This was definitely a memorable year.  I hesitate to use the overused "unprecedented", but the uncertainty of the year affected everyone differently and that is what I have been reflecting on.  Some had a burst of creative energy, some pivoted businesses for the pandemic moment, some focused on family and survival, some focused on the pause and rested or learned new skills, some put more energy into business than they ever have before.  For some, 2020 was the year that they made a huge change in their life, either professionally or personally.  Everyone had a different reaction to how to get through 2020 in one piece.   

​As I reflect on my year, I have come to realize that I focused on my family and on maintaining the health of my businesses.  I didn't create anew, but I held on strategically to what I had and strategized for the year to come.  I focused on my family and our health, mental health, and well-being.  I gave myself a break, not a literal break from life, but a break from the hustle and hamster wheel of life.  The slower pace allowed for me to recharge, focus on my mothering and make sure that my kids were succeeding on their paths. I helped my businesses weather the 2020 storm, but I didn't push for growth.  I have always been a person that gives myself room; room to simply be, room to not regret or be hard on myself, room to understand that we can't always excel in all areas all the time.  We have to focus on what is most important in the moment, and in 2020, that was different for everyone, and that is okay.

I just read a quote that said "inhale the future, exhale the past" and it resonated with me. Looking forward with optimism and positivity is essential to success and emotional well being.  As we exhale the past, we don't have to forget it, but rather we learn from it and take the lessons and growth that it gave us and use it for what is to come.

Positivity is definitely a mindset. Sometimes it can leave us for a time period and we have to do the work to get it back, but having a positive mindset provides the foundation to build with intention. Remaining positive and hopeful even during these trying pandemic times is essential to professional success and resiliency.