2022: Thoughts and goals

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With COVID-19 still having big effects on my life and the lives of those around me, I’m definitely looking at my plans for 2022 through that lens. I’m not feeling as though I can make travel goals or plans, which is unfortunate! I’m focusing a lot on optimizing health this year- COVID brings the importance of investing in health to the forefront.

That said, I’m also definitely focusing on creating experiences this year that help me not miss travel. I’m planning to do another race- I enjoyed the 5k I did with the family this year and I miss running overall, and want to start doing more distance in both hiking and running. I have some career goals, this year I’m focusing on moving into a director-level role with a broader scope, more learning and application of new learning in my daily work.

Throughout 2021 I’ve been writing a series of short posts on LinkedIn reflecting on successes and gratitudes, and I’ve really enjoyed that practice and will continue it. I may look to cross-post those here as well, but LinkedIn is my largest audience and the thought that those posts might be seen by thousands is a big reason why I post them there- it helps me get more comfortable with celebrating successes and reflecting with gratitude in a more visible way, which always kind of made me uncomfortable but is beneficial to not just me but those around me.

I also have some plans for around the house and with family and friends too, I’d like to get new family photos, and more regularly connect with friends, alongside fun experiences with my immediate family.

All these are captured in my journal, with measures and all that because I’m a good goal-setter. 🙂 And to reflect a bit, 2021 was a big year. I finished my Master’s, took on more at work, the kids were in and out of in-person school due to COVID closures, we managed to avoid illness mostly, ran a 5k together, I did more hiking this year, which was great, did a very careful trip to the Scandinave Spa in Collingwood which was wonderful, I turned 40, I did 40 acts of kindness to commemorate that, I did a little conference talk and a podcast, I completed my largest freelance project to date, and lots more. Here’s hoping 2022 is at least as good if not better!

2020: Year in Review

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This year has been unusual, but still has been quite a year for me. The COVID-19 pandemic obviously has had huge impacts worldwide, and even on me, but overall I have been tremendously lucky this year to stay safe, well, and comfortable despite such immense challenges.

Work:

I started a new role this year, as the Learning & Development Manager within US HR for Sun Life. This was back at the end of February just as the pandemic was getting very serious in North America. My new role had me shift to a primarily work-from-home situation, as my work team is located mostly near Boston and elsewhere in the US.

That was serendipitous in a few ways- as my partner also works from home primarily, we were able to sort out ways to work from home effectively alongside each other, a few weeks prior to it being a requirement for everyone, which was helpful. I was able to get the equipment and setup I needed to be comfortable and efficient.

This role is awesome and perfect for me in a lot of ways, I get the opportunity to wear many hats- do some facilitating (but not full-time facilitating, and mostly for leadership development work), consulting, coaching, DE&I work, and lots of other great things. I’ve gotten to build up a flexible, robust leadership development program, roll out innovative DE&I training and support important initiatives, and it’s been an awesome year. I even won an actual award.

Professional Development:

I’ve wrapped up four courses this year as part of my grad program, Work and Learning, Fostering Learning in Practice, Global/Local Learning, Comparative Education, and I’m now in the middle of Understanding Research. Three more courses and I’ll have finished up the program- looking forward to that next year.

So I’ve continued to work on my Masters program, but this year I also got the opportunity to pursue additional professional development in the form of a leadership coaching certification. I started my training back in May, and am just wrapping up the final phase tomorrow. I’m excited to have leveled up my coaching skills and have that to offer to my clients and to my coworkers. I’ve gotten to connect with some awesome people, some of whom I have kept in touch with after our courses have wrapped up.

I also renewed both my other certifications this year, the CTDP and the CPTD, so I’m all set on those fronts for another three years. I got to do a cool member showcase with TLDC as well- I wish I had a little more time to give to that group, they’re awesome.

I also got to do a little bit more fun video editing this year (mostly for fun work projects), so I’m learning more about how to edit video which is a fun skill.

Personal:

The kids were out of school this year for several months due to the pandemic, with some virtual schooling to support but it was definitely a challenge. We were able to set things up here in such a way that they were able to have some space to do schoolwork and play while we were still working full time.

Obviously we didn’t do any travelling this year, though we did have a masked, socially distanced trip to the zoo during the summer. We mostly spent the summer inside and in our own backyard- the playgrounds were closed for quite a while.

Despite all that, we’ve still been able to enjoy some seasonal fun here and there, apple picking and seeing fall leaves, and a drive-through holiday light show.

Because the typical rehearsal/performance season isn’t an option this year, I was able to join the Grand Philharmonic Choir again (which I hadn’t planned to do until I finished my Masters program). It has been great having a way to see friends and sing even if we can’t all exactly sing together at the same time. I have also been able to sing in a few virtual choirs this year (one still to come!)

Charitable giving:

I’ve been lucky enough this year to be able to donate more than last year (based on preliminary/back of the envelope calculations) across many organizations, particularly healthcare, arts, and community organizations. I know that so many folks have been in increasingly precarious financial positions, particularly my friends and family who rely on live performances and other work environments that have been impossible to keep open this year.

