3 Lessons I learnt in 2022
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Shuayb is the Co-founder of Pivot2Tech, a part-time coding Bootcamp.
Find him on Twitter and Instagram at @Shuayb__ and @__shuib__
1. Curating an enjoyable journey is more important than the goal
The idea of setting goals has always been appealing to me. We’re always told that we need to ‘envision’ our dreams, and that’s usually done by goal-setting. However, what I learnt in the last two years is goals, no matter how specific, are not sustainable. So in January 2022, I started seeing my goals as milestones instead. Because that’s what they were, milestones.
I ran with this mindset for a few months, and what I discovered was interesting.
As I began to meet these milestones, I realised I rarely stopped to celebrate them. Instead, my mind simply acknowledged the achievement, and right away I went into preparing for the next.
This was not sustainable.
It was only until I read The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel that my view of goal-setting transformed. You see, no matter how I view my goals, I was always assuming that I’d be satisfied when I’ve accomplished X.
In this book, the author talks about how we’re all wired to think of success as a bunch of metrics and expectations. When in reality, it changes based on the person’s priorities, and how often do our priorities change? a lot.
I’m still in my mid-20s, my priority is to design a certain lifestyle that balances religion, career, family and health. So I wrote down what my ideal day would look like if I could design it.
That would be my benchmark. Anything more than that is a bonus.
.
So, now I’m chasing a lifestyle, not a goal.
2. Building a brand pays for itself in the long run
Earlier this year I had 600 followers on Twitter and 1 to 2 small clients a month. I’ve seen a lot of people find success through Twitter so I thought I might as well leverage the hours I spend on the app.
I decided to build a brand called ShuaybCodes. It was mainly my personal website but also a way to connect with others online and share my work. After sharing my freelance projects weekly, my account started to gain more traction. Before I knew it, I was on 1,000 followers and receiving 3-5 DMs a week. These DM’s were mostly people interested in tech so I was happy to answer any questions and give advice.
Fast forward to today, I’ve grown to 3,469 followers and have been approached by higher-quality clients.
I didn’t post TikToks, I didn’t edit Reels, and I didn’t start a YouTube channel. I just shared was I was doing. It took me a while to realise that building a brand wasn’t so difficult after all. All it takes is a willingness to share your knowledge and experiences, big or small.
2. Writing has been the best skill I learnt this year
Since starting my blog in October 2021, I’ve written 16 blogs on productivity, tech and philosophy. Admittedly, I considered these blogs mediocre and were just a way for me to improve my vocabulary and storytelling skills.
However, I soon discovered, that there was a whole community online who have made a living on freelance writing. The numbers blew my mind. $200,000 yearly income from writing blogs and short-form articles on any topic!
Although I wasn’t earning those sort of numbers, I did get approached by a software company who were looking for a freelance technical writer 👀.
And so, after a trial, I was hired to write two 1,500-word blogs for $250 each. In comparison to most writers I know, this rate was fairly modest, but I was satisfied. I now had a writing gig which would keep me motivated to continue writing.
2022 has been an eventful, yet challenging year for me. It was the year I dived into philosophy and psychology which really opened doors for me I never knew existed.
In learning about how humans think, I was able to form connections, learn about myself and become more self-aware. I think this is something a lot of people struggle with these days due to the endless stimulation we expose ourselves to on an hourly basis.
Favuorite books of 2022
The Psychology of Money, by Angela Duckworth
Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters, by Greg McKeown
✍🏽 Quote of the Week
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.