It's been an incredible year! A year that has been nothing short of extraordinary. Grab your seat belts, because we're about to embark on a rollercoaster of memories, achievements, and lessons learned. I started the year with so much uncertainty, but my confidence was only in God.

My year started out with a couple of resolutions, just like yours did too😊. 

Learning & Development 

2. I had the goal of reading 12 non-academic books (self-help and spiritual) this year. I finally did it! If you have read my previous yearly reviews, you will know how I have struggled to stay consistent with reading. I usually would start but never finish, but I broke that jinx this year 💃💃💃💃. These books transformed me mentally, spiritually, and socially. 

One thing I did differently that really helped me was explore a lot of reading options. I read some books in hard copy, some in e-copy, and others in audio. I sometimes combined the audiobook and the e-copy. This changed my reading game. Another hack I discovered was dropping any book I wasn’t  getting along with. It happened with one book I read halfway through; reading it came with so much struggle. It is important you enjoy what you’re reading  because excitement builds the momentum necessary for reading.

3. I finally addressed the elephant in the room. I wrote my temporary driver's license exam, passed it, and got my temporary license. I also learned how to drive this year, guys 💃💃💃💃. This is a great achievement for me because I have procrastinated since 2019. 

Mindset Transformation

4. I resolved in my heart that for all the semesters left in  my masters program, I would make a 4.0 GPA in each of them. Excitedly, I made a 4.0 in the two semesters of this year. When I made this resolution, it felt unreal to me. Even though I had said it, my mind had not yet caught it. I underwent a mindset transformation at the beginning of the year, and this helped set the pace of my year. I am so grateful this transformation happened.

5. One of my objectives was to ace the comprehensive exam for my Masters degree. As the day was drawing closer, I got so tense. It finally happened in May 2023. I passed one set of the exam and failed the other. This news came with so many mixed feelings. I was happy, sad, and scared. I had just one attempt left to ace the second set of the exam. I finally took the second set of exams in October, and guess what? I aced the exam. It was the most exciting news I received in October. My reaction was wild; I recall running around my class and rolling on the floor. I was just saying Thank You, Jesus!!!

Creativity

6. If you don't already know, I am creative, and one way I express this part of me is through graphic design. I had multiple opportunities to create amazing products this year. I designed two distinctive t-shirts for my church and my church anniversary magazine (this was a huge milestone for me). I became a member of the student organization where I majored in designing (Student of Color in Business). I held the position of Marketing Director. I explored a lot and learned so much. One lesson I read from "The Go-Giver" has made me very conscious of every design I do, and that is to always give more value. I am excited that I stretched my boundaries this year. See my portfolio. I also won a creative award in my school for an artwork I presented. It was a defining moment for me 😊. 

Habit Stacks Up

7. As the saying usually goes, "Habit stacks up". I experienced this firsthand this year in two ways. Firstly, I decided to take my personal hygiene routine to the next level. I decided to start intentionally brushing twice daily (morning and night before bed). At first, it was difficult. I designed an A4 poster (shown below) and pasted it on my bedside. The message on the poster was all I needed to hear. Sometimes I have already laid on my bed to sleep, then I see the poster. Immediately, I would have to go brush my teeth. It finally became a part of me, and all through the year, I have kept this routine at least 95% of the time.

Secondly, I decided to upgrade my career path. During the summer, I decided to take a course on SQL. I started it but then stopped. My accountability partners held me to it. I recall how one of my accountability partners made me realize that it was a very important skill in the industry I was going into and also made me see the ripple effect it would have on my life as a person. Then I decided I would study for 2 hours every day. I printed a 30-day challenge calendar and pasted it on my wall. Every day I completed the hours, I would mark that day as completed. I did this for about 16 days out of 30 days. Although I didn't finish the duration I planned, the proficiency I developed over this period helped me land my dream job (data analyst) on campus a few months later. You can get a copy of the 30-day  challenge calendar for yourself here.

