3 lessons from my past year
a letter about unbranded letters, reflections from my past year, 3 of 30 lessons I learned, and a gift.
Dear you,
I have been hibernating. I needed it.
My birthday was a few days ago, and I journaled about what I had learned from the 365 days before this new age, and gosh... I definitely surprised myself with the 30 things I journaled, but I want to share 3 with you.
When I complete an era of my life, I ask myself what I learned from that era and take those lessons into the new era while letting go of the baggage and garbage.
One of the things I reflected on was this letter. I started this letter series in January 2022 as a way to just talk with you about my thoughts, learnings [especially around branding, business, and communications], and experiences. My focus with this letter has been on people who value authenticity over acceptance, and I am going to keep doing that. I have written 95 letters so far, and I know I said I'll stop at 100, but I think I am changing my mind.
If you're new here, welcome to the fold. These are seven letters that might give you a feel of what to expect here:
Invite someone [just one person] like you who would benefit from this letter. You can invite them by sharing your favorite letter with them, or you can share my first letter—it is the origin letter here.
That said, I am back to writing again, and I am so grateful to every single one of you who reached out, met me at events, or shared posts to tell me how these letters have changed your life. It's so beautiful that something so simple can have such a huge catalytic effect. I read the 30 things I journaled, and I figured it would be too long a read if I shared all, so these are three of thirty. I hope they help you too in your journey.
3 out of the 30 lessons I learned the last year:
small, consistent efforts compound and building habits are underrated: while I may not have been consistent at writing letters, I have been consistent at other things. Sometime in my last year, I decided to read every morning before pressing my phone, and somehow, at the end of the month, I had breezed through 4 books stress-free. I always knew that building habits were more potent than goals because they build systems that transcend beyond achievements; they become a lifestyle. We usually start new things and expect results immediately, but the best results are gradual. They happen internally before they become visible. They may not be visible in days or weeks, but you'll definitely see the difference in years and decades. So, pick one thing, do it every day and then look back in a year.
there's power in a quality and capable team beyond a strategy or game plan: too often, we focus on putting together great strategies and compromise on the teams we assemble to achieve those plans. There needs to be an alignment in vision and responsibilities. I learned that having the right teammates who have the ability and skill to execute the game plan and truly care about the vision will change everything and accelerate the path to success [and fast failure]. Fast failure is also a gift because you know you gave your best, did your best, and saw it through to the end - no regrets [and saved resources]. This doesn't mean that every team member needs to be a superstar. It needs to be balanced: efficiency, excellence, trust, and loyalty.
know your values. They are such a guiding light in times of darkness and difficulty: this piece is one that I will never forget. What are your values? They'll guide you as you choose friends, jobs, clients, and so much in life. Even as you build your brand, your values will help you stay true to yourself. I was recently watching the "Katseye" series on Netflix, where a label was trying to assemble a K-pop group. One of the girls [Lexie] quit the show because she realized this wasn't the life she wanted. It didn't align with her values. It was a dream, but it wasn't her dream. Sometimes, we need to experience what we prayed for to realize it is not what we want or need. Your values will help you discern and make peace with your decision. Within this, I learned that saying no is as important as saying yes.
A bonus lesson is this reminder that life is not forever; it is limited and not infinite; value each day. Grief and health threats remind us of this every chance they get. This lesson has helped me with managing procrastination. It helped me practice lesson one even more seriously than I would typically have, and it helped me take my days seriously because what I do with my days will show in a few years. I am not worried about today; I live in the moment and invest in today for my future, but even if that future never comes, I would be proud of how I spend my current days.
Happy birthday to me.
Thank you all for the beautiful and kind wishes and gifts. I left a gift for you here. I also gave my personal email tribe a very special gift. [If you are so curious, ask in the comment section; who knows, someone might tell you what it is.] I am grateful for the gift of you.
Thank you for always reading my letters.
With Love,
Blessing Abeng
thank you so much for this!
happy birthday in arrears.🎈
Thanks for the gift and more gracious life Blessing 🥳🎉🎈👐🏼