Hindsight is 2020

As for everyone, 2020 did not go per plan.

I started 2020 by being pregnant, quitting my secure job, and diving full time into what I believed in- coaching & facilitation to help individuals and organizations thrive despite the chaos and overwhelm. This is not the chaos I imagined! But putting myself out there as a resilience coach, I challenged myself to rise to the occasion. I felt a whole spectrum of feelings and emotions like many of you. I struggled, I succeeded, but, most importantly, I learned and I grew.

I am sharing my 2020 reflections (Wins, Lessons, Gratitude) to inspire you to do the same - to be intentional about how you view 2020 what you take with you and don't into 2021. I then plan to create my vision for 2021 and then move towards planning. See more details here about the process to plan in uncertainty. This process allows you to connect to your why with the vision, create inspiring and aligned goals, and navigate up & downs in the future while cultivating an optimism & a growth mindset.

I also know how scary it feels to start something new and step into the unknown. I hope some of the lessons resonate with you and maybe inspire you to take the next step towards your dreams ( even if it is the teene-tiny step?? ! )

2020 Wins (and Efforts)

Celebrating wins does not mean ignoring where we failed or what we did wrong or did not achieve. We do that anyway as our inner critic is usually loud enough. This is balancing our inner critic with self-validation to cultivate confidence and optimism. As Simon Sinek says " It is not seeing the glass as half full and ignoring the half of the glass that is empty. It is the ability to see the emptiness of half the glass while choosing to focus on the fullness of the other half of the glass. It is the ability to see the good in the face of the bad."

What I am proud of : 

• Worked with 8 companies
• Coached 26 individuals 
• Impacted close to 700 people
• Ran 4 community events and spoke on two panels
• Authored an Applied Mindfulness Program for the workplace (NPS of 100 !!) 
• Developed a personal goal achievement framework ( Product Managing You) 
• Created 4 workshops ( Power of Pause, Build your Resilience Toolbox, Everyday Mindfulness, Realizing Resilience through Mindfulness)
• Designed and Sold out a retreat for professional women 
• Completed “ Realizing Resilience” masterclass
• Became certified as an Agile Team Facilitator
• Was a speaker at a Global Women in Product Conference 
• Wrote 4 articles and posted my first LinkedIn video (Self-care is absolutely a leadership strategy!)

Additionally: 

• Had a beautiful & healthy baby girl
• Moved homes 
• Was alongside my mom in her cancer journey 
• Spent summer with my family
• Pushed me beyond what I thought was possible 
• Completed 115 workouts 
• Completed a 4-day silent meditation sit 

This is not to mention:

• More than 25 business proposals written 
• 3 declines for speaker applications 
• Number of times I was ghosted
• Number of last-minute canceled meetings 
• Canceled retreat, biggest to date corporate engagement, and 5 booked workshops 
• 5 recorded videos that never got posted ( and many posts!) 
• 3 houses lost to other offers 
• Hundreds of unopened/ ignored emails, LinkedIn messages
• It took me embarrassing ( or not?!) at least 40 hours to record a 22-minute talk and a worksheet

My 2020 Lessons 

I love learning & growth. I consider any learning a gift. But for a very long time, I was scared to fail and was stuck in unfulfillment and stress because of that. I realized that I was not taking steps really outside of my comfort zone, despite the comfort zone not being that comfortable.

As part of my life coaching course, I learned about the growth mindset and limiting beliefs. I connected to my core value of growth and learning and reprogrammed my mind to believe that failure is just part of learning, and I love learning.

In 2020, I practiced bravery and had many 'first's as I experimented with new approaches, and faced all of the changes, uncertainty and anxiety of it. Yes, It was a challenging year, but pressure builds diamonds, and it starts with learning from our experiences.

