Campus Connect Weekly Contest - Week 18 - Looking Back At 2021 by @ukpono|| 10% payout to @campusconnectng || 3mins read

A great year is not filled with only bliss but rather, one intertwined with laughter and sadness, disappointment and fulfilment, turbulence and peace, as well as, love and discord. Due to the uncertainty of life, the turnout of events can never be predicted and as such, it is only normal to reminisce about past events and celebrate the successes or learn from the mistakes. I can only describe 2021 AD as a great year.

As of the first day of 2021, I had written down my new year resolution based on my lessons from the last year. My major concern was self-development in my academics, family life, social life and health. Tailoring down my focus helped me in a lot of ways that I could never imagine. With this awareness, I set out to accomplish my goals with determination. So far, this has been the goals I could achieve.

Learn digital skills
My first approach was to apply for online courses on skills I wanted to acquire. As nature would have it, Facebook ads helped me to discover free online classes on graphic designs, video creation, content creation and public speaking.

Png image - This is a design technique I am crazy about.

Improve on my writing skill
This became possible after being introduced to steemit by @emyekanem whose effort has helped me improve on my writing. This is a plus to my desire for self-development.

Learn how to sew
With only a few months on steemit, I generated enough money to purchase a brand new sewing machine by October. I have carried out a few major sewing projects since then.

My first project–A kimono dress

Participate in community service
Feeling that I needed to give back to my society too, I volunteered with an NGO (Youth limit Breakers) and my church to offer voluntary services.

Representing the NGO during one of our reachout programmes to parents and schools

Despite all the growth I experienced, something kept nagging me. And that was my academics. Like a flower that had passed its blooming stage, my grades had begun to lose their green. For the first time in all my life, failure hit me so hard that I still feel ashamed to accept it. Through pains and gnashing of teeth, I ensured that I kept burning the midnight candle until I converted the F grade to A. This experience taught me to be resilient and never lose hope. But my journey through this wouldn't have been easy without my friends who kept encouraging me whenever I reached my breaking point.

I wish I could be victorious in all aspects of my life this year but the need to work extra hard at school led to a strain in the relationship with my family, friends and God. I still feel guilty about this but I am dedicated to correcting this next year. I guess that family, God and friends will be my top three new year resolution.

Happy New Year to you! ❤

Special regards to @campusconnectng