Unwinding, Travel & Adventure

8. While crushing goals, meeting deadlines, and being productive are important, it is also important to rest, catch your breath, and just unwind. I have realized that this is  an important part of being productive. No wonder the popular saying states that "all work and no play make Jack a dull boy." I found a hobby this year, which is playing badminton. I find it so refreshing. I also explored card games, board games, and Jenga. I also had a couple of friends come over to my house. I visited some parks and saw a couple of movies.

9. I visited one new states this year (Georgia making it three states visited)  and, in total, I visited five cities (Columbus, Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston) in the United States. In the new year, I hope to visit more states. .

Health

10. This year, I decided to take my health more seriously. I wanted to work out more. For the first half of the year, I was so inconsistent, but for the other half, I became consistently personified 💪💪💪😄😄. This year, I stayed more consistent with my workout than I have ever been  in previous years. I saw the result. It made me very agile, prevented unnecessary body pains, and made me happier  and more confident. I also intentionally started drinking a lot of water this year. I always made sure, wherever I was going, I had a bottle of water with me.

Lessons Learned

1. You can achieve anything you want as long as your mind believes it, your heart can see it, you hold on to it strongly, speak about it, and work towards it. It will become a reality.
2. God is too faithful to fail. He wants to lead every area of our lives if only we would submit to his help and leadership. 
3. Having a strong accountability system would help you achieve things you never thought were possible.
4. Every change you will have must first start with your mindset.
5. An African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." This changed my 2023 game. I found myself in the right circle of friends and network, which helped me so much in being productive. 
6. The quote “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything” by Dwight D. Eisenhower made so much sense to me. Having to plan my day most of the days in 2023 really helped me manage my time. Sometimes those plans didn't pull through in the face of reality, but they were definitely worth it. I practiced time-blocking and added events and tasks to my calendar as well. You can get a copy of the time-blocking planner here
7. Failure is not a final destination, nor does it shape your identity. Instead, it presents a choice: either rise resiliently, brushing off setbacks, or remain on the ground. It's a challenge urging you to persevere and keep moving forward.
8. Never stop dreaming, because dreams come true.
9. Little things always stack up.
10. Always ask for help. 

Conclusion

This year has indeed been a journey. I cried, laughed, was stressed, and was uncertain, but all in all, my trust was in God that He who has started a good work in my life would complete it, and He never failed. I enjoy documenting my yearly journey. It helps me see how far I have come and where I was at different stages of my life. I started this 6 years ago. You can see my 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 yearly review. 

How was 2023 for you? Would love to know about your experience. 

Thank you so much for reading.

My experience lately has taught me that guiding your mind is a very conscious and intentional daily decision. Life had thrown so much at me that I hit rock bottom. I became very pessimistic, and all I wanted to do was accept the norm, which felt like my only option.

I am learning that having a positive mindset is never old-fashioned. You are only defeated when you allow your mind to be defeated. Whatever your mind can see, that is what your life will become. A positive mind propels you to put in the work and do all that is required to achieve the goals your heart has conceived.

Protecting and guiding your mind would imply you speaking out to yourself sometimes; it would imply you looking in the mirror and giving yourself a pep talk. It would involve you speaking out to counter a negative thought. As a person of faith, my Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he". Muhammad Ali also said, "If your mind can conceive it and your heart can believe it, then you can achieve it".  The mind is very important, and anything you are or would become starts right there.

Have a great weekend. 

Reflecting on 2022 I didn't do as much as I wanted to, but one thing I loved about this year was that I learned a lot. This year is certainly one of the most significant in my life. It has been the year of so many wins as well as down moments. I experienced a lot of answered prayers as well as a lot of happenings I still don't understand. In all, God has been faithful. 

WALK WITH GOD

My walk with God has not been the smoothest journey. I have experienced very low moments, but Abba has been faithful. He came through for me in 2022 like never before. I saw his reckless love, not because I am perfect, but because his mercy found me. 

MOVED CONTINENTS 

I finally started a funded master's program in the United States in August. I have been on this journey for the longest time. I have applied to various scholarships in the last 5 years, but none pulled through. How I started my application to the United States was very divine. It's been 5 months now, and I would say it's been a journey. The culture shock and adapting to a new environment have been a lot, but all in all, I am thriving and grateful.  

