This took longer than I had expected. I think I struggled a bit because I have a lot going on right now. Not the bad kind, I’ve just been super busy trying to prepare for 2022 and what is to be. I’ll write this in phases and not in months as I’d done last year. Get comfortable though, the wild ride through what my 2021 was like is about to begin. One word? Exciting!
Recovery.
Omooo, this one hard die. Let me not lie. If you’re new here, here’s how my 2020 went. I was freshly unemployed at the beginning of the year but taking it one day at a time. My ever supporting mum gave me a stipend for survival at the end of December 2020 so money wasn’t really an issue. But the sadness, my goodness the sadness. I got a new & better role wt Axa mansard and I had a hard time navigating because of all the toxic work behaviours I’d learnt.
I went back to therapy when I got back to Lagos and it really helped. I worked on not allowing my sadness to consume me and navigating my emotions. Working out also helped me a lot! I was consistent over the year and I honestly can’t explain how but it did help. I’m genuinely happy at the moment, to be honest. Let’s just say the good vibes 2021 brought into my life also helped. The job, the friends, the outings. Someone said to me you really like your new job and I did. I went out and someone saw me and said “you look happy. There’s a twinkle in your eyes” and I am, I really am. I’d be lying if I say I don’t have random waves of sadness but, but, I’m coping. I’ve come to live with it, I’ve gotten wayyy better with the awesome family and friends I have.
Work
Towards the end of 2020, I’d applied for a new role at AXA Mansard and come March last year after some training, I started a new role as a business analyst who managed some technical products. I’m not capping tbh but AXA is an amazing place to work. The issue now was me unlearning all the toxicity I’d learnt. I was so doubtful, so untrusting. All that I unlearnt in a whim because the organizational structure doesn’t really allow you to remain that way. Our core values are Courage, Integrity, One AXA and Customer first. You see that One AXA? People followed it die.
Having an awesome workplace meant I needed to put in the damn work. Trust your girl now, I did! I look back at my progress this year and I’m like! I did thatt! Omoyeni, You did that. I couldn’t have done this on my own though. I had the best support system and the best colleague’s you can ever work with. I was amidst great minds, I learnt and did so much. A league of brilliant minded individuals. It is an actual honour working with these guys tbh.
Enjoyment
They called me “Minister of Enjoyment” and I took it personally. I enjoyed ehn! Them dey beg me to calm down at some point. The way I structured this enjoyment in 2021 ehn! Ya Allah. I enjoy dieeeeee. If you’re on my socials you’ll know I was always outsideeeeeeeeeeee. I now had proper enjoyment partners again. Shoutout to my red lipstick from @yangabeauty for holding down the forth. It did the damn work!
I went to parties, plays, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, restaurants, team bondings, sendoffs, field experiences, hangouts, game nights, concerts, you name it. We even did eid party in my house this year and I was the chief planner.
Whatever it was, I was there. December was even the worst. At some point, we had to miss some outings because we were exhausted and couldn’t deal. Literally a dirty December! At some point, there was no need to text some people, I know I’ll jam them at the next party. I wish we had more money though, the enjoyment for bam gan. We would have chilled with the big boys. I love it for me and my girls sha. One thing I realized though is that these things don’t just happen. One has to be intentional about relaxing and enjoying and make actual plans for it to happen.
Love & Self-care
I did a thing with self-love this year. I was intentional about caring for myself. Showing myself the love I envied and craved for from others. I took myself seriously like I was trying to be a friend to myself. I rested when I needed. I had a routine to relax on Sundays. Of course, that scattered at some points because I was out a lot during weekends but I had it. I told someone that When I look in the mirror, I don’t see ugly anymore and he looked at me dumbfounded like, why would you ever see ugly? But I did, and occasionally, rarely even, somedays days, I still do.
You see love matter, Boyfrienn? That one is zero. The dating pool in Lagos is a mess. I tried sha tbh. I actually did this time, my friends dispute that sha. They say I’m unavailable. Idk, we’ll dig a little more into that in 2022.
Fitness
For the first time ever I actually went to the gym.
Let me rewind small, I started the year following workouts from The Body Projects team on Youtube. At some point, I paid for their premium service. By March, I started getting used to their workouts and it wasn’t as challenging for me anymore. I went for a couple of runs with my friends during the weekend as well. Then in May, I and my friend Cynthia decided that we needed to do more about our fitness.
It wasn’t the rave of just wanting to work out and then quitting after a while. I actually registered at the gym in June and down to October, I was consistent! I lifted weights o you people. Did the tough routines and everything. Did I lose weight? Nah 😩😩. But I was so happy being consistent with working out, I didn’t even mind eventually. We chose Ifitness *hyperlink* because it was new and we presumed the social capital would be worth it. Well, it was! I met the genius @vunderkind and became friends! I also had so many workout buddies who eventually became awesome friends. It's a great place to work out guys, there’s equipment and the trainers are amazing as well and the community is pretty cool.
Friendship
I have the best luck in meeting awesome people to become friends with. I really do. My year being great centred largely around my friends and family. I added family because there’s the bond of family, yeah, and there’s the bond where you are actual friends with your siblings. My friendship with my sister got better this year. I love all 3 of you, the boys in that house will read this and make noise now *eye roll*
Friends I made on my own?? Absolute rockstars. These people love me die and I don’t take it for granted. There’s a tweet about having friends who believe in you so much, you have no choice but to believe in yourself. I can’t find it would have quoted it here. I doubted myself a couple of times last year. At every point, whoever it was I turned to reinforced my awesomeness and got me out of my head. I really hope I was an awesome friend to you guys as you are to me. I am thankful and happy that I have you all in my corner. I really am.
I won’t lie, I lost some friends too. Some ended officially, some we just drifted apart. I may be the bad guy in your stories too I guess. It is what it is tbh. I’ve learnt endings don’t have to be a bad thing. I can reminisce about the good times we had and be content with that. Maybe I’m not friends with the person you are anymore. That’s okay? Idk man, idk.
Wrapping up
I had a good year, genuinely and truthfully. My wins and achievements in 2021 were mostly intangible but I’m grateful for the personal growth the year had to offer. I loved myself, family and friends better, had the best time of my life, was consistent with gym and overall did well in my new role.
Starting 2021, this was my resolve from the last write up:
“I plan to keep working on myself till I get better. I am going into the new year broke (Hopefully not for long), stronger, and with a bold resolve to live for me. To not be a slave for money or love. To be as comfortable as I can, choose the easy life as I do not have to suffer to matter or prove my worth. To enjoy the good things of life. To be as vain as I enjoy. To make myself the main character in my story. To treat myself like I matter because I do. To stop self-sabotaging and live up to my potential like I once did. To take things a step at a time. To respect myself & my abilities. And above all, to enjoy myself because this life is short. So help me God.”
This is an excerpt from last year resolve. Alhamdulilah, I kept true to these things. This year, I’m just adding money to the mix. Securing the bag 2022 Insha’a Allah. I need to, I have to. Cheers to blossoming beautifully this year, being better and more awesome than we already are.
PS: You have to love yourself fully and wholly as you are the only thing you truly own.
Till next time,
Which is very soon,
Yenibaby,
The real OG.
