As we say goodbye to 2020, it’s time for me to be taking a moment to put fingers to keyboard and share a little reflection on the year that we are seeing out the door tonight.

2020 has, on the whole, been a good year for our family. We are healthy, all in the same place and able to spend time together without restrictions.

Yes, there have been some challenges including a few tense moments where we feared the loo rolls might run out, Wayne being diagnosed with diabetes and a few anxious weeks where I did wonder if some of my contracts would be cancelled.

Whilst many others were being laid off, I was kept super busy. I did not dare take my foot off the accelerator and ploughed ahead as I never knew if the bubble was going to burst and all work fizzle up.

Thankfully, I’ve been working in the online space for several years now.

Skype, Zoom, Facebook Live have been my friends for quite a few years now. I’ve been kept busy teaching others how to make friends with them too.

Gratitude

As weird as this might sound, I am grateful for all the experiences 2020 has thrust upon us.

My values have been reaffirmed over and over. It has been rewarding to be able to help businesses pivot, thrive and grow despite the topsy-turvy state of the world.

My son’s mental health continues to improve which is a huge relief. It’s been a roller coaster ride for the last 5 years and I’ve been hanging on tight. Me being home more has been good for him too.

My daughter continues to enjoy following her path as a fiction writer. She’s working on a new trilogy and is dedicated to her craft. There is also exciting news that I am not allowed to talk about.

Mum is well but Dad is fading. He’s gone downhill considerably in the physical sense over the last 3 months yet was able to play a game of mahjong on his 92nd birthday which was at the beginning of the month.

It is hard to watch him decline. Yet, we are so blessed to be able to look after him at home, to be living close at hand, able to visit every day and not be locked down.

I am grateful to have wonderful caring friends and trusted advisors in my life that have supported and guided me through tough decisions that I’ve needed to make in 2020. We might be far apart but the world is actually a much smaller place as now more than ever, people are embracing technology as a way to stay in touch.

On the business front

Working from home is no stranger to me so lockdowns did not cause too much disruption.

The Australian Government introduced benefits to support those whose businesses experienced a downturn. I was one of the fortunate ones who did not need to access that support.

The reason why is that five years ago I began my foray into online courses. It’s come to the fore in 2020 with almost all face to face opportunities cancelled.

My Crystal Clear Pathway To Your Goals has proved to be popular and ran 3 times in 2020. I’m kicking off 2021 with a 4- week online workshop starting on 6th January.

I’m also running a FREE online Facebook group plus paid Membership packages that allow me to offer strategic support to confused, overwhelmed small business owners that at times feel they have lost their mojo. It’s a pleasure to see it return!

Another plus is the little happy dances I’ve been able to do when I receive positive feedback on the impact of my guidance many years later.

As a sideline, I continue to teach English a few hours a week. Mainly to keep up my TESOL skills as it is something I enjoy and who knows, one day, I might just get back to Europe to teach again. Covid-19 has not affected the demand for English lessons. If you want to learn why I began to teach English in the first place, you can read the post here.

How do I manage it all?

This is the most frequently asked question I get.

The answer is time management which includes built-in self-care as a priority.

If I do not look after myself I cannot look after my family and my business. As someone who is self-employed, it is crucial I put my self-care as a top priority.

This means eating healthy regular meals, exercise and meditation I subscribed to a product called The Bliss Bomb earlier this year. The 5-minute meditations included in the package have been my go-to to reset myself in jam-packed stressful days. You can check it out here.

What does 2021 hold?

That’s the million-dollar question for which I doubt any of us have the answer. As the clock turns over we have new cases emerging.

Our world is forever changed. It’s up to us what outlook we choose to adopt.

I choose to look on the bright side, to be positive, to be grateful and to thank each of you that are reading this for being a part of my life. Let me know what you are choosing to do – I love to hear from you.

Wishing you a safe and healthy 2021.

Michelle