2022 in the rearview mirror

And what's ahead

Happy New Year, almost. Thanks for reading Life Intelligence! If this is your first time here, please subscribe! You’ll love the weekly posts. I promise :)

I am not sure how I feel about 2022. Stressed?

But good things happened in the world. What went right in 2022? Read about the 25 good news stories of the world and feel better. It made me feel hopeful.

Here are five developments worth watching in 2022:

Personally, I finally made good on my promise to myself to learn Lindy Hop. It turned into Balboa and Charleston, too. Many thanks to the goofy, playful people of “back when.” And the music makes me wonder if they were happier in the 1920a than us in the 2020s. No smartphones to make them dummer? Social dancing instead of social media?

Speaking of social media, those who follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram may have noticed how little personal stuff I share these days. Remember when I wrote that post, Social Media A Window To Your Soul, and the other one, How Social Media Affects Couples? Well, it made me less interested in posting and more interested in doing, enjoying, and minding my beeswax. Of course, I still scroll, catching up on news and local events, and keep in touch with family and friends, but my time on these platforms has decreased dramatically.

Meanwhile, some interesting books I read in 2022 include:

• The Art of Choosing – Sheena Iyengar

• Don’t’ Trust Your Gut: Using date to get what you really want in life - Seth Stephens-Davidowitz  

• Rationality: What it is, why it seems scarce, why it matters – Steven Pinker

• Wanting: The power of mimetic desire in everyday life – Luke Burges

• Should I stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist – Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D

Looking back at the 15 things I wanted to do in 2022, I see that I did most of the things on my list! I feel pretty good about that. I wanted to learn more about NFTs, too. I did. I gave up 😉

Onward to 2023:

1. Somehow, the stack of books on my side table grew. I shall get through it before I buy more books… I think I’ll fail, but I’ll try!

2. I’ve been thinking of places in the world that tourists usually don’t know to think about. I’d like to learn more and plan visits. For this purpose, I bout a 3-year calendar to plan ahead. More on that later.

3. Spend more time with my mother. Her heart is bad. Her years are short. I should try to make the most of the time left.

4. Give my dog better haircuts. Sometimes, I think I embarrass her—poor thing.

5. Polish my retirement plan.

6. Stick with the amazing desserts. It worked well for me in 2022. I’ll keep it up in 2023.

7. Take naps and do jigsaw puzzles. I recently found out why people love those. Can’t disagree.

One thing coming in 2023 is making Life Intelligence by paid subscription access. There will still be monthly free posts, but I have new sections and resources to publish soon and will make them available to paid subscribers only. More on this later. It will be peanuts, I promise. But it will be nice to have some peanuts. Plus, it will motivate me to write more. Ultimately, I would like to do more writing. You can help me by suggesting topics. Comment, or email me.

Wishing all of you a better 2023!

Remember, what gets scheduled gets done! Schedule what you want to experience. Don’t let life push you around.

Thanks for reading.

Find me on Facebook in the Life Intelligence private group.
Or on Twitter @CoachValentina
My services: www.valentinapetrovaconsulting.com

Yours truly,

V.