2020

All in all it has been a really good year for me. I’ve learned a lot, been through a few things, but overall, stayed safe, kept learning and growing, and was able to achieve some really good things. Looking forward to 2021!

2019 Year in Review

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It’s snowing outside today. Things are quiet at work which is nice.

At the end of the year I always think about goals and where I want to be at the end of the next year. This year has been great in a lot of ways, but really challenging in others.

Here’s some wins and losses for the year from across my whole life 🙂

Wins for 2019

  • Worked hard on some really challenging work initiatives (challenging due to the climate, not so much the work itself)
  • Worked with new mentors and coaches and gained some really valuable perspective
  • Got into grad school
  • Finished my first term of grad school
  • Raised and matched a ton of charitable donations to causes I care about
  • Took the kids on their first overseas trip (to Madrid!) and it was awesome
  • Stepped away from volunteer work I care about in order to have enough time for schoolwork
  • Stepped back on some freelance work in order to have enough time for schoolwork (if you can’t see why the last two are wins, you don’t know me very well, haha)
  • Had a great trip to Quebec City and Montreal in the summer
  • I upped my savings
  • I made the most I ever have from freelance work
  • I got a great performance review at work
  • I got the yard landscaped
  • I got a new (hybrid) car (we’ve been a one-car family for 5 years, and may be able to be again, but 2 cars makes things easier for now)
  • I got some professional organizers to fix up a few closets in my house- the ones where they installed shelving are SO MUCH nicer than before

Losses for 2019

  • Didn’t make any great gains health-wise, I gained weight, I didn’t go to the gym as much, I didn’t eat as healthily as I could have
  • I didn’t spend as much time with my family as I would have liked to
  • I didn’t do as much reading for fun as I would have liked to
  • I did awesome work this year but I’m still reaching for some career goals that I haven’t met yet
  • Had some major work challenges and leadership shifts that made work really stressful this year
  • Didn’t prioritize the quiet focus time I would have liked

Overall, a lot more wins than losses and it was a really positive year. I know 2020 is going to be a really good year for me, I’ll be continuing work on my Masters degree and continuing to work toward my career goals, but I think this year I’ll also be focusing on my overall well-being and health.

I’ll articulate those goals in a list in the next few weeks.

What are your goals for 2020?

2018: Year in Review

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2018 was a big year for me. I’m going to do a quick-hits bullet point list of my accomplishments in 2018, so I can reflect.

  • Worked with 5 wonderful high-achieving mentees to help them achieve their goals
  • Worked with a great mentor and a fantastic coach
  • Spoke at my first overseas conference
  • Analyzed, designed, developed and delivered several training programs, elearning courses and curricula
  • Took over as chair of the WWA Chapter of the Institute for Performance and Learning
    • We had 10 networking breakfasts
    • 4 pub nights
    • 1 full-day PD event
    • 1 half-day PD event
  • Got a promotion to team lead
  • Planned and ran 2 concurrent pre-conference training tracks for another conference
  • Hired three team members and contributed to the hiring process for several more
  • Progressed into a new manager-level role
  • Increased my income and doubled my freelance income
  • Increased my savings and retirement savings
  • Joined the Grand Philharmonic choir again and sang 7 concerts

2019 is shaping up to be a big year as well! I’m looking forward to it.

2017 Year in Review

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2017 was a good year for me personally and professionally, and as always, I learned a lot! Here are some stats and highlights from my year for reflection and preparation as I look into 2018.

If I had to sum up 2017, I would say it was a big-deal year. It felt like the importance of everything I’ve been doing has been increasing, and I’ve been jumping into more and more interesting and complex challenges.

Travel:

I enjoyed several opportunities to travel this year, taking three big trips! I had a quick trip to Omaha in May, then I travelled to Ottawa with my whole family in July, and then in August, got to go to Belgium and Germany. I learn so much when I travel, and it was great to get to visit these three very different locations. Aside from that, I did a quick trip into Toronto for an industry conference (more on that below).

I love Belgium, particularly Brussels. I am so fascinated by government and policy, and the EU Parliament has both in abundance. Köln had amazing history to see in and around the Dom. We also flew in and out of London, and I was reminded again how much I love that city. All in all, another great trip to Europe (our 6th!)

Below:  Me with the Palace in Brussels (which I loved!), my son with the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, and me with my best friend Summer and her daughter and her friend.

Work and Learning:

I did a lot of work with seven new-to-me or updated tools and platforms. These included:

I’d used some of these prior to 2017 but not to the degree I did this year. I got updated photos and did updates tomy website. I went to the Institute for Performance and Learning Conference (which I helped to program) and helped program 4 professional development events locally as well.

I completed a Marketing course on LinkedIn Learning (and have touched on a few more!) I checked out a few different MOOCs, and joined the xAPI cohort (though I haven’t started on a project yet). I started doing the DailyUI challenges, and haven’t looked back (I’m about a third of the way through, now, check out my posts here or on Twitter!).

I did high-level design and initial development for a two large learning programs with big audiences, some of which will be realized, some of which might not. I designed and developed three new eLearning courses, and updated many others. I took a new job with a fantastic co-worker and am jumping into bigger and better things there. I’m moving back into the world of customer experience and professional services, and it’s great to be getting back into doing what I love- helping people solve problems and do meaningful work using technology.

