November 18, 2020
tl;dr
It’s easy to say “Good riddance, 2020!” but it’s also important to remember the good with the not-so-bad. Maybe reading my top 20 list will remind you of all the good that happened and encourage you to create your own list.
It’s here! It’s finally here! The end of this crazy, unexpected rollercoaster of a year.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this year hasn’t gone according to plan, and we’re all frustrated to some degree. But despite the bad, I have a lot of great things to look back on in 2020.
I get that it may be hard to feel grateful for ANYTHING that happened this year, but it’s important to reflect and grow from it. Let’s start 2021 in the right mindset.
I hope my Top 20 will inspire you to create your own list.
#1
Kicked off 2020 with my #AtoZgratitude challenge, and on 1/1/20 I named things that I’m grateful for that start with the letter ‘M’:
- My mom (Rest in Peace)
- Miami (Go ‘Canes!!)
- Massages
- Memories
- Manifestation
[And on February 14, the one-year anniversary of my mom’s death, my sister and I spent the day together, sharing our favorite memories. Initially, we thought that her passing on a day meant for love and romance had been forever ruined for us, but we shifted our thinking — for my family, Valentine’s Day has now become a celebration of my beautiful mother’s love for her daughters and everyone else who had the good fortune to know and love her.]
#2
The last #F2F conference I attended was a leadership retreat in beautiful Asheville, NC. For four days I lived, learned, loved, and laughed with a group of exceptional leaders – I’m talking about cream of the crop humans. #crocs
#3
Joined the board of Broward County Canes, for alums of my beloved University of Miami. #itsallaboutTheU #cane4life
#4
I adopted the cutest kitten in the world. TJ (short for Trapper John, one of the MASH docs) had me from the moment I met him.
Backstory: I got a call from my sister extolling the praises of a tiny kitten who was being fostered by one of her friends as a volunteer for a local shelter.
For the record, my sister is NOT a cat person. She’s #teamdog all the way, and openly disdains all things feline. So when she called me up and exclaimed, “I actually like a cat! You absolutely must adopt him,” I knew I had to meet him.
And oh my goodness… The second I did, I knew: I was going to be the proud mama of the cutest kitten in the world, who I promptly named TJ.
When I first adopted him, he fit in the palm of my hand and was too small to even reach the entrance to the litter box. So, I built a little ramp for him, and he figured it out in a matter of minutes. The cat’s a genius! 😉
The rest is history… his happy, little face and boundless energy bring me joy every single day.
#5
Engaged five new corporate clients and several new executive coaching clients DURING covid. All the work was done virtually, including a powerful 3-day leadership retreat!
→ Interested? Contact me today!
#6
I got back in shape with my home covid gym, consisting of TRX, kettlebells, resistance bands, and yoga mat! Oh, and rollerblading on Fort Lauderdale beach!
#7
I also got my brain in shape by taking online Spanish lessons for a couple of months during shelter-in-place.
#8
Before global lockdown, I went on a ski trip to Chamonix, France to celebrate my friend and fellow badass leadership consultant, Dennis Johnson.
Dennis nailed the art of celebrating life by honoring his 50 years on this earth in epic ways.
Remember this, LeaderShifters: you can’t wait for the life you want to fall in your lap; you have to create it.
If you could live your best life right now, what would you do? And what’s stopping you?
#9
I welcomed my awesome new assistant Alelie Hall to the Leadershift Team. [That’s Al-Luh-Lee HAWL 🙌🏻]
#10
A committed team of kickass coaches came together with me to create LEAD WITH LOVE, a 4-Part Webinar Series on personal and professional resilience during the COVID-19 crisis.
→ Watch the series and discover other free resources here. The learnings are relevant way beyond pandemics and zoom fatigue.
#11
Escaped via binge-watching all seasons of the sitcom Younger. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Thank you #kiminanda for the rec!
#12
Took off on a new adventure (with my cutie-pie TJ, of course!) in Boulder, Colorado. Why?? Because CARPE FREAKING DIEM to be closer to one of my biggest life passions, #rockclimbing!
Living your life to the fullest is part of the opportunity that COVID has presented… life as we know it is never guaranteed.
We are given an opportunity to follow our hearts instead of our heads right now. And while I recognize that not everyone has the same level of flexibility, it begs the question: What do you want to take advantage of right now?
If it’s not living in another city for a bit, maybe it’s picking up a hobby or learning a new language or getting fit…
It will suck to look back on COVID with a shoulda-woulda-coulda mindset. #noregrets
#13
Fun trips around CO – class 5 whitewater rafting on the Colorado River and camping/hiking in Crested Butte with two of my #BFFs; rock climbing at Shelf Road, Boulder Canyon, and The Flatirons with awesome (and one very handsome!) new climbing partners
#14
2020 marks my second year of podcasting and interviewing some AMAZING people on The LeaderShift Show.
→ Tune in to The LeaderShift Show wherever you get your podcasts.
And here are the most-listened-to podcast episodes in 2020:
#15
In September, I finally went back to my cherished New York City. This was the first time I visited since January. I missed her (and #pizza, #bagels, #friends, lights on the #ESB)!!
#16
This year, The LeaderShift Project sponsored the Association for Talent Development’s (ATD) Virtual Conference. ATD is the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations.
As it says on their site, NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN HUMAN POTENTIAL AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE WORKFORCE!!
…and I couldn’t agree more.
#17
I added more arrows to my coaching/consulting quiver–got certified in Team Coaching International’s (TCI) Team Diagnostic Assessment and trained in Positive Intelligence framework, a.k.a. the “X-Factor in Performance & Happiness.”
#18
To encourage leaders to battle against racial injustice, I co-authored “Actionable Steps for Creating Space for Race-Based Discussions in the Workplace” with Craig Carroll for The Conference Board.
Discussions about race can be uncomfortable, but leaders need to be open to giving and receiving feedback as part of walking-the-talk of diversity, equity, and inclusion. When done right, feedback can change perspectives, alter behavior, build trust, and lead to better futures.
→ Read the article here— join other LeaderShifters in taking on racial equality in the workplace.
#19
Adapted my famous Business Acumen workshop for online delivery and facilitated it for one of my biggest and favoritest clients (chirp chirp!) #lovewhereyouwork
#20
The last items on my list will occur before 2020 is over…
I’m looking forward to celebrating my dad’s 75th birthday back in Florida in mid-December. My dad recovered from multiple hip surgeries, and my stepmom’s cancer is progressing more slowly than doctors expected– the best news I’ve received all year!
I am also launching a cool program as a new branch of The Leadershift Project. It’s in development right now, but I’ve got a name— Coaching High Achievers.
It’ll be accompanied by a Facebook Live show I’m calling “Truth and DARE: Finding the Upside in Shitty Situations.” Catch me and a surprise co-host LIVE every week (day/time tba) as we vulnerably share real stories, lessons learned, and powerful tools employed to recover and move forward in service of inspiring others to do the same.
Got your attention? Get the latest news and be the first to know when we’re launching “Coaching High Achievers” by signing up here.
You can also stay in touch by following The Leadershift Project on social media and visiting our website.
I started this list unsure whether I would be able to think of 20 positive things, but seeing it all laid out in front of me made me realize that it wasn’t such a bad year.
Your turn! Before New Years Eve, try listing 20 good things that happened to you in 2020 and send that list to me: shani@theleadershiftproject.com. I look forward to reading it!
Cheers to brighter days and new beginnings!
Love,
Shani