READING AND LEARNING 

I read more articles online and did a lot of learning from YouTube and the Online Academy. I read two books this year, "Success Buttons" and "Redeeming Your Time." I highly recommend this book for everyone who wants to be widely productive and present. One thing I love about the book is how it models biblical principles in productivity. I also took some baby steps towards advancing in my career; I attended a Business Analysis Master Class and also earned a Scrum Fundamentals Certification. I hope to keep going gradually but surely in 2023.

CONSISTENTCY 

If you have read my yearly reviews in the last five years (I will add all links at the end of this post), one thing I have struggled with is consistency. This year has not been so great either, but towards the tail end of the year, I learned a lot about managing my time and becoming more widely productive. I was gifted the book "Redeeming Your Time" by Jordan Raynor. This book has transformed my perspective on inconsistency and productivity. I look forward to sharing all I am learning from this book in a blog post and, more importantly, actively implementing it in my life through 2023.

GRAPHIC DESIGN GIG

I decided to take my graphic design to a higher level. I built a professional portfolio I now send to clients, and yeah, I landed a branding deal with an advertisement company. Check out my professional portfolio here and recommend me to your family and friends. 

I was able to finalize two ebooks I was working on. "About Last Night" and "Entangled" are both amazing stories you should not let go. Grab a copy here. 

Six top things 2022 taught me:

1.  Abba is a reckless lover. He would always come through. 
2. Never assume anything, because assumption is the least form of knowledge. 
3. Be very intentional about your life. Someone said, "They say life is short, but it's the longest thing you would ever do."
4. Don't just wish to do things; go for them. 
5. Approach tasks/projects with the bits perspective because little consistent effort accumulates.
6. The gift of people is part of the best gift in your life journey. Treasure them!

If you stayed until this very moment, you are my real MVP. Thank you, and I would love to know what 2022 was like for you. Cheers to 2023 😊

See my 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 yearly review.

Just sitting in front of my laptop. I have a lot to share, but I don’t even know how to start.

Today is my birthday, and I am super excited.

It’s been a while since I showed up here, and I must say a lot has happened. Adulthood is crazy! This is my reality, and I am making conscious efforts to enjoy this season of my life. It never gets easier; we only grow stronger.

Today, I turn 27 (I legit feel old) and, looking back at the last 365 days, I am grateful to God because he has been faithful.

Firstly, in the last one year, I have experienced God’s help, direction, and intervention. Abba held me in his hands (I call him Abba because he is my father and I rest in his love). I had so many delicate life decisions to make, and being a person of faith, I knew I needed his direction, and how he came through at all my crossroads just makes me want to do life with him every day. Now I sound like I have a perfect walk with Abba and have it all figured out, right? The truth remains that it has not been a perfect walk in the last year. I had times when I struggled spiritually. Praying was hard, word study was difficult, and I didn’t even feel like attending services. One thing that has remained true to me is that you might fall, but make efforts to rise again. One thing that really helped me in my low moments was listening to worship songs and chants. I will be sharing some here with you, and I am certain it will come in handy.

Secondly, I resigned from a very amazing job. If you have been around for a while, you would know how much I enjoyed my job, especially because it entailed a lot of traveling and meeting new clients. You would also recall how I got the job after 10 months of waiting (click here to read). It took three years and more to learn and grow. My job was a learning curve. I undertook a lot of challenging tasks and added value to the company. I am grateful for the time I spent there, and I look forward to what the future holds. I know I just sounded like a hard-core; trust me, it was a very emotional decision.

Thirdly, I recently relocated to the United States of America for my Masters degree. It’s been a dream come true after about four years of trying. I am going to try to write an entire blog post on this journey. It was a very draining process. It entailed a roller coaster of emotions. As I embark on this new phase of my life, I am excitedly looking forward to what God has in store for me during my time here.

Lastly, I published a book, "About Last Night," sometime in March 2022, and today I will be launching another book titled "Entangled." So, I am deciding to give away all my books for free between today, the 7th, and Friday, the 9^th. What is a birthday celebration without gifting? This is my way of saying thank you for coming with me on my journey and celebrating all my little wins. Don’t forget to share my giveaways with your friends and family. Get your copies here

Thank you for reading and say a word of prayer for me today in the comment 😊

A long overdue post!

