It is said the first few purchases you make in a new year are the most important, as they have the potential to influence the rest of your year. When I first read this is in an article a couple years ago, it encouraged me to look at my own bank statement from January and review the first few purchases I made. In 2018, I had purchased both a trial kickboxing membership and my domain for Generation Ziz – no more than $50 spent on the two, but my entire year revolved around martial arts and Generation Ziz. I now do this every year out of curiosity.
Naturally, I checked my bank statements from January 2021. I will preface by saying I am not a stranger to investing in myself – my education, my well-being, my goals. Whatever it is, if it will help bring me closer to my getting where I want to be, I go full-force. In the first week of January I made 3 purchases totaling $3500. The first was a payment toward one of my classes in my Master’s degree; the second, a small payment to the state of Florida when I established my coaching business; and the third, another investment for a business coach of my own.
Needless to say, most of my year was spent in pursuit of my education and my first year as a business owner. While the last few months I have felt as though I’ve accomplished so very little, comparing to where I was last year I have very much won. I am in a new role, a business owner, and 4 months away from graduating! I have a tendency to be quite hard on myself when I take on a new project especially if I’m new to it. But this year, I have worked full-time (most weeks lately over 40 hours), gone to school full-time, and started an online business (maybe not entirely profitable yet), but I am just starting to feel proud of myself because I have already done what many will not – and that is try.
I was interviewed recently for a podcast about Generation Ziz, and I was asked “What keeps you up at night?” While there are few things that can get in the way of me and sleep, I often toss with thoughts of my own contribution to this world, and if what I am doing is even enough. If it even matters. I question why I had to be so multi-passionate. Unable to narrow down one thing I really want to do because I have multiple interests, and haven’t even touched the surface of all that’s out there. All that I can be.
The last few weeks of this year have been really intense for me personally. I’ve already begun to let go of some of the things I thought I wanted for myself. While this year has been a period of learning, experimenting, experiencing, & failing, all are the inevitable outcomes in the pursuit of purpose. I am extremely looking forward to the path 2022 will lead me on.
While I have written and coached about purpose and happiness, I too have periods of feeling stuck, and asking myself what we all do at some point: just what am I doing with my life? As we all go into a new year, just remember you never have to wait for the start of a new year to bring change. To question the path you’re on or the direction you want to take.
In the words of Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, “first say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” So my friends, let’s get to it!
Wishing all of you a successful and happy new year!
With love,
Ziz <3