2007 Year in Review (or…61 things I learned in 2007)

January 1, 2008 | by Jennifer Gniadecki | Filed Under Blogging, The Everything Basket, Work/Life Balance 

I don’t do resolutions.

It always seemed that the people who resolved to change something on the 1st of the year failed miserably compared to people who just decided to make a change during almost any other day of the year.

I have things I’m looking forward to in 2008, as well as things I really hope will happen after I’ve put my time and energy into them.

But a resolution just feels like I’m starting the New Year off with pressure. Pressure is sister to stress, and I need that like I need extra vermouth in my martini. (I hate vermouth. It tastes like Pine-Sol.)

Looking back and reflecting on the previous year is a different story. It is amazing to me how much we each learn in the course of 265 short days. Some seemed so long it was like they’d never end, while others (the fun ones) flew by in the blink of an eye. Oh Einstein, where would we be without the theory of relativity. Putting perspective into science, it seems like the peanut butter and chocolate of creativity and math.

So, without further adieu, this is my random, mostly-all-inclusive list of stuff I learned in 2007 !

  1. It’s easier to trust everyone and get screwed over once in a while than to not trust anyone.
  2. Being honest when things go wrong can be hard, but it’s rewarding as HELL once you’ve gotten through it.
  3. Nasty people with bad work ethics get what they deserve without me having to lift a finger.
  4. Twitter is not just a fun place to hang, it can make you new friends as well as change the direction of your business.
  5. People get really angry when social media apps (see #4 above) go down unexpectedly, or don’t go down when they are expected to. The masses light torches.
  6. The mic on my webcam is scratchy and I don’t know how to fix it. It’s been four months.
  7. Paperback novels are a necessity to keep myself sane and focused.
  8. I can meditate, but I do not know how to relax.
  9. A year later, I still don’t know what the point of Facebook is.
  10. In 2008, my husband is going to be a member of all the organizations I wanted to be part of in 2007.
  11. I changed my niche 10 times in 2007.
  12. Change isn’t as bad as I thought! It can even be *gasp* fun!
  13. If you lose faith in your loved ones, everything else kinda loses meaning.
  14. Liberals can call me conservative, and conservatives can call me liberal - nothing changes what I believe in my heart, and it cannot be defined by one label.
  15. Being poor is scary and painful, no matter how temporary it is.
  16. My husband hates being a business owner EXACTLY as much as I love being a business owner.
  17. My children are crazy smart - and that scares me and makes me a little sad for them.
  18. Some people cannot be fixed. Ever.
  19. Letting people come and go from your life freely creates more positive relationships, even if they change drastically in ways you never expected.
  20. There are other people like me in the world - more importantly, I really like them.
  21. I am destined to not be a follower, so I need to suck it up and learn how to lead effectively.
  22. Everyone is human, and pretty much everyone is struggling in some way or another.
  23. Pedestals suck. Giving and receiving.
  24. I am a good mother.
  25. I am a kick ass wife.
  26. I’m a pretty good friend, but I could improve in some areas.
  27. The ability to work with others is not a special gift, it just requires oodles of clarity and communication.
  28. People like me more than I thought.
  29. Everyone is accessible to some degree.
  30. You should change your business model immediately if it’s not working.
  31. When people give you suggestions, don’t throw out a comeback….listen. Even if they don’t understand what you do, even if they aren’t friendly about it. You never know where inspiration will come from.
  32. Sometimes you have to walk away.
  33. Some people will do anything to win, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you have to follow suit.
  34. Toddlers are funner to cuddle with than teddy bears.
  35. The boundaries of what I’m willing to share of myself with the online community.
  36. People who talk about themselves incessantly bore EVERYONE to tears, not just you.
  37. Herd mentality is alive and strong and kicking and harness-able.
  38. It’s okay to make up words or use endings on words inappropriately if it gets the point across accurately.
  39. I have the ability to make an emotional connection with most strangers in under 30 seconds.
  40. When people hear about you through other people, it saves you the trouble of updating them personally. In this way, people feel connected to you even if you aren’t calling them every week.
  41. The most effective way to make new business contacts is to make new friends.
  42. If you don’t know how to make friends, most books aren’t going to help you. You need to find your own way. Especially if you are making connections in the online space. It requires more.
  43. I am respected even by those that do not like me.
  44. People react to me online in a completely different way than they do in person. (Which is odd, because I am the same person in both places. Everything I convey online I convey in the same way in person.)
  45. If you allow a stylist to have fun with your hair, you are going to end up with something you would not have picked for yourself.
  46. Being popular is much more difficult than I imagined it would be.
  47. I am as good as it gets.
  48. I do not have to be perfect to have amazing information that others need to know. I do not have to be a supermodel in order to feel comfortable sharing this information.
  49. Second Life is not dead.
  50. Being fired by a client can be the best thing EVER!
  51. I cannot hide how I really feel about people. Possibly because I’m so out of practice and believe so strongly in integrity. More likely if I find someone deplorable or disgusting I just can’t keep the “ick look” off of my face. Either way, it’s just part of who I am, and I kinda like it.
  52. There is a huge difference between being kind and being nice. Nice is a doormat - and highly overrated.
  53. Not everyone looks at a computer and sees a business opportunity.
  54. Many people think what I do is easy.
  55. Not everyone has something of value to share, and not everyone is worth spending time on.
  56. People who ask you to do things for them will never stop asking you to do things for them. This is okay if they do things for you too.
  57. While I will never learn everything I want to, I already know more than I ever thought I would about things I would have considered impossible to get knowledge about ten years ago.
  58. People that think I’m Google annoy the bloody hell out of me. Just do the damn search already.
    58.5 In general, most people do not know how to effectively search. For anything.
  59.  I love people. I love them regardless of race, intelligence or socioeconomic status. I like people more if they can have a good conversation. I love people that can have a conversation without getting all weird if there’s a disagreement involved. You know, the ones that can be passionate without getting all up in your grill and calling you names if you don’t agree with them. I love those people.
  60. People who think they are better than other people are very, very insecure and scared.
  61. Money really doesn’t buy happiness. Yes, I just learned this in 2007. Sorry, I’m behind the curve.

So there you have it. I’m sure there are actually hundreds of things I learned this year, but those are the ones that stand out as being real lessons that changed who I am as a person.

Do you have a list? Let me know - I’d love to read it!

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Comments

3 Responses to “2007 Year in Review (or…61 things I learned in 2007)”

  1. Sally Kuhlman on January 1st, 2008 9:35 pm

    Nice list! I’m right there with you on number 9.

    Sally Kuhlman’s last blog post..Starting Your Own Business Can Be Puzzling

  2. Patty Dost on January 2nd, 2008 6:23 pm

    24. (should be) You are a Great Mom.
    26. (should be) You are an AWESOME friend.
    35. Aren’t they? :)
    44. You rock online and in person!
    47. Agree

  3. Angela Wills on January 2nd, 2008 6:53 pm

    This is a rockin list. Love the new blog and the new pic Jen!

    My favorites are #9 and #59, made me lol. I agree with Patty on #26 ;)

    Happy Happy New Year!

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