3 Mistakes I Made In 2022 and What I Learned

I messed up a lot in 2022, so I gained plenty of knowledge to bring into the new year! Here are my top 3 flops of 2022 and the accompanying lessons I'm taking into 2023.

1. Doing too much

• The flop ❌: Overcommitting to a part-time job, a summer course, and a work-study position during the summer. Made a good chunk of money, but had to LWD from the summer course and effectively wasted half of my earnings.
• What I learned 🏆: After a certain point, accepting more work actually becomes less productive than rejecting some opportunities.

2. Mindless spending

• The flop ❌: Spending over my credit limit. Holiday shopping really got the best of me.
• What I learned 🏆: Called the bank and asked to inhibit overlimit transactions. Then I planned a monthly budget with the goal of staying under 30% of my credit limit.

3. Unproductive optimism

• The flop ❌: Assuming things will “just work out” without putting in the effort. Ie. not studying in advance for my MAT137 final exam under the illusion that “I’ll get it done eventually.”
• What I learned 🏆: Things will work out, but that’s not an excuse not to study! Make a study plan broken down by the hour, send it to a friend, and stick to it.

Wishing you good energy for the start of the new semester! Note to self: when things go wrong, acknowledge the mistake, make a blog post about it, and move along.

Anisha Latchman

2nd year CompSci & CogSci | Life @ U of T Digital Storyteller