2023 - A Year in Review

6 min read

// A Structured Year?

2023 has been a whirlwind and I don’t know what’s happening but time won’t stop. It actually feels like it’s accelerating - how is it the end of 2023 already?

One huge positive that I’ve found over the last few months of 2023 has been the way I have begun to really listen to people and understand how the world is shaping up for me - especially moving into 2024, it’s nice to finally grasp some control and understand there is a path forwards by listening to others and actually listening to myself - what do I want to achieve, what do I want to do and more importantly, what makes me happy?

I recently attended a session in the You Are the Media club which focused on writing a reflective post for 2023 - not in the same sense that you’re seeing on LinkedIn at the moment, you know the one - the one which tells you what to expect in 2024 (and I already wrote something like that) - but more about flexing the ‘honesty muscle’ (trademarked by Mark Masters) and sharing three things which have stood out for you/me.

While I’m on that subject - the You Are the Media club has been a special place the last few months, you don’t have to attend every session, I like to dip in and out on the ones that I’m interested in and those which will challenge me but there has been so much good stuff recently, it’s hard not to dip in. If you’re interested in learning more about it (including what it is) then click here.

Anyway, my top three learnings from 2023 are -

Starting Something.
Sharing my thoughts.
Stepping back a little.

// Starting Something

The Clique is the thing that I didn’t know I needed - it’s an outlet of creativity in my little world of hyperactivity. It gives me a focus at the start/end of every week that I now really look forward to putting together.

When I started the newsletter, I didn’t really have faith in myself to continue with something longer than a few weeks because I’d started and then failed to continue so many things over the years – whether that’s posting creative content on Instagram or a podcast, something always got in the way and I quit.

But with The Clique, it’s been something which has given me confidence in so many areas – the power of consistency has unlocked so many areas in my life and the regularity has meant that I haven’t stopped.

I’m approaching half a year of ‘writing every week’ and the subscriber list has started to grow steadily after the initial subscriptions’ and it feels less like I’m talking to myself and more like I’m writing this for someone.

For so long before I wrote anything, I always promised myself that I would write a regular email and I never did. I just wish I hadn’t left it so long.

I am now asking you to consider starting your own creative outlet or project, just like I did with The Clique.

It doesn't have to be a newsletter or writing every week but find something that excites you and gives you a sense of focus.

Embrace the consistency and commit to working on it regularly - I guarantee that it will deliver tangible benefits to you, those that you hadn't even though about.

// Sharing my thoughts.

Writing in the way I do is easier for me than writing in a structured format - I am one of those people who love to buy a course or ebook to find the short cut and every course, book or ebook that I’ve bought has tried to teach me the way to write and in the end, I never end up sharing or writing anything.

The beauty of sharing my thoughts as they come out of my head is two fold - not only do the thoughts have some tangible and personal reflection contained within them but they also don’t really need that much editing (because I write as I think).

The conversational nature of my writing also means that I don’t really lay my writing out in the ‘corporate’ way which has then led me to improve my writing online.

The LinkedIn posts have gotten a little boost because they now flow better and read like a human has written them (I called my team out this week as I could see they had used ChatGPT to write a post and write comments) - the world is moving evermore towards the AI influenced world and no-one wants to read some impersonal corporate bullshit written by someone who doesn't really care - everyone will read something with an opinion.

Sharing what’s around me has also meant that I haven’t dried up on content ideas - gone are the formulaic articles about how you can get the most from your sales team and it’s become more and more about how I have experienced something or how I have learned something that week - people relate to that.

I relate to that.

My thoughts on paper (or screen, whatever) is also a form of therapy to me - I have so many ideas at 100mph that I then don’t really articulate them very well but writing them, sharing them and then having other people read them means that I get feedback, I get opinions and that shapes how I feel about what I’ve written.

I recently challenged Julio (a member of my team) to write something on LinkedIn - not post an image, not a video but a written post about a topic. I wanted him to exercise his writing and for him to understand what constitutes a well written post - to allow me to give him some feedback.

I would ask you to do the same but with one difference - if you’re going to write a social media post then record it as a voice memo first.

Then listen to it back.

Does it sound like you’d normally talk or does it sound like you’re speaking ‘corporate’ crap? If it’s the latter, then speak normally and then write down exactly what you’re saying on the note you’re happy with.

I bet it works.

// Stepping back a little.

100mph - its the speed of my brain. There are so many ideas in my head at one time - it’s a constant content generator.

I will see an advert on TV or a social media post and I study how it’s been filmed, what made it interesting and how I can use that in my own content. For example, just last night I started to watch that new Leonardo DiCaprio film on Apple ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and for around 15 minutes I got entangled and swept up in looking at camera angles - so much so that I had to rewind the film to watch back to follow the storyline.

My point is that I have taken a step back in creating this year - no vlogs, no video content of real note and no social media posts which has given my break a relative break.

There is only so much bandwidth in there - the amount of work I’ve had to do in the ‘day job’ accelerated in 2022 and it did not slow down in 2023. That has had to take precedence over the ideas, the content and the planning.

So I’ve had to take a step back a little and that’s been ok.

My mental health isn’t something that I’ve really thought about in terms of protecting but the amount of work this year has been punishing and something had to give - in previous years I would have pushed on through and tried to get as much done as possible and worked late etc.. but this year I didn’t.

Stepping back to reflect, understand what you need to do to maintain some level of control and then feel better when you do (have control) is ok - that’s one lesson that I would like to carry forwards into 2024.

Do you ever take a moment and reflect on whether something has to give? Do you feel burnt out? Maybe take it down a peg or two and move forwards when you’re ready - it’s what I’ve done and honestly, I’m ready for 2024.

// What does this mean for you?

Reflecting on my journey across 2023, I've highlighted just three points (there are a million more) but these really stood out for me.

Firstly, there's immense power in starting something new, whether it's that newsletter that you’ve been pushing to create or another creative endeavour. Consistency, my friend, is the key that unlocks hidden treasures you didn't even know existed.

Secondly, share your thoughts – not in some structured, textbook corporate bullshit manner, but in your true, unfiltered voice.

It's a game-changer, trust me. The conversational tone not only makes your content more relatable but also frees your creative spirit and it means the ideas tap isn’t switched off.

Lastly, I've discovered the importance of stepping back when life is a whirlwind.

My brain races at 100mph, and I'm always brimming with ideas. But there's only so much bandwidth up there.

Sometimes, you need to prioritize self-care and mental health. It's okay to take a breather.