From the Lens of 2024: Growth, Challenges, and Dreams Ahead

Clifford Frempong
4 min readDec 24, 2024

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Cliff in a secret location
Cliff in a secret location

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” — Jim Rohn

Who hasn’t wished for an “easy button” when things get tough?

guilty meme
Guilty Meme

Jim Rohn’s words really hit differently this year: ‘Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better…’ At first, I was like, ‘Easier sounds great!’ But this year taught me that levelling up is the ultimate cheat code. The harder the problem, the sweeter the victory!

victory baby meme
Victory Baby Meme

Time? Blink and You Missed It! Haiboo…Maybe don’t blink again

shocked meme
Shocked Meme

Yohhhh, this year flew by faster than a text reply to your crush!

They say, “Time flies when you’re having fun” but I realized that time zooms by no matter what you’re doing. So the real lesson? Lock in, make every moment count, and dance through it — even if it’s to amapiano!

dance meme
Dance Meme

So, what did I do with my fast-forward year?

Thinking Guy Meme Face

A little bit of everything, honestly.

This year, I went full Dora the Explorer — stepping way out of my comfort zone and finding new passions along the way. I discovered drones (official drone pilot vibes pending!) and even started a YouTube channel. Haven’t posted yet, but let’s call it ‘elite pre-production.’ Subscribe to it though :)

Cliff’s youtube
Cliff’s Youtube

The year was like baking a cake without a recipe — messy at times, but sweet in the end. You’ll find a picture of me baking cake below. I know it’s captioned Gordon Ramsay but it’s me🥴

baking cake
Baking Cake Meme

I learned to manage multiple projects through structured time management (pro tip: your calendar and alarms are your besties).

calendar meme
Calendar Meme

Sure, I had my ‘drop it all and live off the grid’ moments — but let’s be real, I’d need to be rich first!

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Some days were tough. But I kept reminding myself,

“Tough times never last; only tough people last.”

Motivational meme
Motivational Meme

As cliché as that sounds, it worked. Even when I felt demotivated, I’d take a deep breath, lock in, and get back to it.

Of course, I also took on too much at times and felt like my brain was a browser with 1,000 tabs open. But hey, every moment of overwhelm was a chance to learn about prioritizations (and that sometimes, hitting pause is the best move). They say,

“if you don’t schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won’t be at a convenient time.”

So please always try to take breaks. You are not a tree

2024 was a wild ride — full of growth, challenges, and plenty of “aha” moments. I’m grateful for every win, every loss, and every opportunity to learn. Big love to everyone who supported me along the way — colleagues, mentors, friends, and family.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Next year, the goal is simple: Do better. Be better.

• Take YouTube and drone photography seriously.

• Level up technical and storytelling skills in data and analytics.

• Mentor others in the data community (sharing is caring!).

• Find balance — because burnout? Not cute like me!

cute Cliff meme
Cute Cliff Meme

Here’s to 2025 — the year of growth, wins, and turning dreams into reality. Let’s go! 🥂

Cheers Meme

I hope you enjoyed this read. Thanks for your time.

Find me on Linkedin and Twitter and Youtube — big plans coming in 2025!

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Clifford Frempong
Clifford Frempong

Written by Clifford Frempong

Human size teddy bear, Son, Data Scientist, Citizen.

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