We made it kids! Another revolution. Another 365(ish) rotations. And now that the days are starting to get longer again (here in the northern hemisphere that is) it’s that natural time to count blessings, take stock, and reflect on the year that’s been.<\/p>\n
I admit: I take a lot of joy in doing this.<\/p>\n
So many people, year after year, whinge about how terrible the past 12 months have been. I don’t get it. Or, more accurately, they don’t get it. Maybe they’ve never felt that incomparable feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing a goal. Perhaps they’ve never heard the song your soul sings when you’re really, truly grateful for even the smallest pleasure that life provides. They probably don’t know that happiness is a choice<\/a> or that the only thing any of us really have control over is our own reactions. Maybe you’re one of these people and you’re rolling your eyes right now, or even yelling at your computer alone in the dark “it’s not that easy!” Well, my friend, it isn’t easy – but it is simple<\/a>:<\/p>\n So anyway, thanks for joining me for one of my favorite bits of life: Looking back at all that has happened, and all that I’ve done in this past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the past few years, I’ve been using a practice of choosing and focusing on three words each year. For 2019, my three words<\/a> were:<\/p>\n I chose learning in order to shift my focus from accomplishment to growth. I wanted to focus on learning from every situation, rather than on trying to master every situation. This was all about giving myself permission to be a novice, to not always have to be the expert. It was about being patient with myself as I seek expertise in new fields. And it paid off. I learned a ton in 2019, but more than that, my state of mind has shifted: It just feels so obvious now that my primary purpose in life is to learn. This is something I had started to forget, and using this word as a mantra re-focused me on what’s really important to me: Learning. Gold star!<\/p>\n I added teaching as one of my words to become a better leader and a better father. This one is all about overcoming the curse of knowledge<\/a> and focusing on explaining the why’s<\/a>. It’s about sharing what I know but more than that it’s about understanding what I know and how to best communicate it. In practical terms, this was about blogging, presenting, and getting our new go-to-market strategy rolled out at Myriad360<\/a>. I wasn’t as prolific as I had hoped (see goals below) but I did learn a lot and by the end of the year had significantly re-framed my approach to teaching. Silver star!<\/p>\n And then there’s consistency, a word I added because it’s a powerful tool that I have historically been completely incapable of putting into practice. I’ve been a neophile to a fault. My love of the new, of the unique, of the different has previously made much of routine absolutely loathsome for me. Problem is, you gotta brush your teeth. You gotta wash the dishes. And you have to practice every day to build your skills like compound interest. I continued to struggle with long-term daily routine in 2019 but I did make massive strides and have positioned myself well to continue this growth in 2020, consistently. Bronze star, with a bullet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was going to jump straight into a review of my 2019 goals. I decided that throwing in some quick travel stories would keep you reading longer.<\/p>\n In 2019 I spent about 93 days away from home, visiting 15 cities in 4 countries on 14 distinct trips. And not all of it was for work!<\/p>\n First, the work stuff. This year I attended:<\/p>\n Neither my partner nor I had ever been to Spain, so we took two weeks this past May to explore three of the best (and most famous) Spanish cities.<\/p>\n We started with 3 nights in Madrid<\/strong>. This included lots of art museums, a couple palaces, and lots of eating – oh, and an amazing Flamenco show!<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n
2019: My Three Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Learning<\/h3>\n
Teaching<\/h3>\n
Consistency<\/h3>\n
2019: Travel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Our Spain “Trifecta”<\/h3>\n