As I come upon 2021, all the same feelings seem to show up year in and year out as I reflect upon the previous year. What were the highs and lows? Did I accomplish the goals I set at the beginning of the previous year? Any insights I can learn from?
As for me, there were many great things that happened (like getting engaged to my love — yay!) but also many not-so-great things that happened (long list — ha!). I’m not going to let my inner bully beat myself up about what I did or did not accomplish in 2020 and I’m not going to beat up on 2020 as a year because it was a great teacher. It helped me reconnect, refocus, and reimagine what my world looked like.
Reconnect
The year 2020 was a time to reconnect.
With myself, I picked up new hobbies like kayaking, listening to books on tape and new podcasts, buying a nice camera to photograph more, working out on the peloton, and getting to understand myself on a deeper level. Most of all, it helped me reconnect into my values of love, community, and loyalty.
I reconnected with my family and friends in whole new ways. We created a quaran-team of friends to check in with from time to time for that real life human energy. I reconnected with my grade school, junior high, high school, and college classmates, friends I haven’t spoken to in years, and leaned on my family when I needed them most. We found new ways to connect through technology, playing online games, sending care packages, and just letting people know you love them.
I reconnected with my own community. With everything that happened from the pandemic to wild fires, my neighbors and surrounding community pulled together to unify and get through it. I attended my first neighborhood meet up, joined local government zoom calls to get involved, and helped my neighbors where I could.
I even reconnected with my own backyard. I knew California was a beautiful state, but this year took it to another level. We trekked hikes up and down the coast and in the woods, jumped into Lake Sonoma (thanks to our great friends Suzanne and Adam who had a boat) for the first time and took the car out on weekend drives to just explore.
Refocus
This year also helped me refocus on what’s most important. As a road warrior always on the go, this forced me to slow down, take inventory and question myself in new ways.
When you look way back prior to 2020, you realize how many distractions there were out there. So much noise, that important topics were drowned out — systemic racism, growing inequality, and climate change to name a few.
Feels daunting to help solve when you think about it, but it’s only helped me refocus on the greater world I want to live in. Donating, supporting, and changing where I can (I am helping co-chair a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to try and do my part). My hope is that we as a society are refocused to really make an impact for change. It doesn’t happen overnight, but little by little, keep fighting for what’s right.
Reimagine
All of this leads me to my last learning for 2020 — what can a reimagined life for myself, my family, my community, and the world look like? I want a world filled with more love, equality, gratitude, and kindness. I want my community of San Francisco to take a beginners mind and reimagine what a great city can look like and take care of our small businesses that are hurting. For my family and me, I want health, happiness, and to live a fuller life.
I know all of these are idealistic expectations with really no set goals, but I feel like that’s the beauty in it all. I’ve learned through my coach, Lisa Pepper-Satkin, to start small with daily, disciplined practices that are intentional and build towards this reimagined life. Then, see where the journey takes you to learn from, adjust, and keep moving forward.
So, here’s to 2020, you definitely were a challenging year, but I am overall thankful for these lessons that taught me something new about myself.
I also want to thank all of you, my family and friends, for helping me get through it.
Here’s to a happy, healthy new year in 2021 and another chance for us to get it right!
Much love to all of you.
