2020 You Are Pushing Me

It’s the year that keeps on giving. The year that keeps on knocking us down. Maybe we aren’t destined for massive success this year, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t destined for any success at all.

We haven’t seen our global economy be so changed and shuttered for so long in modern times. We have no road plan of what it's going to take to survive, especially when different factors keep creating roadblocks and interruptions. Yes there are people and businesses that are seeing success right now. We’re growing despite everything else being stagnant and maybe stalled right now. Personally, we’ve had our biggest quarter of growth EVER in quarter 2 of this year. It’s crazy. I would not have called that we would have our most successful quarter ever if you had asked me back in April.

I didn’t give up on 2020 when April/May/June hit. I said “Okay. You're requiring more of me but at the same time you are giving me massive opportunities to realign myself and refocus.” I did exactly that. I got serious taking a hard look at how I spent my time. Where was I spending my time that was effective? Where was it ineffective based on the time invested? Where did I want to do yet that I hadn’t touched yet?

I’ve taken this time to rediscover what it means to lead my company. Leading my company when we’re suddenly all working remotely wasn’t easy. My role shifted. Before I did a lot of managing. Now I was in a position of leading more than managing. (If the nuances of this are lost on you, here's a breakdown: managing means you oversee where people have been and are; leading means you're showing them where to go next.)

I began to indulge in hobbies again. Life was less busy so I gave myself permission to network a little less. I filled that time with some things I hadn’t done in a while. Leisure reading (classic novels mostly). Remembering how much I loved cooking. I had been stuck in a rut for so long and not creative with cooking for years because I was so focused on growing the business and my investment portfolio.

It was the craziest thing...I allowed my batteries to recharge WHILE STILL BEING AT HOME. I never let that happen. I usually reserve my recharge time for my vacations. I would go on vacation about 4-5 times a year and that’s when I would recharge. At home it was work and productivity. Vacations were for leisure and recharge.

In 2020, I have genuinely fallen back in love with myself. I looked into myself and got to know the other side of me. The side that likes relaxing with a nice glass of wine and a good book that isn’t business. The side that enjoys the pleasures of an outdoor visit along the lake with my parents (safety first). So even if I hadn’t seen success in my business, I would still consider this my best year yet.