Rounding up 2022. Being lost is OK.

My Lessons & Goals for 2023.

We are all occasionally lost.

Lost for the absence of understanding.

Lost for the absence of guidance.

Lost for the absence of support.

But most of all, we are lost for the absence of meaning.

Each of us makes meaning in his/her own way: it can be big such as changing the world with cutting-edge technology or small such as volunteering to help those in need.

The main thing though: is to keep the head up to the sky. From this point forward I decided to share the list of inspirational findings I have discovered in 2022 followed by the list of goals (YEAH!) I set for myself for the upcoming 2023:

• People fight for the truth. Christopher Nolan once said that the most common question he gets is whether the coin falls on its side in the ending of his movie Inception, highlighting that people ALWAYS want to know the truth. But are people willing to fight for the truth? With the ongoing war in Ukraine and my fellow Ukrainians willing to go through atrocities that we falsely presumed to be the remnants of the past — I have no doubt that PEOPLE FIGHT FOR THE TRUTH, not only want to know it. I can also testify from my storytelling experience — that things that resonate with others are the ones you lived and tested in real-life. That’s why, actually, I like going deep into my thoughts and not staying on the surface.
• The output does NOT equal input in social media. Yes, you heard me say this before but anyone who’s familiar with the S-shaped growth trajectory knows that doing a lot can all go in vain if you don’t stick to it long enough. I am at this point in my media activity where I am just not quite getting anything back. If you work for someone — such a disturbing feeling won’t ever attack your mind, but if you ever decide to tap into entrepreneurship — you'll know what we’re talking about.
• Crisis can bring prosperity. Jordan Peterson once made an argument that Holocaust could have potentially saved Jews from being fully eradicated from hostile Europe back in the forties. It’s a bitter pill to swallow and a horrendous thought to entertain but: the sacrifice of so many lives caused by the war is seemingly bringing Ukraine to a real, not far-fetched independence, and real prosperity is waiting for us right around the corner — similarly to a miracle of Israelian nation — that had endured so much pain throughout the history.
• You can’t cash out someone else’s experience. I’ve had dozens of people pulling the rope on different sides saying that this is what I had to do. Remember February? — Leave Kiyv! — Really? Best decision I’ve made this year was staying in Kyiv, regardless of the power outages and occasional shellings. In business, we should always remember about Survivorship bias — you can virtually never repeat someone’s success, BUT (!) — you can elude the mistakes these people made to give yourself a chance.
• Talent finds Support; but it fails without Effort. I still remember how Will Smith described his mentality in one of his early videos: ‘if you run next to me on a treadmill — I will either outrun you OR I will die trying. It’s as easy as that’. A lot of successful people are stripped from all the hard work they put in on a daily basis — but in reality — talent is going to fail you if you don’t put in the effort. We recently discussed this with my students in our class: talented folks might have an edge — but it is really making the stakes even higher — as you’re tempted to rely on the talent solely and take shortcuts.
• Real people are Rare. We are all in hunt for OUR people, our tribe — those human beings that can get us in a blink of an eye and support us without skipping a beat. Friends and supporters are tough to find after a certain age, BUT there is good news: IT IS STILL POSSIBLE. I am lucky enough to reap the benefits of having to talk to amazing people who became my students and business partners along this media influencer’s journey. Moreover, I was also lucky to develop a friendship with an exceptional lady — a friendship that wouldn’t be possible without me putting my life and thoughts on display. An interesting lesson derived from this is the following:

People start to sympathise with you as a human being when they see you often enough, which gives you a chance to make real friends — if you are not faking anything, of course.

There are many more lessons I can share but these are good enough, especially as I am running out of time on December 31st, so here are the goals that I want to pronounce my guiding stars in the 1st quarter of 2023:

• Focus on Simplicity. (the only way for me to get noticed on the scale is to create simple and fun videos — at least 2 times a day)
• Don’t set high expectations. (you flip out cuz of them)
• Enjoy the Fucking moment! (I religiously say that I do, but honestly speaking — thinking too much of myself hurts being in the moment and thus — the next goal)
• Dissolve your Ego (share more, make fun of yourself, meet with people from various walks of life, make mistakes publicly, ask for help, call people first, say “sorry”, recognize other people's greatness and success)
• Don't compare yourself to anyone (dude, we’ve been saying this on and off the record: we are unique. Every single one of us is unique. What you have in life is a direct result of your actions and decisions, so get your shit together and see successful people as your worthy colleagues and possible partners, not competitors)
• Keep your spending thirst at bay. (if you can’t save some money up, and everything you make is just burning your pocket — you ain’t ever gonna get out of poverty)
• Value people that value you. (open your eyes and detect all the beautiful people that are willing to help. Pay them back with a random call asking how they’re doing, and just let them know you’re there for them)
• Take more responsibility. (shying away from responsibility after 30 isn’t a healthy thing. Get your ducks in a row and let others know that they can count on you)

Alright, that will do it. That’s my list off the top of my head. Not overthinking it, just being myself.

A new chapter of our life is about to start, I wish all of you to come to realize what has made you better in 2022 and keep doing this in 2023. And if something broke your spirit and made you feel measurable — maybe it’s time to let go. Just an idea…. Not forcing it on you.

Happy New Year 2023! Swish!