This year has been great for me. As I reflect on the year, I am amazed and extremely grateful for everything I experienced and accomplished. It was significantly different from the past years. One major change was that we went through the whole year as a family of three and were responsible for caring for a little human.
 
In this blog post, we will reflect on this year, and I will share my 2021 retrospective with you. 
 
How to intentionally reflect on your past year
I would like to invite you to join me as I reflect on my experiences this year. The following five steps will guide you through the process of holistic and intentional reflection.

1. Block an hour of uninterrupted focus time, find a quiet space, get comfortable and put yourself in a reflective mindset
2. Remind yourself of the goals you planned to accomplish this past year
3. Write down what worked well and celebrate your accomplishments
4. Reflect on the things that did not go as planned and document the lessons you learned from the lowlights
5. Dream of what you want to do, experience, and be in the new year

 
MC's Journey - 2021 Retrospective
Reflecting on this year, I cannot believe all that has happened in my life and at work. My theme for 2021 was "go big and explore new things." Thinking of what would make me proud at the end of the year, I wrote that "I would be proud that I navigated motherhood, work, and my business like a champ." It feels great to know that they both came true in unexpected ways, and I learned a lot of lessons on the way.
 
Goals: What were the top five things I planned to accomplish in 2021?
Every year, I write down a list of goals that I want to accomplish in different areas of my life. Looking back now, I probably had too many things that I wanted to achieve in a year with major life changes.

• Family: Rock motherhood and build memories
• Professional: Find work that fulfills me and has significant impact
• Personal: Prioritize self-care
• Finances: Grow my finances by finding new sources of income, invest in properties
• Business: Create my e-book, relaunch my blog and YouTube channel

 
Highlights: What went well?

• Juggling full-time work while caring for a baby: I went back to work after my maternity leave in February with a then 3.5-month-old baby. This year, we both found our rhythm and got work done
• Launching a big program at work: I had the opportunity to design and lead a program that was aligned with my passion and had a tremendous impact
• Going on our first family vacation: in October, we went on our first road trip in almost two years and had a lot of fun
• Investing in property: we took steps toward building long-term wealth
• Adjusting to life in a pandemic: living through year 2 of a global pandemic that affected every aspect of our lives

 
Lowlights: What did not go as planned?

• Not relaunching my YouTube channel and E-book: I planned to go back to creating videos in October and launch my first e-book, but it was not possible with everything else going on in my life
• Working long hours: I poured myself into work, and that resulted in me putting in many hours that I could have spent resting
• Finding time for myself and other passion projects: with everything I was juggling this year, I struggled to find time for self-care and to do things that energized me
• Neglecting my health: there were times this year where I did not prioritize things that made me feel good physically
• Unable to see our Family: due to the pandemic, we have not been able to spend time with our extended family

 
Lessons Learned: What did I learn in 2021?
It is crucial for me to reflect on what I learned from experiences that did not go as planned. Some of the lessons I learned include:

• Acknowledging that things had changed: I acted as if my life was still the same. I had to accept that motherhood changed things significantly
• Learning not to fill my "plate" too much: I planned to do too many things at once with extremely limited time
• Accepting that having to deprioritize a goal is not failing: Realizing that I cannot do everything I had planned made me feel very sad
• Asking for help when I need it: I learned the hard way, as I was almost burned out, that I needed to leverage my support system more
• Celebrating the small wins: there were so many things that I took for granted because I thought they were easy for me. I learned that all the small wins summed up to even bigger accomplishments

 
What will I be doing differently in 2022?
I like to take action based on the lessons I learned to increase my chances of success in the new year.

• Establishing new routines: in the past two years, a lot has changed in my life, and I need to adjust my daily, weekly, and monthly routines accordingly.
• Creating a more robust support community: for all the great things that I plan to accomplish in 2022, I will need to be able to offload some of my relationships
• Making more time for myself and my passion projects: In 2021, I focused on adjusting to being a working mum and didn't get to do some of the things I really enjoy doing. I am excited to restart some things that have been on pause.

 
Final Thoughts
I am very proud of myself this year. It has been a very busy and intense year. I am taking the next three weeks off to recharge, celebrate Christmas with my family, and prepare for an amazing year ahead.
My first 2022 blog post will be published on January 11.
 
