What I learned in 2020

Well 2020 was not at all what ANY of us had planned, but there were some good lessons I learned along the way that I want to share with you.

1. PATIENCE I used to be an expert at making a run into the grocery store in under 10 minutes. Now, there are lineups everywhere and I had to adjust my expectations. That is just one way that patience has showed up this year for me. We are all going through this same storm together, but we are not all in the same boat. (I forget where I heard that, or I would credit it) I try very hard to be patient with those around me for navigating this storm in their own way, whether that looks like bleaching everything that comes into the house and not going out or telling me the harmful effects of vaccines and that this virus is not worth this reaction. We are all processing this to the best of our abilities and doing what we need to keep ourselves safe.

2. I was NEVER really in CONTROL (even though I thought I was). I watched 6 years of work growing my business all disappear in an instant. It sucked. AND it was out of my control. As the saying goes, I COULD control my reaction. Once I got through pouting about it, which is a valid stage! You've gotta feel your feels before you can move on; I figured out how I could still serve my members. I cannot thank you enough for all of your support and encouragement this year. It has meant the world to me

3. SLOW DOWN. Truth is I've never been very good at slowing down. I want to do all the things. I want to squeeze every bit of fun out of every day, because I really love life. Simply living through this storm is taking more energy that it used to on flat water (sticking with the boat in a storm analogy) and I've found I have less capacity to do things. In fact, I'm not really sure how I used to do all the things I did before. I'm happier with this new pace of life. I plan on keeping it.

4. What's REALLY important to me is my PEOPLE and my HEALTH. I call my Grandmother more often now that I ever have before. I'm so more aware of how much I value her-and the rest of my family and friends too. Staying physically strong is also important to me. I knew in the spring that I needed an accountability buddy to keep fit. It was one of my best decisions this year. If you are struggling to do anything you want to do, get an accountability buddy!

5. WHAT I do matters (AND I'm done just waiting this out). If I focus on all the things I can't do right now (mainly getting to the ocean, hugging my mom or a good concert) I get grumpy and there's only so much Netflix a girl can watch before boredom sets in, creativity is halted and I start to spiral down. Instead, I have doubled down on learning about things that inspire me. I feel like I have been given some extra time for self development. Since the spring, I have become certified as a level 1 Animal Flow instructor, completed the Indigenous Canada course from the University of Alberta and started on yet another yoga certification; this one with Jules Mitchell. Keeping my mind active helps me to stay inspired

What lessons did you learn this year?