Happy anniversary?

Yes. It has been a year. And yes, it will be all people talk about.

Here is what one year of the COVID-19 pandemic taught me. May you find my lessons learned enlightening and entertaining too.

• I miss traveling for work. Meeting with clients in person for a consulting engagement or facilitating training to a group was fun, engaging and energy boosting.
• I am very thankful that we can offer virtual training. It expands our training to more people than in-person options.
• Doing it the same way we always did it was easy, but this past year showed it was stunting our opportunity for growth.
• I hope hotels, airlines and businesses will keep up the cleaning they seem to have “upgraded” to during the past year. And now I am curious what they considered clean before ….
• I enjoyed the part of my commute to the office where I listened to a book and learned something, or just heard a good story. I do not miss the traffic.
• Time was not the reason I did not exercise regularly; motivation was the reason.
• People need people. Even those who see themselves as reclusive or loners still need people. When that is taken away, it is so hard to watch as they suffer.
• Tomorrow — or at least the tomorrow where you can go and do as you please — is not guaranteed. If you are going to procrastinate, procrastinate wisely.
• I love my new home. We moved in one year and one month ago, and I have enjoyed getting to move into it, learn it, decorate it, enhance it and live in it. I also need to stop rearranging the drawers and the pantry in the kitchen. It is upsetting the rest of the family.
• Animals in the office are fun until they touch a button and close your computer, or get tangled in a cord and crash your system.
• I cannot work in pajamas. Jammies are for relaxing, and my mind will not be convinced otherwise.
• I work with some of the most amazing people. They have made a year of change, anxiety, excitement, innovation, fear, opportunity and unknown so much easier to go through.
• My family now knows that yes, I do in fact work, and yes, I do have that many meetings per week. And I that appreciate them for putting up with me working from home.
• The clients I have the privilege to work with are relentless in service, kind at heart, tired but motivated, willing to learn and change, and ready for the future!

I usually celebrate anniversaries with cake. I love cake. Though this may not be an anniversary any of us planned, I do hope you can celebrate a year of learnings too. Please share any anniversary musing you have too.

Wishing you a great day and remember: Lead with legacy

– Tammy