‘Tis the Season for Reflection, Commitment and Strutting Into 2022 with Purpose

It has been a remarkable year, marked with joy and sadness, certainty and change, the end of roads and the start of new adventures. I began 2021 living in Mexico, returned to the US and PwC, albeit in a new role, and am diligently working to obtain my executive coaching certification. As the year draws to a close, like many of you, I am reflecting on what I’ve learned this year, the things I will leave behind, and what I will intentionally carry with me into 2022.

There is power in living in the moment.

When I returned from my 8-month Mexican adventure, I was asked what was so good about it. Everything would have been the easy answer. The truth was more complicated. In the US, I often find myself on the “go-go-go” train, where I am being pulled in multiple directions and am merely living to get through the day. In Mexico, I lived in the moment – good or bad; I needed to be fully present to understand the language, navigate the culture, explore my community, or figure out how to get water to the empty cistern. For the first time in a long time, I experienced being 100% there for my family and myself, and I realized that my presence was the best gift I could ever give others. My presence changed us all for the better.

The joy of life lives in the duality.

Joy and sadness, shine and mess, good and bad – you can’t appreciate one without the other. The beauty of life exists in the in-between. It is the messy house filled with strewn clothes, cups, shoes and noise of three tween/teenagers, which is the laughter that they bring and the joy and love that I am blessed with. It is the fear of failure that comes when you start something new and the pure exhilaration in knowing that investing in yourself will be the best bet you ever make. It is acknowledging the suck, and pushing onward to find a better version of yourself.

To be a great leader, you must first know yourself.

For over 25 years, I have been a leader of teams. However, 2021 was the year I truly unlocked my leadership capacity. I slowed down, reflected on what matters, and reaffirmed my love for creative pursuits and the outdoors. I took time to get to know myself again, as I had forgotten who I was and what was really important to me. I found that by stopping long enough to hear myself and to know what I want and value, I am able to more fully connect with others and to help them thrive.

I have grown more in the last year than at any other time that I can remember. It started with an intention to do better – for me, for my family, and for those around me. Moving into 2022, I will leave behind the costumes and identities that I thought I needed to be successful but that no longer fit. I will make intentional choices that bring me joy and allow me to focus. I will continue to learn and grow and stop limiting myself with the stories that I tell myself. I will step boldly into 2022 with confidence and poise.

What will you do?