I almost didn’t want to write this review because I felt I didn’t do so much in 2021, even though it was a very busy year, but I am reminded that it’s not about perfection but progression. 2021 was an eventful year. It may seem as though I went off social media for a while, but that is what actually happened. I got so consumed with my 9 – 5 job and some personal things I was working on. I could not manage all my activities at once because it became so draining. Enough of the generalizations; let’s get right into the details.

E-books Published

In 2021, I published 2 e-books. One is a self-help ebook, while the other is a planner for 2022. You can download the Sanity ebook here and Cathy’s Productivity Planner (2022) here. Sanity ebooks talk about maintaining your sanity in the digital age we are in and dealing with comparison. It’s a 7-minute read. I recommend you try it. It still feels weird calling myself an author, don't ask why LOL.

Books

I read only one book from start to finish in 2021, and it was life-changing. Who Moved My Cheese is a book everyone should read as we move into the New Year. The book talks about embracing changes and not just being okay with the normal. It talks about not getting too comfortable in your comfort zone, and to add to that, it’s a fun book to read. I will share a review of the book, and you can download a copy here.

Designing

I do a bit of graphic designing for those who don't know this part of me. In 2021, I was able to make some cool cash off this skill. I worked with 3 brands. I created a tutorial video for an Adtech company based in Nigeria and Ghana, designed advert flyers for a fast-food company and also designed the complimentary card, logo and packet of a perfume brand. I also delved a bit into social media management. Brawn Shop which is my T-shirt brand was not left out as we got quite a number of amazing designs and landed our first cooperate client who made T-shirts in bulk. Click here to view our catalogue. Also, follow the Instagram page here. I am open to working with more brands in 2022.

Body Shaming

In 2020, I gained obvious weight, lost some, and added again toward the middle of 2021. I would not attribute this completely to what I ate, but also that my physical activities were drastically reduced. I got comments like; "You are now fat, your cheeks look so big, e.t. c. Sincerely, these comments made me feel bad, but I'm glad they didn't make me feel less of myself. Anytime I posted a picture on my social media status, I kept getting these comments. So I stopped posting!

I used to think body-shaming was overrated, but I had a fair share of it. I have learned to be more constructive with my comments about how people look because people are going through different things that can impact their physical appearance. I am taking my weight more seriously this year.

Movies

I saw quite a number of movies this year compared to the previous years. I noticed it was a way for me to unwind from the stress of work. I saw the following movies;

1. King of Boys

2. Castle and Castle

3. Two weeks in Lagos

4. Kambili; the whole 30 yards.

5. A Naija Christmas

6. This Lady Called life

7. Your Excellency

8. During Ever After by Laju Iren

9. Legion a Mount Zion movie

10. And many more which I can’t even recall.

Walk with God.

My walk with God had its high and low moments. I have learnt to continually treasure my walk with God because it’s the centre of everything. Life will always keep getting busy, and if not careful, one will be swept away from having a personal fellowship with God. In 2021, the YouVersion app came in handy for me. The app is available for download from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

A Glimpse of 2022

On the eve of 2022, I felt so confused. I felt like I had not done much in 2021, and it was making me feel a bit out of place. Social media didn’t help either; it felt like everyone had smashed their 2021 goals and already had 2022 figured out. I had to remind myself that I am not in a competition with anyone and that staying true to myself is everything.

In 2022, I am going to trust God for what he has in store for me. I am going to publish more write-ups here no more writing and storing on my phone notepads alone. 

Cheers to an amazing 2022 🍾🍾🥂🥂

PS: You can read 2020 and 2019 review 

What was 2021 like for you in a sentence?

Hello, Lovelies,

It’s been a while here. Life got really busy but I still haven’t forgotten my first love (Blogging). It’s the 6th day of the new year and I guess it is not too late to wish you a Happy New Year.

The most anticipated year.

