A new year, a new day.

We are taught to look at the New Year like a fresh slate—a beginning to a new journey.

In my years of coaching, I have noticed that my clients often forget about the journey they are on. They want to start something new but forget to consider what they have already accomplished, grown from experience, or honed through progress.

Reflecting on the journey, there are moments when the work we have been doing comes together at unexpected times. We can’t fully see the fruits of our labor at the moment, but what we sow becomes the harvest in time.

This was true for me in several instances this past year.

Spring Collaborations

I was honored to be part of a book compilation in the spring of 2023. It was a wonderful experience getting to share my story and connect with amazing women from all different walks of life. Each of these women had turned negative experiences into opportunities for their greatest growth and achievements.

We had several discussions, a group interview, and a launch party. I read the digital version of the book and shared it with my friends and family. It was exciting to be part of it all.

Then life continued…

Summertime Chaos

The summer was busy. I was promoted in the Spring to a new role in my company and led my team through some growing pains.

At that time, my company went through some large upheavals, and there were new projects that I was helping to head up. The hours were long.

I was simultaneously growing my coaching business. I had hired a fabulous business coach, who had been on my dream coach list for four years, and decided to launch my podcast, the Hello You Show.

At that time, my client load doubled and I was starting to feel the affects of trying to do it all.

In the midst of all this, our beloved family German Shepherd passed away unexpectedly and left a huge aching in all hearts. Silently, I faced the grief that came with losing a loved one while pushing forward with the early morning meetings, redesigns, new developments, mentoring my team, increased coaching calls, and homeschooling my son.

The light at the end of the tunnel can seem dim for a long time until, one day, it blinds you.

A Mixed Bag of Leaves

In the fall of 2023, things were shifting internally for me. My podcast was picking up, and I had the opportunity to interview some beautiful souls who shared their stories and inspired me on my own path. One of my guests graciously interviewed me for her podcast, which she was launching later in the year. We had a wonderful discussion, and then life continued on…

The end of the year became a fast-moving train of surprises.

My family took a long-planned trip to Disney World. Seeing my Dad enjoying himself was wonderful as he scooted around the park and reconnected with his cousin, who had met us from Germany. Before the trip, I had a very different outlook. It was a trip that I had personally been dreading.

My corporate role had increasingly become busier as new discussions around architecture changes and hiring for new roles unfolded. There were indications that the pressure was not going to let up.

I felt like I was drowning. My coaching business was growing, but I struggled to find the time to focus on the activities to operate efficiently. I was barely maintaining each day and having difficulty being mentally grounded. I didn’t have time to take a trip!

However, when we finally landed, and I could settle into vacation mode, the joy of Disney and the magic of Universal Studios struck me. The dream that I had carried for so long was finally here. It wasn’t the dream I had imagined exactly, and it didn’t unfold in the way I had tried to control it. I had to give in and stop fighting against it.

The answer became clear.

Winter Reflections

I came home and a week later gave my notice. On December 1st, I left my corporate role. It had been part of my identity for fifteen years and I was finally walking away. The life I had been creating for myself for the past five years and dreaming of transitioning to was actually here. It didn’t go as I once dreamed it would, but it didn’t matter. It was time. 

We can’t force change how we want it to go; just like a riptide, we must move with the current and trust it will take us to shore.

Here I am writing this on January 1st, 2024. I had the surprise of seeing the podcast episode I recorded back in October go live on New Year’s Eve. This morning I opened an envelope I received in the mail containing my copy of the book I was part of back in May.

Here is the link to the book, Leave It All On the Dancefloor, if you would like to read it.

You can listen to the full podcast on Falling Apart of Falling Into Place, if you would like to hear more about my personal journey of triumph.

celebrating the Ride

Life certainly has a surprising way of showing us we are on the right track and that the work we have been doing is not unseen. It may not be fully visible until the right time comes along.

Where are you on the road to fulfillment in your life and career? Consider what you bring with you into the New Year and how that will impact your journey. You may just find that what you forgot about is the answer you were looking for all along.

Would you like to talk with someone about your goals and dreams—perhaps, even find someone who will go the distance with you? Let’s set up a time to chat about what you would like to create in the New Year. Walk away feeling refreshed and confident in your journey and know that you have made a new friend.