Year In Review: 30
Here we are. At the end of the year and the end of the twenty-tens. It’s been quite the decade, no?! Less notably, it’s also the end of my 30th (a milestone I took ENTIRELY too seriously!)
As is customary, a continuación, my year in review—with some lessons along the way.
I took the LEAP. Leap was my word for 2019. Leaping meant making 2019 the year of YES. I said YES to Pulso and all that came with leading a growing startup. I said YES to speaking out on issues of concern to millennials, Democrats, Latinos, and the intersection of the three. I said YES to being one of my oldest friend’s Maid of Honor. I said YES to contributing to organizations I love in new ways. I said YES to new networks and in turn, new friendships. I even said YES to dog sitting my sister’s puppy during the holidays!
The lesson: Saying YES before you’re ready or sure is uncomfortable. It’s also an incredible way to learn what you’re capable of.
I got paid. After years of helping groups move ideas to action in a volunteer capacity, I finally earned income for my work as a facilitator.
The lesson: Lo que no se exhibe, no se vende. Meaning, you can’t “sell” what you don’t share. Adding “Facilitator” to this site was one of the catalysts for those paid opportunities. Share your projects with loved ones and ask for support, referrals, and honest feedback. If you want to be sought out for something, tell the world about it!
I read 12ish books.
The lesson: Nothing can replace diving several hundred pages into a new world, person or idea. Important reminder: don’t waste your time finishing a book if you’re not amused.
I traveled. I took to the skies 21 times this year for both work and play. I added two new countries (Bahamas & Mozambique) to my list and visited seven new cities (Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oxford, Ohio; Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; Leon, CDMX and Cabo San Lucas) in the US and Mexico. I went to places I love and cities I hadn’t been to in a decade. I also traveled around Florida to witness love, work, for family and to get away.
The lesson: “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts. It even breaks your heart. But that’s ok. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” -the late, great Anthony Bourdain.
I prioritized exercising. Setting the gluttony of #HolidaysinMiami and travel fatigue aside, this was my most fit 12 months in years. And, I stayed “in shape” by moving in the ways that make me happy.
The lesson: Everything they say about the benefits of being active is true. Obviously.
I owned up to my mistakes. As a manager. A family member. An entrepreneur. A communicator. A facilitator. A friend. A wife. A human. Mistakes are not unique to my 2019. What’s worth noting is that I apologized more quickly when apologies were due and humbly accepted relevant feedback.
The lesson: Taking accountability for your missteps with others doesn’t make you weak, it shows your character. Getting older doesn’t mean you stop messing up. Hopefully, getting older means not repeating the same mistakes and being kinder to yourself as you make new ones.
I tied up loose ends. Is the KonMarie Method still a thing? Apparently yes in my case since I was in a frantic pursuit to get-everything-in-order-at-30. I purged, organized, repaired and wrapped-up so much that was lingering.
The lesson: You never finish getting everything in order. ::shrug::
I felt a lot of feelings. Elation. Disappointment. Silliness. Rage. Loneliness. Excitement. Pride. Fear. Gratitude. Love. What’s review-worthy about feelings? That I expressed them more fully and felt them all the way thru. This looked like everything from spending four days sulking on my couch in my pjs to cackling indiscreetly during a play. I distanced myself from certain relatives in order to stay sane. I expressed how puzzling actions shook the foundation of cherished friendships. It also involved a lot more tears—both happy and sad—than I’ve shed in a long time.
The lesson: My increased emoting was not always well-received. And that’s ok. Because this is who I am. Those who love me know my full-range of emotions stem from how much I CARE.
WE were in sync. WE being my Huz and me. Between his promotions at work and doing an MBA, he’s been swamped, and I’ve been just a little bit occupied this year. Through our late nights and early mornings we’ve made it priority to celebrate and care for each other.
The lesson: I’m incredibly fortunate to have an extraordinary partner in this thing called life.
What. A. Year.
If you made it this far, thank you for coming along this reflection road!
In 2018 I BLOOMed. In 2019 I LEAPed.
My word for next year: DEPTH.
In 2020 I plan on:
Being more involved in the lives of those I love.
Honing Communicator, Facilitator and Social Entrepreneur.
Living more sustainably.
Cooking, traveling, dancing, reading; doing what brings me joy for joy’s sake.
Keeping self-care top of mind during this high-stakes election year.
Less breadth and more depth in the decade ahead.
And to you, my dudes, Happy New Year! May you welcome 2020 and the new decade with the certainty that you’re able, the courage to be willing and the commitment to do all things in love.
