I couldn’t help it.

2021 made me do it!

And this year is no different.

Demanding hours, low pay and poor benefits prompted themto reevaluate where and how they work.

“People are thinking, ‘Ok, is this what I want to do with my life?'”

saysDan Schawbel, bestselling author and managing partner of Workplace Intelligence.

“And to verify that this burnout doesn’t turn into a serious, actual crisis.”

The past year led me to an inflection point in my career, too.

I craved working with a team again after being bottled up at home.

I wanted to make more of an impact as the pandemic exacerbated wealth and opportunity gaps.

Meme stocks aren’t for investors.

(It soon crashed.)

The phenomenon gave rise to a new focus on so-called meme stocks.

Cryptocurrency isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth a download

Can I confess?

That probably comes across as old-school, but cryptocurrency remains a new, unproven and volatile asset class.

I didn’t have the stomach for it.

And yet… 2021 got me thinking that maybe I’ve been too closed-minded.

I hosted apodcast serieson the topic, spoke to cryptocurrency experts and pored through data and research.

Ultimately, I walked away with reaffirmed views that cryptocurrencies were not for me.

Driven by crypto’s restless news cycle, I educated myself and found my “in.”

Working for a crypto-related company can be another way to participate in the market.

Securing our financial data has never been more important

Financial fraud and identity theft is hardly new.

We must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our privacy now more than ever.

I, for one,almost fell prey to one of the many scams earlierthis year.

That’s about 42% more than the same time frame in 2020.

It was the first series of its kind for us, and far from the last.

Read more:The Cost of Climate Change

ESG is not only a principled way to invest.

That’s where ESG – environmental, social and governance – investment comes into play.

“A lot of people are just asking, ‘Is it possible?

Could I do it?

Would it be reasonable?

What does it mean?

Do I have to give anything up?'”

The answer to that last question, according to recent data, is no.

Investing long term in funds that focus on ESG issues is not just a feel-good strategy.

It can make you richer, too.

In fact, sustainable investments, on average, deliver a premium over the long run.

To wrap, the events of 2021 underscored the importance of adaptability and self-advocacy in our financial lives.

The year encouraged us to keep an open mind and question the status quo.

And I hope we’ll embrace these lessons for years to come.