Wishing You A Restful Year End

(I captured this (slightly blurry!) mama and her youngster right outside my car window in Haliburton last winter)

Well, we made it!

As we slip and slide our way into the final weeks of 2021 it may be tempting to throw up our hands, roll our eyes and heave a great sigh (through our noses of course!). We may be ready to throw in the proverbial towel, put our feet up and binge watch yet another Netflix series (Schitt’s Creek again anyone?) For many of us it’s been a ridiculously long - and kinda lonely - year, am I right?!

BUT!

What if, before the year ends, we can take some time to step back, enjoy our family and friends and then set aside some quiet time this holiday season? This break from the ‘busy’ might be just three or four days for some of us or, if we’re lucky, maybe two or even three weeks!

This downtime can give us perspective and allow us the chance to reflect on the highs and lows of our personal and professional lives over the past year.

 As I look back on 2021, I’ve been surprised by relationships that I’ve had to let go. I’ve also enjoyed making some great new friends and collaborating on some fabulous projects.

I’ve become faster at testing and dumping ideas that don’t work for me, for our team and the students we teach in our courses. I'm experimenting more and caring about the failures less. Each day is about trying to do a bit better than the day before.

Everyday, to provide a bit of perspective in all the noise, I carve out an hour or two of space just for me. This time is mine for writing, reading and big decision making. In the early morning hours while the rest of the world is still sleeping I’m able to create with ease. It’s during these quiet times that I can think deeply, flip ideas on their heads and give them the space they need to grow.

It’s only in the true silence that you can appreciate the incredible noise we try to manage in our environments and in our heads every day.

Every week or two I escape to the country for a few days. The fresh air, the long silent walks and the space to reflect is rejuvenating for me. With the support of these regular short recharges I can hop back to ‘it’ with renewed energy and a clearer perspective.

As I look ahead to the New Year, I’m excited for what we've planned for you. I have new collaborations to explore and fantastic challenges ahead that will encourage me to stretch my abilities and my confidence. I hope you find a few of these opportunities too.

As 2021 draws to a close, I wish you and yours a peaceful year end of rest, reflection and rejuvenation - however that might look like for you. Thank you for your encouragement and support this year. I couldn't have done it without the help, guidance and expertise of our incredibly talented First Line team. Together, we're looking forward to seeing you on the other side - in 2022!

All the best,