Give Yourself Some Credit & Some Slack

In the first quarter of this year, I was speaking with a client who was feeling pretty dejected about her work situation.  She felt underappreciated and unable to get her employer to up her compensation.  When I suggested looking around, her response made it clear she was struggling to see her own attributes.  I gave her an on-the-spot pep talk and countered that her age has become highly valued as employers are reeling from the walk-outs of the Great Resignation from the younger generations.  Her degree majored in a male-dominated field saluting her fortitude and she has tenure at all the major corporations in her field, showing tribute to her skill.  A few weeks later she called me back with an update: she changed firms with a double-digit increase in pay, sign-on bonus and outlined path for earning future bonuses. 

As we wrap up 2022, it is important to reflect upon what you want to improve upon and what you are happy you did.  Those actions that we are proud of, highlight our path forward and give us encouragement to do more.  Holding ourselves accountable for poor decisions help us acknowledge and keep us from going down that path again.  It is important to not get stuck in that moment because hope is a far better catalyst for change than dejection.

Those who have spent the past few years chasing get-rich-quick schemes of cryptocurrency and cannibas are soaking in headlines awash with tales of collapses and bankruptcies.  I am not saying that there is no future in either – to the contrary, the newest head of the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) has taught about cryptocurrencies at the university-level and I believe that background helped him get selected for the job.  It is also looking more likely that cannabis will get Federal level approval.  It is the chasing of the sexy and shiny that can lead our money to the plight of easy-come easy-go.  Instead, have patience like waiting for Federal level approval or proper regulations and protections to be put in place by the SEC.

So I encourage you to set goals for 2023 on both what could you do better and making more time for what you are doing well.  Give yourself some credit and some slack – it is likely to catch on to those around you and you’ll be proud of what you inspired.