It is that time of the year when I get to reflect on the year that was. Following the rough year I had in 2021, 2022 also had its share of rough moments. I experienced 2 significant losses: (1) the passing away of my mum in love who was hands down the best m♥️m in love I could have ever asked for and (2) the loss of our unborn child after several really difficult rounds of ICSI/IVF. Despite what felt like a continuous valley, I am grateful to God for a number of mountain top moments.
This marks my 8th year of my annual reflections. The previous 7 can be found here:
– Reflection of My 2021 Goals
– Reflection of My 2020 Goals
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review
My One Word for 2022 was STRETCH – and in deed, stretched I was across the following 7 dimensions of my life:
1. BUSINESS/FINANCIAL:
a. Additional passive investments by Q1 & Q4
Every year, Chief and I challenge ourselves to make at least one passive investment. This exercise disciplines us to save and tighten our belts plus also take out additional calculated debt. I am grateful that despite being on only one salary after Chief ventured out to start his own business in May 2021, we were still able to cautiously do this.
b. 1 debt repayment by Jun
My dislike for debt still continues notwithstanding its need to kickstart some of our investments and I still purpose to pay it down as quickly as possible. Though the pace of fast tracked repayment has certainly reduced given our reduced disposable income, I am grateful I that I still managed to accomplish my mission albeit short-lived as we continue to make more investments.
2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Dance
In 2022, I signed up for one of the things that absolutely lights up a fire in my belly – dancing! I attend Zumba classes 2-3x a week and it feels great to be back on the dance floor.
c. Snatch back 2020 fat loss
My efforts to snatch back my pre-baby body after doing so in 2020 have continued to be derailed by my treatments. As I alluded to earlier, I have been through several rounds of ICSI/IVF, down regulation/temporary induced menopause and a lost pregnancy whose hormones have resulted in some weight gain despite me still eating healthily 80% of the time and exercising at least 3-4 times a week. I continue reminding myself that this is just for a season.
b. Hike 1x/week:
Whereas we continued with our weekly 10km family hikes, we had to drop them at some point during the year when our not-so-little one became too big and too restless to sit on her daddy’s carrier bag for the entire 10km. We have since switched to other family activities – swimming and playground. I also joined my female hiking group for a few monthly hikes.
3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
2022 marked my 8th year and Chief’s 4th year doing BSF. I do BSF Online classes with ladies located all over the world whereas Chief does physical/virtual BSF International classes with men located in the same country. After completing Matthew earlier in the year, we commenced the study of the People of the Promise – Divided in Sep (i.e. books such as 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Jonah, Amos, Joel, Obadiah, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk etc.). Honestly speaking, I don’t think I would have found myself unpacking some of these books had it not been for BSF. BSF International and BSF Online are free and have thousands of physical/virtual classes all over the world for every age offered at various times all days of the week. Sign up for a class near you today.
b. Family devotion every week
We continued with our weekly zoom calls as a family – a tradition we started in 2020 where every Saturday evening, we (Chief’s side of the family) gather together via zoom to share what’s happening in our lives and pray together as a family.
We sadly lost our mum in love to pancreatic cancer in Jan, 7 months after her diagnosis. We were absolutely devastated! To help process our grief, we as a family did 13 weeks of Grief Share counselling together. I highly recommend it for anyone who has lost their loved one. I still miss her very much and our chats/calls and find myself bawling in tears every now and then – even as I write this. Mum was a remarkable and phenomenal woman that certainly left a legacy and an indelible mark in the lives of many. Even in her death, she has received an award posthumously for her commitment and support to the PR industry and had a library officially opened and named in her memory for her support and contribution to the growth and development of a training institute during her time as a Board Member. What a gem!
4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
In 2022, I read 12 books which was half my target – not because I lost my passion for knowledge, but because some of the books were longer plus I also got caught up listening to podcasts or watching inspiring video series’ which continued to sharpen my mind.
b. 1 podcast a day
I certainly listened to more than 1 podcast a day (>10 podcasts a week). My go-to podcasts included:
– Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast
– Focus on the Family Parenting Podcast
– Keys for Kids Daily Parent Minute with Greg Yoder
– The Daily Mastery Podcast by Robin Sharma
– 2000 Books Summaries for Ambitious Entrepreneurs
– The VT Podcast “Ideas That Matter”
– Your Next Best Self with Dr. Patricia Murugami
– This is Life with Heather & Cornelius
– Our Love Journey with Mpoomy and Brenden
c. Mentor
Unlike 2021 where I narrowed down to 1 mentor, in 2022, I purposed to select a number of mentors by going through their memoirs. These included:
– The Story of My Experiments With Truth: An autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi
– Around the Way Girl: A Memoir by Taraji P. Henson
– Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis
– Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
– Cleaning the Airwaves/The Play House featuring Pius Muchiri Mugo
It was enriching to listen to the life stories of each of these 5 individuals who have become forces to be reckoned with!
