Time to Give Thanks

I always like to think about what I’m grateful for (and write about it) this time of year. 

This hasn’t been a great year in business for me in terms of revenue, but I have grown a lot, as painful as that growth was sometimes!

My cats

What can I say? They’re my constant companions and even when they’re driving me crazy, I still love them. They’re goofy and fun and occasionally get along with each other, and they’re both snuggly in their own way. You might have seen my boy Fergus if you’ve been on a Zoom call with me. My girl Queen Ronnie is less likely to come on camera.

Speaking opportunities

I can talk about productivity, time management, preventing distractions, the fun of focus, etc. all day! But I really want to spread my message of work-life harmony to as many people as I possibly can, because I think more people who experience more joy and less stress is better for the world. Every opportunity I’ve been given to speak has allowed me to spread this message.

My friends

As an introvert, I don’t need a lot of friends, but I’m very close (at least emotionally and mentally) to the ones I have. I reconnected with a couple of friends from college and have been able to spend significantly more time with them in the past year, as well as some newer friends. They allow me to fly my freak flag proudly.

My female networking communities

I had an amazing time at the Founders Weekend for Entreprenista and am planning to attend again next year. I met new business owners as well as being able to connect in person with some I had previously only “met” virtually, and that’s a lot of fun. I also have some local networks that I enjoyed spending more time with.

My coach

Turns out I have some significant mindset issues, and my coach Jenna Dillon has been very patiently helping me work through them. She's given me new ways to approach certain issues in business. She always helps me breathe and simmer down so I can bring my thinky brain to the problem instead of letting the emotional one run riot.

My flow coaching program

I’m fascinated by neuroscience in general as well as the flow state in particular, which can exponentially increase productivity. I’ve learned some very interesting things, about flow in general, but also myself. 

One thing is that flow is best when your brain is either on or off. It’s like being a lion, where you focus intensely on capturing and killing your prey, and then you rest (sleep, if you’re a cat) the rest of the time. Oscillating between intense work and recovery breaks is a great way to work, but I realized I spend too much time in the gray area - social media, scrolling through news feeds - that are neither recovery nor work.

Also, the idea that there’s no such thing as overwork but there IS underrecovery really made me think differently.

My willingness to experiment

Sometimes I can get stuck in a rut, but I was willing to try new things this year. Some personal, some business. I experimented with some things I was worried about (and trying to remember that they came out OK for the next time I’m hesitant to take action!)

What are you thankful for? And is there anything about yourself that you can be grateful for right now?