Time does fly.

We’re just two weeks away from 2023.

I remember starting out in 2022 by writing an article about new year resolutions.

Out of curiosity, how many resolutions have you managed to achieve this year?

Just kidding, I’m not here to guilt trip anyone. Especially not with Christmas just around the corner.

But since I’m in a festive mood (and I hope you are too), I’m here to spread and share my knowledge.

2022 has been a challenging year and I’ve grown and developed in the process.

Upon reflection, I took a moment to document my experiences. 

Without further ado, I present to you the 7 valuable lessons I learned in 2022.

Mental health is key

I cannot stress this enough.

Mental health is real and very important to our functioning and overall well being.

Whether it’s stress from work, relationships or the environment, we must be conscious of our mental state. 

Nothing can stop you from being the best version of yourself but you.

At the same time, remember that no one can read your mind but you.

Prioritize your mental health as you see fit.

Enjoy being wrong

It’s good to be wrong and I’ve started to enjoy the process of finding out things I never knew before.

Being wrong isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Life is a test and more often than not, no one gets all the answers right.

Even the most successful people guess a lot. And just maybe, the odds are in their favor.

Yet, it has never stopped them from embracing new knowledge and learning what they don’t know or understand.

Be grateful if there are people who care enough about you to correct or teach you.

If used correctly, being wrong can be a huge source of growth.

Love the process 

Victory is a long and difficult road.

There are many twists and turns, dead ends and obstacles along the journey.

In 2022, I learned to focus on my journey everyday,

Rather than obsess over the end goal, I aim to make every day count.

Slowly but surely, I’ve started to enjoy and appreciate the process more.

You’ll encounter numerous challenges but each brings you that much closer to your goal.

Honor the process and chances are you might find rewards greater than your goal!

Quit indecisiveness

After years of living abroad, traveling all over the country and world, I decided to finally plant down roots.

I’m now in the process of building a house.

It wasn’t the easiest decision especially if you consider the fact that I decided to do this during COVID.

But it was just what I needed to do.

Cease the doubts that creep up and take control. 

Being decisive doesn’t mean constantly charging ahead.

Sometimes, it can mean walking away from a bad habit or a negative situation.

Be deliberate, discerning but most of all, be decisive.

Be your own Cinderella story

Jose Aldo overcame the dangerous favelas in Brazil to become the Featherweight GOAT of our sport.

Georges St-Pierre worked as a garbage man while studying at university and training for his fights. He would go on to become a two-division champ and arguably the greatest welterweight ever.

There’s also Brendan Loughnane who was unceremoniously snubbed by Dana White after his UFC Contender Series victory.

Loughnane went to the PFL and most recently won a cool US$1 million as the winner of their PFL Featherweight tournament.

There are plenty of amazing inspirational successful stories in mixed martial arts.

You don’t have to search hard to find one. 

But you do have to write your own.

Start today.

Question everything

We receive so much information that it’s getting harder to process by the day.

What’s true and accurate? 

Everyone has an agenda. 

That’s not a bad thing per se, just something we should be aware of when interpreting information we see or hear.

It doesn’t hurt to listen to what someone has to say. Seek to understand but don’t jump to conclusions.

Ask yourself and put on your thinking cap.

Question your assumptions and biases.

It might just lead to better and more confident decisions.

It’s the little things that make the difference

I notice that some people can mistakenly attribute success to one or two key factors.

That’s not to say it isn’t true but in my experience, success is the accumulation of many little things done right.

I’m devoted to health and fitness.

Even when I’m on the move and on shoots, I still make an effort to do the little things right. 

Like when I prepped my protein shake aboard a rocking boat at sea during an OWS shoot.

Little things done properly can compound to generate huge returns.

If you can’t do the little stuff right, how can you expect to do the same with the big and important things in your life?