5. CAREER:
a. 4 deal recommendation memos per quarter
My target to originate at least 4 approved investment opportunities each quarter (16 a year) remains and I am grateful to God that in 2022, I originated 14 such approved investment opportunities (ranging from $5m – $275m each)! My search for viable investment opportunities in Southern Africa continues and I am looking forward to seeing a good number concluded.
b. Promotion
Given the amount of hard work and effort I have been putting in my work, it was extremely rewarding to get promoted during the year.
b. Expand my network in my 10 countries of coverage
In my quest to broaden my network in Southern Africa, in 2022, I did additional business development and due diligence trips to Malawi, Lesotho and Cape Town. I also attended and spoke in a number of conferences in Johannesburg and Cape Town which were great for networking.
6. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Memorable Holidays
Every year, we plan for at least 2 memorable holidays. In 2022, I am grateful we got to do 7 (2 long ones and 5 short ones over long weekends)!
(i) In Mar, we did a long weekend in Cape Town
I tagged my family along when I travelled for work. We hiked the Lion’s Head, went to the Table Mountain on the cable car, sampled Muizenberg beach, Camps Bay Beach, the Cape Wheel, Two Oceans Aquarium, PlayDate SuperPark and did lots of walks at the V&A Waterfront.
(ii) In Apr, we did a long weekend in Durban/Umhlanga
We tagged along during one of Chief’s golf tours and invited our dad in love as well. While he and Chief were playing golf, baby girl and I were enjoying the beach and walks on the promenade and Whalebone Pier.
(iii) In Jun, I went for a leadership summit in Bazaruto
During my free time, I enjoyed some horse riding and sandboarding.
(iv) In Aug, we did a long weekend in Dullstroom
We tagged along during another of Chief’s golf tours. I had heard a lot about this small town nestled in the Mpumalanga highlands and it was great to finally check it out.
(v) In Sep, we did a long weekend in SunCity
This was also during one of Chief’s golf tours. The Valley of the Waves is always a hit for baby girl.
(v) In Oct, we celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary at the Maldives
This was certainly the highlight of our year and we feel blessed to have gotten the opportunity to tick off one of our bucket list destinations! We also thank God for bringing us this far. We enjoyed a sea plane ride, swam, snorkelled with turtles, took lots of beach walks and just relaxed while baby girl was at the kids’ club.
(vi) In Dec, we celebrated the Christmas holidays with our family in Kenya
It has been wonderful being together and I can’t believe it is almost 1 year since we lost our mum in love and will be doing her 1 year memorial shortly.
b. Date night once a week
In 2022, we continued with our date evenings. We still get home in time for sunset to release our nanny and on some occasions, we extend a bit.
7. FAMILY:
a. Plus 2
We had made plans to grow our family but God’s plans were different. This was actually in our 2021 goals as well but the failed ICSI/IVF then was still too raw for me to share. We however continue trusting God.
b. Continued swimming classes for our little one
Baby girl continued with her maintenance classes 1x a week. She can now swim along the entire swimming pool length while taking breaths, do somersaults and even join us for snorkelling.
c. Preschool for our little one by Sep
After teaching her at home for a long as possible, our little princess will finally be commencing preschool in the new year. I am glad we got the opportunity to mould her in her formative years and it is rewarding to see her reading some words and writing her name, amongst the many things we taught her.
That was a snippet of my 2022. Doing this exercise at the end of each year never grows old. It continues to keep me accountable and gives me something to yearn for and work towards. I am grateful to God that despite the lows, He showed up and showed off with highs as well.
My goals and our budget for 2023 are already set. Have you set yours? Don’t miss the opportunity to be intentional about the year you would like to have. May the year ahead stretch you to your highest potential and may it be filled with lots of favor and answered prayers!
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For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.
You can also pop into the “DeeLicious Gourmet by Dee” section for a glimpse of some of the yummy but healthy dishes I have prepared while “cooking up a storm” in my kitchen (together with the recipes):
– Breakfasts
– Starters
– Main Courses
– Salads
– Eggless, Wheat-Free Desserts
– Snacks
Thank you!
Dee
DeeMuchiri 