The year is coming to an end and all I can say is “what a roller-coaster of a ride it has been!”. It’s that time when I reflect on the year as a whole, my goals, my shortcomings and what I hope to accomplish in the new year.
A lot of times, when we look back over the year, we tend to weigh in on the things that didn’t really bring us happiness. We remember the tough times and the days we struggled to get through. And I get it. There are always two sides to this thing called life and it can seem pretty overwhelming if you let it get to you. But here you are, eleven months in and you’re still standing, which must mean you gave it your all through the good and the bad. Hey, maybe you didn’t give it your everything. Maybe you fell along the way and didn’t have the strength to get back up after all. No motivation to get back into the game? Well, I’ve got news for you. It is what it is, and the last thing we’re going to do is beat ourselves up for not performing as well as we thought we would.
When it comes to goals, it’s either we cringe at the idea or we jump at it. Goals are typically set in place to get us to a better place overall, regardless of what the situation might be. I remember waltzing into 2019 with two goals in mind. I was sure that nothing could stand in my way of achieving both goals. But as I look back now, it’s interesting how along the way, the very things that couldn’t make my list ended up shaping my year, making it memorable. The three things that I can say really stood out for me this year were going on my first European trip, my cancer diagnosis and finally launching my Consulting and Accountability program. It’s intriguing how some people would consider two out of the three things a “win” while the cancer diagnosis might be seen as a “loss”. Yes, being diagnosed with cancer at age 39, while still being full of life, dreams and aspirations had me asking “what the heck is going on?!”. But can I tell you that if not for my diagnosis, I probably would not have appreciated life as much as I do now. Did my goals for the year take a hit? Yes, absolutely. I had to put a hold on making additions to our small business expos due to my illness. I have always poured my heart into my business, making sure I am there for each and every one of you. And so for me to get to the place of making the decision to cancel the expos, trust me, it wasn’t an easy thing for me to do. I felt that I had failed myself, failed you. And it took everything in me to pick myself up and go about my daily business.
So for those of you who feel like you’ve failed, for those who think it’s over because you didn’t hit your target this year. Well, guess what? It’s never too late to start up from where you last left off, never too late to dust off your old journal and get to writing your goals for the new year. Yes, there will be major setbacks, and trials in more than one way, test your level of resilience. But you’ve got this.
2019 may have come at us hard, but 2020 is in the works and we won’t put our pens down until we’ve all finished re-writing our stories. Because darlings, our best is yet to come.
I’m rooting for you.
