I’m turning 32 today, here are the five things I’ve learnt

Happy Birthday to me!

Second one in a lockdown.

But, my heart is filled with gratitude to be here right now with my family and friends. Healthy and well.

Birthday’s are a time to reflect and I’d like to share my five top (life) lessons to date.

A lot is happening — a pandemic, illnesses, uncertainty, anxiety, need to be present, fatigue and burnout. All these are taking a toll on you.

It’s hard to shake away the feeling of being overwhelmed.

It’s okay not to be okay.

Take care of your body, mind and soul.

Take a break.

Pray.

Read encouraging scripture from the Bible, Quran.

Listen to music.

Unplug.

Cry.

Work out.

Step away from your desk, your laptop and put away your device.

Take time to rest and recharge.

Stay curious.

Learn something new (every day).

What are NFTs? How do vaccines work?

What is a Theramin? How does Tiktok work?

Network with someone new.

Do something new. A new recipe. A new movie genre. A new music genre.

Use a new jogging route.

Learn something outside your industry.

Get your mind excited at the prospect of learning something you’d otherwise not have known, such as this talk by seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers!

Say yes.

To that opportunity to be a speaker or a trainer in some event.

To someone asking if they can help you out.

To that (virtual) drink or coffee.

To that out-of-the-country trip.

To those uncomfortable conversations with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Make it a year of Yes.

But also.

Learn to say No.

To spreading yourself too thin.

To burnout.

To locking yourself out of opportunities.

To people or things that are not part of your journey.

Invest. Invest. Invest.

And here I’m talking about financial resources.

Invest any surplus income you make.

You may never have enough now but you get a head start if you start to save today.

Learn about the different financial instruments: Government bonds, money markets, shares, real estate. Name it.

If you get a bonus or a windfall, save half and use the other half to build yourself, and/or reinvest it.

Give back.

Your time.

Your talents.

Your resources.

Your encouraging words.

Stand in the gap.

Mentor.

Coach.

Spare at least 15 minutes every week to help someone else solve a problem, to hear their ideas, progress and challenges.

You may not solve everyone’s problems but you can make one person’s load lighter.

I’m excited about this new chapter. I’m most grateful to God for another chance to be there for my friends and family. I’m looking forward to more storytelling opportunities in my new year. I’m also looking forward to travelling the world and doing new things that scare me.

Now that you are here, I do a monthly video series called #KalundeLearns, video storytelling for creatives and creators. The monthly series affords you a front-row seat to see the deep craft that goes behind the scenes as creatives turn their passion into an income and a living.

Simply: Authentic storytelling of the creative process. Watch here.