We made it! It is officially 2022. Understandably, many of us are not entering the new year with the same vim and vigor as before. After the roller coaster of 2020 and 2020: Part II, I hope we aren’t heading into 2020: Part III! I am choosing to believe that 2022 is actually new. Many of us are also deciding to simplify and embrace ease as business owners and in our lifestyles.

Some are slowing down by choice, and others like me, by necessity. At the end of November 2021, I contracted COVID-19, accompanied by every symptom you see on the CDC poster. It was miserable and negatively affected my health, goals, and business. Getting COVID forced me to realize that it is completely fine (and in my case, necessary) to adjust my expectations for what working, planning, and goal setting would look like at the end of the last year and as I entered the new year. I make around eight big SMART goals each year, but I knew that this wasn’t something I would aspire to do this year. (And the results of most of last years’ overplanning did not come to pass because I took on too much too soon.) I learned that I need to do less and manage my expectations.

In that same spirit of simplicity, here are two things I am doing in 2022.

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One By One

I am limiting my big goals to one at a time because last year’s overwhelming planning resulted in me achieving one major goal. Truth be told, that major goal was life-changing and enough for the entire 2021. This season, I will attempt to do one big goal at a time and not add another goal until that goal is near completion. For example, my first goal is personal. I usually have many goals (KPIs) that I can execute from a business perspective, but I will run for right now. Not for office! I joined a running club in my town. As part of the membership, I was registered for three races. My big goal is to build my stamina and strength to run one race in February, March, and April 2022. I am not setting any other 2022 goals yet.

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Define Your Year With A Word

I’m also the type of person who embraces a word for the year. My word for 2022 is joyful, meaning I want to find joy in all circumstances. (I do realize that many of you readers might be finding it hard to connect running with joy, but to each their own!) I did learn one thing: whether I’m having good times or bad times and feeling the way I feel, I can choose how I react.

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That power to choose recently came to light when my husband and I had a very emotionally charged conversation. We both could have quickly shut down and shut each other out, but we chose to push forward and work together, and in doing so, we gained beautiful insight into our marriage, which was joy-giving! (You can insert an example for yourself.)

Let me know how you are starting your 2022. Are you charging forward at a breakneck pace, or are you taking it easy and not embracing the overplanning of previous years? Are you deciding to take a scaled-down approach when it comes to the things you will give your energy to? Feel free to email me your thoughts on this and any other articles at [email protected].

Here’s to a safe, prosperous, and COVID-negative 2022!

Iffy Ibekwe is the principal attorney and founder of Ibekwe Law, PLLC. She is an estate planning attorney evangelist for intergenerational wealth transfer with effective wills and trusts. Iffy is writing her first book on culturally competent estate planning, available in 2022 (prayers up!). She graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and has practiced law for over 14 years. Iffy can be reached by email at [email protected], on her website, and on Instagram @thejustincaselawyer.

Topics

2022, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Iffy Ibekwe, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners