Time to put on the party hat, fill your glass with bubbly and toast in the new year! Welcome 2020! A new year, and decade, is upon us.
Every year I make it a practice to look back and note the accomplishments, failures and lessons from the past 12 months. 2019 was one for the books! Some of you may have had a crappy year and glad it’s over. To that I say I’m sorry to hear it, but what lessons did you learn that you can carry forward into ’20? Where can you now find success? If you had a great year, awesome! What can you do to make ’20 awesomer?
Here are a few highlights from my 2019.
Pushing Myself to the Limit, and Then Pushing a Little More. I ran my first 50 mile trail race this year. I learned some really good lessons training for and during the race. It was an experience I may even try again! But ultimately, I found I could push myself to what I thought was the limits, and then found a way to push a little more.
Meeting Amazing People. Though I had the opportunity to meet awesome people this year, the most memorable was sitting next to a humanitarian during an 8 hour flight where we talked the WHOLE TIME! Her life was fascinating and the lessons she shared I’ll remember always. I encouraged her to write a book; I really hope she does.
Building a Brand. I started my own consulting business in February of 2018 called “Bridge the Gap” consulting. My goal was to help businesses bridge the gap between vision and operational excellence through strategic development and project portfolio management. I also wanted to gain experience starting a business from the ground up and marketing myself. In the last few months of 2019, I put in extra effort promoting that business online and at events. I didn’t know what to expect when I started, but found I got a lot of attention. Let’s see if I can grow that in 2020!
Sharing What I Know. I’ve always been a blogger and writer, but this year I put my foot on the gas. I’ve been attempting to put out a blog every 1.5 weeks, sometimes more. I also had the opportunity to contribute to a couple books that will be coming out soon. The reason I do blogging and writing is I like to share information I’ve gained with others. Hopefully my experiences will benefit others. That’s why I define myself as a “Helper.” I like to help others be successful.
Life Goes By Damn Fast. I’ve always made it a practice to take my two boys, now ages 12 & 9, out for a weekend of fun before they go back to school each August. This year, however, I recognized their different interests and took them on separate adventures. The older one and I went fishing for a few days and took the younger one to NYC. We each had a blast!! It made me realize they’re getting older and becoming their own men. I need to make it a higher priority now to spend time with them. They’ll be gone before I know it!
Commit Yourself to the Future. After my 50 mile race, I ran another 34 miler a couple months later. It was then I decided that in my mid-40’s, I can’t do these races forever so enjoy them now. So, I signed up for an Ironman 70.3 (look it up if you’re not familiar). I wanted to sign up now so I’m committed. Same goes for a family vacation. We booked it now so are committed to going and can plan to have a great time. Do it now while you still can!
Happy New Year! May the lessons of 2019 propel you to success in 2020 and beyond.
Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC 