1. Where did I thrive?
Well, we slayed all of the 2016 resolutions I had, so I’d say that was pretty awesome. Achieving B Corporation certification was a huge deal for us, and shows the world that we work according to our values. Our revenue increased compared to 2015, and hopefully will be on an upward trend next year as well. I also learned a TON from bringing on a Director of Good Media onto the team.
2. Where did I struggle?
Dealing with the ups and downs of running a business, getting better at time management and being a leader, and cutting back on project management and micro-managing. EVERYTHING that’s happened this past year that was seen as a negative always had a sunbeam that’s going to help our company. I’m SO excited at what 2017 is going to bring.
3. Who was important in my life and why?
Both Account Directors that I hired this year were saving graces for the company. On a more personal level, my new husband of five months, Leo, and my family have been there for me through thick and thin, especially this past quarter. I’m so grateful to have their support.
Photo: Tomasz Wagner Photo & Film
4. What lesson am I grateful to have learned?
That you can’t do it all yourself. I’ve been following and am inspired so much by Gary Vaynerchuk and although people think he does it all himself, you can’t manage 600 employees on your own. He’s got a great team behind him, and that’s what I know I need behind me in order for Conscious PR to really fly next year.
I learned SO much from the ups and downs that came especially in the month of September. When sh*t seemed to hit the fan, my meditation and self-development tools kicked into high gear and really helped me get through the hard times. This blog post by Danielle LaPorte also came right at the perfect moment and helped me to remember that I’m not alone in the human struggle. We all need divine support.
6. What brought me joy?
Getting married was pretty awesome. Also, more time that I spent with family and friends at gatherings, my bridal shower, and bachelorettes. Travelling to San Diego to see friends get married, and attending a winter wedding were great too. Love always wins.
Body: I did my body good this year. Despite getting a lot better at vegan cooking, I really failed at trying to kick sugar this past year, but learning Kimberly Snyder‘s The Beauty Detox Solution diet and continuing my exercise regimen put my body in the healthiest shape ever. After a few bad bouts at potlucks, I decided to cut refined sugar completely in mid-November and have barely had any painful digestive symptoms since. I’m hoping to continue the trend until my next birthday in April.
Heart: This one was tough. I was so full of love in the summer from getting married and spending time with loved ones, but not having much of a break from work really took a toll on my self-esteem. However, after attending The Art of Leadership Conference and Hollyhock’s Horse Wisdom in September, I was given a spark of inspiration and learned that I need to listen more to my intuition, be more creative, and also be okay with the present moment instead of worrying about the future. I learned that I need to love myself more, and Leo constantly reminds me of that.
Spirit: I’ve now been doing TM for 2.5 years, and that’s been huge in terms of continuing to connect with spirit. I’d probably be a lot more anxious without my daily practice.
I was also given a powerful reading in April about the notion of praying more to Jesus (and not even from a Catholic point of view) and to angels. This reminded me of the importance of prayer, which I had forgotten since swearing off church in ’03. I feel more connected to my passed loved ones more than ever, and believe that they’ve helped me get through the latter part of the year pretty gracefully. Danielle LaPorte’s blog and Gabrielle Bernstein‘s The Universe Has Your Back were huge gifts in helping me to remember to pray to the divine spirits that are always there to help us.
Mind: I’d say my mind’s had quite the workout from the events that came my way this past year, so even though I didn’t take any new Professional Development courses, I created our PR course and did several speaking events to promote it. I’ve been able to practice my speaking skills more, and have been on a reading streak especially with PR books, which — along with the divine inspiration from September’s events — helped me set up the new vision for Conscious PR in 2017. It’s going to be epic.
8. How did I show up for the people I care about?
This year was better than last. Last year I wasn’t there for someone close to me, and my excuse was that I didn’t have funds to be there. This year I wanted to keep connecting with those closest to me, and I didn’t even have to break the bank to do it. The thing I learned about showing up is that it fills my cup up too, so it’s so important to just do it.
9. What situations triggered fear or discomfort? Did I move through them? If so, how? If not, why not?
As per #5, sh*t hit the fan in September, but if it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have experienced the miracles from that month either. I feel like I moved through it all pretty damn gracefully, and came out the other end 5x more resilient. I think that we can always do better, but I’m so thankful for the challenges because now I know I’m so much stronger from them. Dirt, as Gary V says. It’s all about the clouds AND the dirt.
My meditation, eating, exercise, and networking habits served me well both as a person and as a business owner and leader.
Staying in a victim mentality or with low self-esteem without asking for help didn’t, and this is something I’ll continue to struggle with over time. I’m so thankful for all of the experiences and lessons from this past year. Many of you may be thinking “good riddance” to 2016, but I say THANK YOU. Thank you for being my Master Teacher. I think we all have to think about tragedies in terms of learning lessons so that we can become better people and the world can improve as a result.
I hope that 2017 brings you reflection, abundance, tons of good hustle & flow, and good vibes. See you in the new year!