My 2023 (gift) wrapped
A lookback on the year and starter tools to plan for 2024
Let the holiday rush begin; the time when you’re scrambling to find last-minute gifts, fill the fridge, prepare for entertaining, cook, clean, wind down with work, and on top of all this … find a moment to breathe.
Though most Americans use the Christmas holiday season as a time for forced slowdown and travel, for many, Hanukkah has already taken place, and with it the time and space to reflect on the year gone by, and spend time with family and loved ones.
No matter when you do it, try to take time to reflect on the year gone by, and then plan a little for the year ahead.
I’m sharing how I’m doing this, in this penultimate newsletter issue of 2023.
What a year it’s been
This year gave me clarity, grace, space, and time to figure things out.
I finalized my company’s exit, resumed weekly therapy sessions, and spent time both alone and with family and friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen since before Covid.
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Because I was able to step back from the day-to-day chaos of where I was a year ago—burned out and stressed out and trying to ensure I ran a profitable company—I was able to see things for myself, slow down, tune out, and choose how much I wanted to engage myself socially and professionally.
I’m fortunate and incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to do this.
But frankly, finding the ability to sit quietly and choose simplicity over intensity and distractions is the most precious commodity one can have—it’s free and more valuable than any thing or place.
Call it meditation or “me time” or whatever, you sometimes just have to prioritize yourself.
Everything else is outside of your control and can be categorized as a distraction or entertainment: politics, sports, news, shows, movies, TV; only you can decide what or how much to let “in.”
Outside of spending most of my time in Miami, where I'm based, and in Charlotte, N.C., where my family is based and where I have a sanctuary 🏡, I experienced the following:
In Atlanta, where I lived for 7 years, I visited old friends and saw The Cure again in concert. I’ve seen them 3 times now, all in Atlanta, my first time at 16. I’m convinced Robert Smith is a vampire because he looks and sounds as if he hasn’t aged in all those years
In Miami and L.A., I attended business mastermind events led by my friend Eric: Workshops to network intentionally, and where I can unabashedly learn, build, and grow on marketing strategies
In Whistler, British Columbia, I escaped the summer heat wave all up and down the U.S. east coast. The mountains, lakes, people, good vibes, good food, and cool air replenished my soul
In West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina I was tempted by the long snowboarding season, experiencing lake life, and returning to familiar beaches, cities, and haunts
In Madrid, I was happy to see people all dressed up with nowhere to go, enjoying life with friends at sidewalk cafes and restaurants; in Ibiza I discovered a calmer side to the island and helped ring in a friend’s 50th solar return
In Nashville, I experienced the Kid Rock Honky Tonk, which if you don’t know what a honky tonk is, it’s a multi-floor venue where each floor showcases live music of different genres and time periods, e.g., ‘90s hip hop or ‘00s country and rock
In New York City, my former home, which has an uncanny knack for always feeling familiar and homey yet completely alien at the same time, I picked up Mr. Bean and I now had a living thing to look after
Along the way, I did plenty of hiking, cycling, running, walking, and paddle-boarding. There was also lots of guitar playing and improving and lots of furnishing and decorating.
I also attended the most concerts and music festivals: country shows and metal shows and being a part of both of my nieces’ first concert experiences. (According to my Spotify Wrapped I listened more than 89 music genres.)
I’m also grateful for shared experiences with people I love and like, and also working in a private consulting capacity with clients I choose to work with.
The year ahead
In thinking about 2024, I’m starting with a bird’s eye view when looking at my calendar. I start with birthdays, conferences, events, and dates that are known and outside of my control.
Then, I’m carving out time for personal trips, work periods, and goal setting, clarifying, and reflection.
Goal setting 101
Goal setting is incredibly daunting and even reading or hearing the word “goal” sends shivers down spines.
Or is the reaction more a reflection of your procrastination, inner turmoil, anxiety, or disdain for something else?
My way to achieve goals is to start broadly, for example, with a larger theme, value, or objective. My friend Amanda has a great newsletter post on this, where she picks from objectives like the following:
Become a thought leader at X
Improve physical strength
Be a great parent
Be a great partner
Run a marathon
And then she utilizes an OKR (objectives, key results) framework to stick to achieving these goals. These are similar methods used in the corporate world to hit and set sales and operations benchmarks.
There are also smaller-scale strategies to help set and stick to realistic goals, like the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method, where the letters represent:
S = specific, e.g., run a marathon
M = measurable; run a sub 4.5 hour marathon
A = achievable; commit to running it as an already physically fit person and competent sub 30-minute 5K runner
R = relevant/realistic; running a marathon will help maintain my physical fitness
T = time-sensitive; the next marathon is one year from now
Define your values
If you need help clarifying your values or themes, or what’s important to you at your core, then answering these questions can help plan for the year ahead:
When were your most meaningful moments in life?
When were the moments when you was least satisfied?
What stories inspire you?
What makes you angry?
What’s your ideal day, life, or world?
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I completed this exercise as part of an executive coaching program this quarter, and found it helpful.
So, what does an annual reflection period look like to you? Any practices or regular customs you want to share?
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Until next time,
Shindy
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