A special note to you
Thank you very much for being part of my journey this year. Writing these blog posts is very important to me. It is one way that I stay connected to my community and the people I really care about. Take care of yourself and see you in 2022!

​Over the past months, I have reflected on and shared my 20-year relocation journey. I cannot believe how far I have come since I first arrived in Germany in August 2001. My experiences over the years have helped me grow and changed my outlook on life. Comparing the fifth year of my journey living in the US in 2019 vs. life in Germany back in 2005, these were very different years, one of them filled with the feeling of feeling hopeless, and the other was focused on finding balance.
 
In this blog post, I will share the factors that made my experiences different and the lessons that I learned. Check out my other Her Relocation blog posts about my experiences living in Nigeria, Germany, and the US.
 
Failing and being scared to make a change
Getting through university was a struggle for me. It took me much longer than I planned to find a course I enjoyed and graduate. In 2003 I started studying my first course, Computer & communications technology, at the University of Saarbrucken. Although by 2005, I knew that it was not the right course for me, I was afraid to make the necessary change. My situation was quite complicated as I had to work to make money to take care of my sister and me. The additional responsibilities prevented me from focusing solely on studying. I can still remember wondering if I would ever graduate from university.
 
What did I learn?

• Know when to stop trying the same thing and do something new

 
Celebrating key milestones
My twin sister and I hosted a small birthday get-together when we turned 20 in 2005. I remember how special it was to celebrate with some of our friends in our hostel shared kitchen. This was the first birthday that I really celebrated after five years in Germany. Interestingly, I was going through an internal crisis because I was not where I expected to be at that age. The main disappointment was that I had not graduated after five years in Germany. I really needed the celebration to remind me that I was not doing too bad and had great people in my life.
 
What did I learn?

• Celebrate how far you have come even when you do not feel like it

 
Realizing my dream company was becoming a nightmare
In 2019, only a few months into working at a dream company, things did not feel right. I felt like I had made a horrible mistake by leaving my highly successful consulting career and joining a new company. It seemed like I had taken a step back in my career, which was not what I wanted in any way. My inner fighter reminded me of how I had to find my place, especially in difficult situations. One thing was sure; I knew I had to make a change. I put all my energy into looking for a new role that was more aligned with what I am passionate about. And after about three months of searching and interviewing, I found a new role. I was finally able to appreciate the opportunity to work at this company.
 
What did I learn?

• Acknowledge when a situation is not working for you and make a change

 
Making a substantial financial investment
One of my dreams was to one day invest in something significant. Where I was in life in 2005, I could never have imagined being in a financial state where I could invest in property. It was one of the scariest things I have done in my life. Although it was for a good cause, the process was incredibly stressful, and I was unprepared. Reflecting on this experience, I expected to be elated after things were finalized, but I was not. It took me a while to see how much making this move was a huge win.
 
What did I learn?

• Accept that making your dream a reality might come with some learnings

 
Health Challenges
My experiences at work and with my investment caused me a lot of stress in 2019. I did not know how serious things were until I started having continuous pains. The quality of my life was impacted because I was going too fast and not managing my stress. Here I am working at a great company and investing in my first property, but I was suffering. My body started reacting to stress very severely, and I knew I had to make changes. I had to change what I ate, which was a huge deal for me. The most notable change I made was identifying my stressors and avoiding the ones I could.
 
What did I learn?

• Make your health a top priority at all times

 
Following my passion
In 2019, I started my YouTube channel, which was a dream that I had had for a while. It felt like a wonderful way to grow my portfolio after launching my blog the previous year. Learning how to plan videos, film, edit, and publish videos was a highlight. I remember going to the studio diligently because I wanted to make sure that I invested in myself and lived out my passion. Somehow, I was in the right place at the right time, and things were finally falling into place. Living and working in the US provided me with opportunities that I would not have had access to in Germany.
 
What did I learn?

• Make time for your passion projects even when life is pulling you in many directions

 
MC's Moment of Reflection
The person that I was in 2005 was quite different than who I was in 2019. However, my journey had a similar theme; I struggled to find comfort with all the changes that I was going through. In 2005, my worries were around finishing school and finances. Compared to 2019 when I needed to find a role at work that I really enjoyed. As I wrote this post, I was reminded of all the amazing people by my side in these phases of my life and relocation journey.