Dear 2022,

I would like to thank you for the last 12 months, you taught me so much about the world and myself, we had our ups and downs but without those experiences, I wouldn’t have gained so much knowledge about myself, you did not hold back when it came to giving me hard choices and landing in difficult places but you always pushed me and showed me that I am stronger than I thought I was, so thank you.

“you always pushed me and showed me that I am stronger than I thought I was.”

This year started out strong, I was full of ambition and goals but made sure not to set a new years resolution but instead pick a word for the year this year it was “Experience” and I had many experiences and gained so much experience in my life, I truly believe I learned more about what it’s like to be an adult and the experiences you’ll have in your early twenties, for 2023 I want my word to be “Balance” I have gained so much experience this year that now it’s time I take the steps forward to find a healthy balance between my personal life and work, my emotions, my finances, etc.

Now what experiences have I had this year? Well that’s quite the long list, but I will name a few big ones that taught me the most lessons and gave me hard choices, the first was when both the jobs I was working offered me a promotion on the one condition that I quit the other and dedicate myself to one career, they both agreed to match the salary and it was probably one of the most difficult decisions I had to make since I am a workaholic and genuinely loved both jobs but they also each had flaws, I remember listing out the pros and cons for each job and calling both my bosses crying that I could not make up my mind and my fear of letting one of them down was eating away at me, I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, I didn’t want to leave either of them understaffed and I didn’t want to make the wrong choice and choose a path that would not benefit me or the people I loved. Both of my bosses told me the same thing when I expressed my concerns “Whichever job you choose is the right choice, you choose what will make you happy not what will make others happy.”The day came when I had to make the final decision and I am glad I did because the job I choose was in the field I went to school for, has a super supportive team, and has taught me so much about business and operations which turns out I love working in business, sales, and product management, I have been learning so much in this new job position about finances, data, organization and time management, overtime in this position I set my goals to eventually become the sales manager when I gain even more knowledge about our business practices and goals.

“You choose what will make you happy not what will make others happy.”

My finances were quite the burden on me this year, 2022 you really played with this one no doubt. From my phone bill going over an absurd amount not once but twice in the last 12 months, the interest on my student loans going haywire to a whooping $900+ a month, rent going up, and my overdue credit card bill I forgot I had for so long that it gained a ton of interest until debt collectors called me. Clearly, you wanted to push me into taking my budget more seriously and I am glad you did now because managing money is vital in life especially in your twenties when you’re just figuring life out, you finally pushed me to meet with a financial advisor and create a budget for myself, which yes my dad constantly told me to do but hey I was young and did not want to believe he was right until the universe finally showed me what it’s like. I feel that it’s important to experience these things as it gives you a better perspective, sometimes you need to fall down to understand how to resolve the problem, at least that’s the case with me.

Oh, 2022, those are just two big lessons you taught me, but you taught me so much more than just those two! Once again you showed me heartbreak and forgiveness, you showed me support and friendship, you showed me that asking for help is okay, you showed me, love, you showed me how to pick myself up at the worst of times and new healthy ways to cope, you brought me my loving cat Tykki, you strengthened my friendships and showed me its okay to open up to people and that the ones who love you will just pull you into their arms when you share your struggles with them, you showed me success and achievements, you taught me that it’s okay to fail and that there will always be people around you to help you succeed next time.

I will hold onto the memories you gave me from the late nights with my friends watching the stars and talking about our hopes and dreams, the nights I drank too much and my friends helped drag me off the floor and held my hair back while I threw up, the team bonding nights with my coworkers, calming walks through the forest, the sound of the river while I meditated in the woods, the goals I accomplished, visiting my brother in Edmonton, the day I brought my cat home, everything I experienced has shaped me into who I am.

I am truly grateful for all the experiences you brought me from the good to the bad because they all taught me something about myself, you brought me so much joy and hurt but you spread it out. I am still young and have much to learn about myself and the world around me and I know for a fact 2023 won’t hold back on showing me that either but I am ready for whatever is in store.

Thank you 2022 for everything, here’s to 2023.

Xoxo Jaiden