2020 was a year I looked forward to. It was a much anticipated year. I remember having a conversation with some group of friends in 2016 in the season of graduation from the University that 2020 we would be married and have a lot of our ambition already in place (smiles). Looking back right now, all I can do is smile, though everything didn't go how I wanted it, I am super grateful for the accomplishments thus far. I judge God faithful and 2020 was also the best year for me (2021 will be greater).

Growth

There was so much self-development and personal growth, though I didn’t do so much as I wanted to I am glad I did a little. I was able to put out more content on my Instagram page @prisci_catheyo. I rebranded Afro Wearz now Brawn Shop, which officially kicked off on the 22nd of August 2020. Later in the year, I hope to share lessons learned from our first 6 months in business after rebranding.

Sometime in April, I shared 15 lessons COVID-19 taught me. You can check it out here. Also in November, I and a friend started a fitness accountability group to help young ladies look and stay fit and it has been an amazing journey. I also started a prayer platform "Praying With Prisci" which God laid in my heart. This platform allows you to share your burden in form of prayer points and keeps you anonymous. Click here to drop your request. 

What I am saying to myself in 2021

Going throw my review of 2019 here, I talked so much about being consistent in 2020 but life happened again. I was not consistent as I wanted to be but I was glad, I focused more on self-development and personal growth. In 2021, I am not promising to be super consistent but I am promising to be better, stay true to myself, and keep showing up.

NGO

Catheyo Initiative couldn't organize any programs and I would not blame COVID-19. The truth is that there was no serious plan and life got so busy. I am glad I was able to volunteer with HUG Foundation for community outreach. In 2021, we would be collaborating with other NGOs and have more people involved in our activities.

Books

I read more articles in 2020. I also read Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuk. it's a must-read for everyone. I am currently reading The Millionaire Fastlane by J. DeMarco. It talks about creating sustainable wealth and the goal is to be wealthy and not to look wealthy. When I am done reading I will put up a review here. I also intend to read the Atomic Habit by James clear. 

Movies

The only movie I can remember I saw in 2020 was Citation. I love how relatable the story was "Sex for Grade". This is what has become the norm in our society. I hope that movie will inspire a lot of ladies to speak up against sex for jobs, sex for investment, sex for promotion, sex for grade, and sex for anything.

Adventure

I didn't explore so much in 2020. I visited Osogbo which I didn't find so interesting maybe because I didn't know the right places to visit. I visited Ilaji Resort in Ibadan and Trans-Amusement Park too. I had fun visiting both places in Ibadan. In 2021 I look forward to visiting Agodi Garden, Mapo Hall, and IITA in Ibadan by God's grace. If you have useful tips for me kindly drop them in the comment section.

In summary 2020 wasn't really a backlash, though COVID-19 happened, I am still grateful to God because the year ended in praise. I would love to also hear from you. What stood out for you in 2020 and what are you choosing to do differently in 2021?

Monday (7th September) was my birthday and it was such a great day and a great way to start the 25th journey of my life. I got so many heartfelt messages and they all made my day. For sure I am glad at how God has been faithful to me and how he keeps leading me every step of the way.  The only prayer I had was that God should reveal to me what he wanted me to do in this new phase of my life. I didn’t feel the need to ask for my wants. I want to do more of his will in my life i.e. more of him and less of me.

Life has been so busy lately, I never saw this coming lol. At this point in my life, creating balance is all I seek. Life has been so demanding but in all, it’s part of the process of being an adult. It has been a whole growth process. This issue of creating balance is a gist for another day (coming soon).

For the first time since 2020 began I was able to read a book from start to finish in about three weeks during my leisure time. Watch out for this in my next blog post as I share this journey with you.

I also rebranded Afrowearz which is now Brawn shop, I hope to share why I rebranded someday when the time is right.  We now have more variety of tee-shirts that speaks and they are very affordable. Check us out here (@brawnshop)

To everyone asking where I have been, Hummmm. I didn’t go completely off, I have been very active on my Instagram handle @prisci_catheyo.

Now over to you, how has life been for you lately? Are you still working virtually? How have you been able to create balance despite life’s crazy busy schedules? Or are we in this together? I would love to hear from you, it’s been a while.