I re-certified as a CPLP and have sent in my recertification for my CTDP as well. It has been three years holding those credentials and the learning never stops! I’ll never have a problem hitting my numbers for PD hours

I’ve learned a ton about design, tech, and communication this year, which is fantastic.

Giving Back:

I made monetary donations to 12 different charities this year, along with ongoing volunteer work, fundraising, and a few blood donations (when I pass the hemoglobin screen). Giving back has become a bigger and bigger part of my life, continuing from the plans I started in 2016. While I may not be able to give as freely of my time as I once was able to, my monetary donations have increased to take up the slack.

Below: Economical Insurance Heart and Stroke Big Bike Team, I’m in the first row, second from the left!

Health and Wellness

I lost about 25 pounds this year, and really settled into my 3-times-a-week gym schedule. I’ve managed to make activity and health monitoring an easy part of my routine thanks to my Fitbit and my Aria scale. I got better at eating breakfast every day which seems to make a difference. My resting heart rate has been greatly improved over 2016 and I look forward to keeping things going in the right direction on all these fronts. Check out my weight graph below:

2017’s Thumbs Ups:

  1. This has been the year of fantastic coffee mugs. I had a great mug at work that made every day easier.
  2. I finally stopped being so lazy about my hair and now book regular hair appointments like a grownup. I found a cut that works and am sticking with it!
  3. I stopped answering the phone with “hello?” which has saved so much time in my life.

2017’s Thumbs Downs:

  1. I definitely did less reading books and more Facebooking than I would have liked.
  2. Still working on becoming more relaxed and even-keeled in general. Trying to balance excitement that keeps me engaged vs. excitement that makes me anxious is an ongoing effort.

More on 2018 goals in my next post.

2016: Lots of goals!

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Darts- Let's hit the target!The first of the year has brought with it a lot of excitement for me. My mind is swirling with possibilities, and I have a ton of goals I want to achieve.  These can be summed up pretty well with a couple of themes:

Give Back:

I want to give back, and I want to keep track of where my giving is happening so that I can better target my efforts to the things that mean the most to me.  I’ve done a lot of volunteering with arts and education organizations, but I want to start doing more monetary contributions as well, and more personal contributions in the way of acts of kindness. I’m planning to do an act of kindness each day in 2016.  To start off, I’ve donated to an organization local to me that does great work: oneROOF.

Get Better:

As someone who is constantly striving to improve, this is a theme that applies to me across the board. I want to learn, I want to grow, I want to develop. I also want to improve my health and strength.  I’m planning to get 30 minutes of vigorous activity each day, I’m planning to engage in a regular regimen of self-care and I’m planning to learn, advance and achieve in my professional life as well.

Go the Distance:

As an “ideas person” I have a million things I want to do and a ton of projects in my head or on the go at any given time.  This can get overwhelming, and I can get  to the point where I start a lot more things than I finish in the course of a year.  I love action! But I think I can focus better.  So this year, I’m looking to finish more (and reflect more on those things I have finished)!  I’ve set some reading goals for the year so that I can work on finishing all the books I’ve started (I have a long queue and lots of half-done books).

What are your goals and aspirations for the new year?

Year in Review

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This has been quite an interesting year. I thought I would write up a point-form summary of some things that went on.

  • Was on maternity leave all year. This was interesting and I grew to enjoy it.
  • Adjusted to being a parent, mostly it’s awesome.
  • Recorded a track for the Virtual Choir.
  • Sang with the church choir through the year.
  • Went to my first TEDx conference.
  • One of my co-workers passed away, which was sad.
  • Did our first big improvement to our house- we finished the basement.
  • We visited my family in Texas and they got to meet Wesley.
  • I got a BlackBerry Playbook, which I really like.
  • I took my first water fitness classes, which I (and Wesley!) really enjoyed.
  • Enjoyed time with my friends even though sometimes having a kid means having to turn down invitations.
  • Had good holidays and birthdays.
  • Dealt with a few illnesses off and on- including the worst cold I have had in years, which we have at the moment.

Wesley is pulling himself up and cruising on furniture now, and is a crazy fast crawler. He says mama and dada (though dada a lot more than mama) and cat, and occasionally mimicks other words. He’s been a bit of a bear the past week, but he’s also been sick. Most of the time, he’s charming and friendly and really easygoing.  He flirts with people wherever we go, which is fun, but can be distracting. I pretty much won the baby lottery, because aside from feeding issues in the beginning, he has been a dream. He’s a great sleeper, he eats really well now, he’s pretty independent and plays on his own without needing a lot of intervention from me. He laughs and he’s ticklish and he’s fast and awesome. I love him like crazy.

Next year, we’re looking forward to having a membership at a new gym, which has pools and water programs as well as all the things our current gym has (save for all the locations). I’m heading back to work next week, and Wesley will be in daycare full time (he’s really enjoying it, thankfully). 2013 should be pretty good! Once I get over this cold, anyway. 🙂