Can you believe it’s already December 31st? I feel like this year went by so slowly and then I blinked and we’re here, the last day of 2020.
Although most people like to do a review of their year, I don’t think there has ever been a year where it has been so universally important to complete this exercise. The trials and tribulations that people had to endure are wildly understood, regardless of who you are or where you’re from. That’s a crazy concept to grasp. No matter who you are, the events of this year would have impacted your life in some way, shape or form (be that positively or negatively). That is why I think completing a review of this year is particularly important.
For me, completing a year in review and setting your intentions for what you would like to accomplish in the year to come, is so important. If 2020 taught me anything, it’s that we should still set intentions and goals but that we shouldn’t get too attached to them and instead strengthen our personal agility to be able to pivot should things not go to plan (because that’s life and inevitably something will derail even the most well intentioned).
What did I accomplish this year?
Professional goals:
My acting manager position was flipped to a permanent.
I was able to increase my annual salary by an additional 10K.
My direct reports grew from three individuals to seven (and two additional support individuals - for a total of nine people).
I was able to support three of my direct reports in transitioning into new roles within our company.
I learned how to support a team completely remotely.
I delivered a training that I had been waiting over two years to present - and it was recorded so it can be watched again and again.
Personal goals:
I started this blog - For Goodness' Saikali - at the beginning of this year.
We worked with a financial advisor in order to build a plan to pay off some debts and ensure we were putting our money to good use (shout out to Eagle Wealth Counsel)
We opened an RESP account for my stepson in order to save for his post-secondary schooling (and he's almost got enough for a full year of tuition).
I re-signed my mortgage for another 5 years and was able to increase my bi-weekly payments so it can be paid off by the time I reach 45 years old.
We found out we were expecting (again, after our miscarriage in March) - our little princess will be here by the end of January 2021.
I celebrated my first anniversary with my husband on September 1, 2020.
What are my intentions for 2021?
This coming year is going to be life-changing for me. Not only will I be welcoming my first child but I will also be assuming a completely new identity which is not attached to my professional development. And, if I'm being honest, that scares the absolute shit out of me. For the last sixteen years, I have defined myself by the work that I do and not simply for the person that I am.
So this year is going to be a year all about personal development - as a new mom, as a wife, and just simply as a woman. This past year has had me sit with myself a lot, learning that I have much more work to do on improving who I am as a person. Keeping "busy" has been a way that I haven't had to deal with the things going on in my head. This year, as much as it slowed everything down, really opened my eyes to the things I need to work on;
Understanding that I am more than what I do for work.
Prioritizing self-care.
Learning where I bring value so that I can say no to anything that is not that.
Learning to surrender to the ebbs and flows that this year will present.
Building a network of support for my journey into motherhood.
Strengthening the existing and meaningful relationships in my life.
The list above are the guiding principles that I would like to strive for in 2021. In order to ensure I follow through with these intentions, I will need to set up SMART goals. Over the next month (January), as I prepare for my little girl's arrival, I will be putting some goals in place so that I can set myself up for success in the New Year. I am not naïve to the fact that welcoming a new baby is going to throw a wrench into even the most well thought out plans, but I am leaning into the intention of learning to surrender, will definitely be leaning on my support network and learning that it's ok to pivot.
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So, tell me, what are you most proud of accomplishing in 2020? What are you most looking forward to in 2021?