Wow, another year has gone by and we are on the brink of 2014. It’s unbelievable to think how much time has passed in what feels like such little time. A lot of us graduated college this year and are onto a different chapter in the story of our lives. I’d like to take a moment and reflect on all of the best moments of this year for me as we get near its close. During my reflection, I’m going to focus on how great the good times were and how I can improve from my mistakes. Here is my top 5 moments from 2013.
5. Moving Out
Moving out of my mother’s house was a really big step in the stairs of life. Granted, she still makes me food and I still do my laundry at her house, but it’s a step towards independence and a step that should not be overlooked.
4. First Job Out of College
Landing my first job upon college graduation was a big milestone for me. I wasn’t sure where I was going to wind up or what I wanted to do, but I’m really happy with my decision to become an Account Executive at Bullhorn. In these past 6 months at Bullhorn, I have learned so much about the art of selling and a lot of it ties back to Simon Sinek’s TED talk about how great leaders inspire action. Never sell anything material, only sell solutions. I’m proud to say that as the year is closing out, I’m at 115% of my annual quota.
3. Graduation from UMass Amherst
College came and went by in what felt like just a couple of months. I’m so proud of everyone who graduated with me and it makes me really happy to see people going out and doing great things. People are starting companies that will change the world and others are excelling within established companies by crushing their quotas or by bringing innovative ideas to the table. There certainly isn’t a lack of ambition among the class of 2013 and I am so excited to see what the future has to hold for this class.
2. TEDxUMassAmherst
Co-founding TEDxUMassAmherst with Nate Tepper was the best learning experience I’ve had to date. Getting to work with 25 students and raise $25,000 (without UMass giving us any monetary donations) provided an avenue for me to meet a lot of unbelievable people who changed my life. Getting to speak to an audience of my peers is honestly my proudest moment of college and I thank everyone who helped make it happen (you can see my speech below). Watch out for even bigger things from TEDxUMassAmherst this year on May 3rd.
1. Becoming an Uncle
Being an Uncle has been an experience like no other. Growing up, I wasn’t very close with any of my extended family so getting the opportunity to be there for my niece has been really special. Additionally, becoming an uncle also means my brother became a father! It’s crazy to think how the same person I used to play Super Nintendo with growing up is now raising a beautiful little girl.
All in all, 2013 was a great year. There were some downs, but there were certainly a lot more ups than downs. To be honest, before I wrote everything out, I didn’t really how much was actually accomplished this year. Taking a moment to reflect on your year before 2014 rolls around can be beneficial to remind you of all of the great things you did in 2013. Additionally, it will help you set realistic goals for 2014 as well.
Best of luck to everyone in 2014 and happy New Year’s! Be happy, be healthy, but most importantly, make a difference.