2021 Year-in-Review: What I read, listened to, watched, and learned this year
These year-in-reviews have become a fun part of wrapping up the year for me. I wasn’t great at journaling this year so while some of the details are fuzzy, the big things stick out fairly well. As always, this is a snapshot into my life. I try to be transparent so that aspiring business owners understand it’s not all roses in this world of entrepreneurship.
I also made some big shifts this year so I hope that’s encouraging for others to see that even five years in, you can adjust. Heck, you kind of have to stay sane, in my opinion.
Let’s start with the really fun stuff like my favorite books of the year! I’ve read 86 books to date this year, and I still have 11 days to go! This has been one of my best reading years ever. I don’t read for quantity (though I do set a goal on Goodreads - follow me there!). This year, though, I read more great books which means I read them faster because I couldn’t put them down. I managed to narrow it down to my top 8 picks!
Top Books of 2021
Whistling past the graveyard by Susan Crandall (Listen to this one on audio if you can!)
The book of lost names by Kristin Harmel
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
The Beantown Girls by Jane Healy
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
When I’m not reading or listening to a book, I’m probably listening to podcasts. I definitely dialed back on the business podcasts this year and went more for the pure entertainment factor! Here are some of my 2021 faves.
My Top Podcasts of 2021
Armchair Expert (Race to 270 had me nonstop laughing & I also loved Armchaired & Dangerous)
Smartless
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Kelly Corrigan Wonders
Absolutely Mental (I would pay 3x the amount I paid for this one. Worth every dollar). Funny side note — that question people always ask about a celebrity you want to have dinner with? Mine is Ricky Gervais!
What should I read next
The Dropout
WorkLife with Adam Grant
I don’t want a lot of TV - I’d much prefer to read a book most days. However, there were a few shows I found very, very entertaining to watch.
My Top TV Shows/Movies of 2021
The Morning Show (Apple TV)
You: Season 1 (Netflix)
Servant (Apple TV)
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
American Crime Story: Impeachment
I also watched two movies for the FIRST time in my life (I’m 42!). They were absolutely everything I hoped they would be.
When Harry Met Sally
You’ve Got Mail
Where we traveled in 2021
We took two major trips this year and one mini-getaway without the kids!
In the summer, we visited Chicago and had a great time! A day at the Navy Pier, lots of hotel pool time, a walk around the beautiful city, an afternoon at the zoo, photos at The Bean, the best pizza I've ever had, and so much more. I love a big city, and Chicago didn't disappoint.
Scott and I had a mini-getaway to Lewisburg, WV, and it was equally a great time. There's something about exploring a little town right in your own home state. We had the perfect weather and spent hours lingering after meals - something parents know is rare.
Just a few weeks ago, we visited Louisville, KY, for the week of Thanksgiving - an annual tradition to go somewhere for rest and relaxation before the holidays get into full swing. We had our first experience at The Kentucky Derby, taught our children to gamble (oops), and enjoyed local food – Biscuit Belly might have been the best meal I had the entire year!
What changed professionally?
Like so many, the pandemic has really screwed with my business (pardon the candor). At the beginning (March 2020), I thought business would tank, and if you read my 2020 year in review, you know that's not what happened at all.
In 2021, however, things just got weird. My client load felt random. I lacked direction. I was getting burnt out on website design and well maybe, burned out on business ownership. I felt the excitement fading week after week, yet I didn't really have much clarity.
Early in the year, I purchased a coaching session with someone, and her ideas for me were new and ambitious. I went all-in on a couple of ideas, yet those too faltered. I worried it was the end of One Nine Design. Then, I wondered if I cared if it really was.
I spent most of the summer doing random design work, taking care of monthly clients, and reading books at the pool, haha! I let it all just, be.
Then, I figured I'd schedule one more strategy session with an expert in the field I've followed for a long time (hi Sarah!). Surely, someone else could help me see what I was missing. That call was with Sarah of Sarah Moon & Co in June, and two things happened:
One hour with Sarah was everything I needed to clarify where my business was headed next and how I could best serve my audience beyond the one-to-one services that were burning me out quickly. Sarah's insight into the creative industry and experience with hundreds of clients allowed her to break through my clutter and overwhelm and help me make a plan to take major action steps. The result was a complete overhaul of my website home page to be more blog-focused (more on that below), a reduction in the number of one-on-one clients I was serving, and more strategic work inside The Nonprofit Template Shop.
And then a funny thing happened. Just two months later, Sarah posted a job opportunity on her website, and I knew that it was my next step within just a few minutes of seeing that post. She had helped me clear my plate just enough to take on something new, and the position was a dream – working on a design team, doing the kind of work I love, and it wouldn't require me to give up everything else. I could still run the Shop, have a few clients, etc. Spoiler alert: I started the new job in October.
So, I'm ending 2021 with quite a shift in the business, and it has happened in the very best way - intentionally slow. I made thoughtful decisions at several points during the year based on my mental health, complex data, and priorities.
The Nonprofit Template Shop is thriving, I feel great about where things stand with client work for 2022, and my time with Sarah Moon & Co has been everything I hoped it would be!
What I learned in 2021
If 2020 was the year of the great pause and "what the hell is happening?”, then 2021 was the year of putting it all in perspective and learning to take the uncertainty in stride.
Personally, the first few months of 2021 were some of the hardest of my life. (Those stories and experiences remain private, but I need to be transparent lest you think everything is all roses over here in business ownership/family dynamics land).
During that time, I learned that I could do really hard things when I knew they were best for the people I love. I realized that I have a really high tolerance for heartbreak but that I do break eventually. I remembered it was okay to ask for help, and it was even more okay to accept that help. I learned to build walls when I needed them to protect my heart, and I realized that I couldn't be a mom and keep those walls up 24/7. They've come down slowly through the last six months.
I learned that I love to be by myself and need that time to be my best self. I had countless dinners alone this year and took a solo trip to see David Sedaris in person, which I LOVED. This doesn't mean I don't love being with my family. It just means that I'm not afraid to be alone which I kind of love about myself.
I learned that it's okay to disappoint other people when it means you're keeping your boundaries firmly in place and honoring your own values. I learned that sometimes you just have to start the conversation you've been dreading for months and move past the hurt. It won't go away on its own, and life is too fragile to leave words unsaid.
I'm sure there was more, but I was terrible at journaling this year, so I'm drawing a blank.
What I'm looking forward to in 2022
I'm doing some business planning for 2022 and looking forward to having a new year to put all the changes I've made into practice. I've established a good rhythm and balance to my weeks, and I'm anxious to see the depth of work our Sarah Moon & Co team will accomplish next year, as well.
I know it will be full of unexpected surprises, new challenges, and growth opportunities, but that's what makes it life, right? I hope you'll stay on the ride with me! I send an email twice a month with a little business talk, a little life, and anything else I think would be valuable to share. If you’re interested in receiving that, you can join right here!
Wishing you and those you love a wonderful and memorable holiday season! Cheers to 2022!