1. When playing in an uncertain space, you don’t need to know everything to take the next step. The next step can be something that is just right in front of you ( aka do it, stop overthinking it!) or something that feels really good (but you are questioning it). Action brings clarity. ( P.S. It’s best when an action needs to be aligned- read more about setting your vision) 
2. It is never a sprint. It is almost always a marathon. We can’t control what is coming but we can learn from the past that something is always changing. Managing your energy, reserving time to refuel is non-negotiable for sustained performance. 
3. Ask for guidance. It’s amazing how many people are willing and wanting to help. (More about it in my gratitude part). Asking for help does not make you weaker. It builds connection and allows others to feel a sense of service and fulfillment. How would you feel knowing that you could have helped someone you know but they did not ask for help ( because they thought you would not have time, care, think they are stupid, judge them …) 
4. Ideas are worth sharing before you think they are. Don’t wait till it's perfect. Start sharing ideas. The more I talked about what I thought my next things (workshop, program, coaching pitch) the more I collected feedback in people’s reaction and further refined it leading to an eventual product. My next idea is opening my own School of Leadership. 
5. Everything you do matter, trust the process. What seems like a lost opportunity often prepares you for what is ahead of you. I had invested hours in creating a program for a client who retracted their budget when Covid hit. I felt devastated. The next week another client came with very little effort and took the exact same program with almost the same dates. I was only able to execute so quickly because the first client bailed. 
6. People will ghost you. It’s uncomfortable. Most of the time, it has nothing to do with you. 
7. Beliefs are not right or wrong, they are either helpful or unhelpful. This is the most freeing insight. It stops arguments about what and who is wrong vs. right. If this thought helps you to have the life you want, great! If it does, just change it to what does. 
8. When it comes to your health, you have to advocate for yourself. Always. It’s scary to see how much faster I was able to accelerate decisions and service for my mom's cancer treatment when I dedicated a lot of my time to it. It is a system based on humans. Things fall through the cracks of human behavior. 
9. The best way to have energy despite the lack of sleep is to exercise. Trust me- it’s coming from a sleep-deprived mother of a 5-month-old. Naps are hard, coffee is cheating. Dance, jump, turn any workout videos on YouTube for 20 minutes. 
10. Always seek to add value. When Covid hit, I lost most of my bookings. The next week I started doing what I do best - facilitating a group of women in a daily circle, sharing what I know about resilience, and supporting people through uncertain times. This allowed me to test the content, format, and understand what people are going through and served as a foundation for the rest of the year. ( Not to mention, that it just felt good as I did what I loved despite the circumstances). You can add value in sales calls, to your friends, or to your community.
11. The universe loves me, and I love the Universe. I am feeling deeply connected to my purpose, supported and guided beyond what I can explain. But first, I had to give up on trying to control the outcomes, listen, and truly trust that things are unfolding in the best good for all. 
12. Don't do it yourself. Invest in professional help. It took me a while, but then I hired a designer, a therapist, and a mentor. Acknowledge areas where you need help to invest in your strengths instead. Find your tribe. I joined some free and paid communities, which helped me to surrender myself to people who are on a similar journey. And lastly, my friend, also a coach, organized a peer mastermind where we meet weekly and invest in each other's success.

Gratitude

This is my absolute favorite part of the reflection- gratitude. I love it because it feels good, instantly puts me into a flow, and positively impacts others. It also creates connection, builds trust, and increases resilience. What else does ALL of that? Nothing! 

(Well, maybe wine! But that has other unintended consequences) 

I am beyond grateful for having you in my network. Many of you impacted my journey in 2020 in some way without even knowing it. Maybe it was a conversation, maybe your posts, or just your presence, a comment, a referral, a share, trusting me to guide you, a phone call, your confidence in me. I am tagging you to express my deep gratitude.

THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU.

Wishing everyone a great year ahead!

We learned that we are capable and strong, together. 

We see we are that we are connected. 

Let’s honor that connection and elevate each other beyond imaginable in 2021. 

P.S. I still have spots for Q2-2021 for the Mindfulness Program for the workplace and 1-1 Leadership coaching.