it good or bad. Pick up your lessons and move on.

For those who are where they desire and even more than they desire or expected, I share in your joy. I join you to give you a pat on the back. I celebrate you and I encourage you to celebrate yourself, you deserve it. Give yourself some treats when you can, and never forget to celebrate those who contributed to your success. Keep applying what worked for you, but never fail to be flexible enough to give room for growth. As much as you are comfortable in your now, do not be complacent and rigid. Be ready to adopt new ideas, be flexible enough to change, be ✨💖smart enough to unlearn and relearn. You know why? The future is loaded with innovations. The world is not going to stand still, so be ready to adapt and to adopt. What worked for you yesterday, might not work for you today and tomorrow.

Be thankful for all you achieved, seek to keep improving, be open to collaborations, connect with like and great minds and do not be selfish. Help others when you can. Remember, it can be lonely at the top.

For those who did not have it as planned, you are not a failure, you are not cursed or jinxed and you are not unfortunate. Never believe that!

You think you are the only one on this seat ? Noooo! Some of us did not have everything on our list ticked as done or settled or achieved. Is that now the end of the road or journey? Not at all. You are still alive and blessed with the gift of good friends and family, among other things. However, if your friends and even in some cases families are a thorn in your flesh for not having everything figured out, then you have some reevaluations to do this year. You have some permutations to do. We will get to that at a later date.

So, if it is not the end of the road or journey, what then should be done?

First, do not dwell on what did not, because if you do, you might not be able to focus on what should and how it should go. So, start by evaluating your goals for 2023 and the approach you attempted or used. Deep evaluation will help you to know what did not work and may be why it did not work. Then, restrategise, change approach if necessary because you cannot be using the same approach that failed you. Also note that some failed approaches might not be because they are not good, but because you did not apply them fittingly. Restrategizing will help you to apply your approach appropriately. Seek assistance in the appropriate quarters and don’t move or walk in isolation. Don’t be shy or arrogant to ask for help. A lot of people are out there ready to help if only you would ask.

While evaluating, pay special attention to the following: Strategies, approaches, distractions, also understand that some goals are long term and not short term. Do not expect to achieve a long term goal in the short term. All you need to do is to take steps towards achieving them in the long run, so your progression towards the goal is what you measure. Not yet there is not a failure, being far from it is what should not be.

For those who suffered broken friendship or relationships, two things might have been (though not exclusive). Either that person(s) are better off without you or you are better off without that person(s). If the latter is the case, be thankful for the disaster that was averted. Though it might be difficult, you just have to pick yourself up, package and present yourself well for a better and best deal. You deserve better than settling for less. Do not be desperate, some people should not be in your life or circle. Their presence will limit you or hinder you from maximising your potential, they will always see you as a threat and therefore hamper you. Is that what you really want? God wants better for you, so do not settle for less.

If the former is the case, then you have got to prepare yourself for a reform. You sure don’t want to go through life receiving without giving back. You want a table well made without bringing anything to the table? Then why should anyone want to befriend you? Make a conscious effort this year 2024 to be better than you used to be. Be intentional about it. Go on a retreat, seek constructive appraisal from loved ones who would want to see you become a better version of you and effect the appraisal. Work on yourself, add value to yourself, be that person that brings value to the table, be that person that adds value to others, be that person that is fun and a blessing to be around.

There is this saying I would love to share with you “one who brings happiness to others finds it”. Do not always be about what you get, but also about what you give. If self development and value addition is the only thing you achieve this year 2024, I bet you it is worth it because it comes with a lifetime “dividends”.

In all, the important thing for us all is that we made it to a new year . Another chance to make a difference. Can we all challenge ourselves to make a difference in our own little world? Let us walk through the year with positive attitudes!

Let us be more intentional with everything we do (and let them be good things)!

Let us be more intentional with not giving in to fears or doubts!

Let us remember there will be ups and downs, highs and lows, but we should all be intentional to pull through and not throw in the trowel!

Let us be more open to new ideas, growth, and development!

Read more, be more informed, and be enlightened!

I conclude with these words from Alvin Toffler “The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”.

Congratulations and happy new year 2024!                         

😊😃💪                                    

Shalom!

Mary A. Adepoju