Wow, 2 years. It's really unbelievable. I chose this date because it's right before my birthday, and I thought it would be a perfect time. I didn't know that "perfect time" had a longer lifespan than just that year.
Here are a few things that have been essential to me during this transition.
Celebrating. How does one celebrate after 11 years in the same job, with a large 6-month sabbatical due to burnout? Obviously a 16-day road trip across northern Argentina with my best friend from grade school. It was epic, worth every cent (or peso), and something I still think about every single day (her, too).
Coaching. 343 hours with Argentina's most primer program? Done. Finding clients my first year? Check. Hiring 2 new coaches - one for personal dev and one for professional dev? Also check. Passing the International Coaching Federation's certification test? Yes. Getting another certification in coaching + neuroscience? Yes. Getting ANOTHER certification in executive coaching? Uh-huh. Becoming a Vistage speaker? That, too. Safe to say, this woman loves coaching.
Exercise. Oh, dear, how much time do we have here? I can say that exercise has definitely become a very prominent daily activity in my life. I started doing pull-ups January 1, and my goal is to be able to do 10 by December 31. I think I will get there. Having this as a constant challenge has been so wonderful, and it is now a non-negotiable.
Teaching. I became a YMCA instructor only because I wanted to teach the seniors there. They are so pleasant, come every day to work out, and really, I just wanted to give back to them by challenging them to actually push themselves a little. I saw that other trainers underestimated them; I do not.
Iterating. It's usually not that people wake up with a bright idea to be a business owner and say "great! I know all the answers!" I have had to refine, observe, refine, observe. You have probably noticed now that I often write about what my CEO and senior leader clients are saying on calls, because a) that's what is most interesting to me and b) that is who I most work with. But it has taken a process to get there.
Patience. Literally just yesterday, someone contacted me whose BOSS heard me present for an hour back in February. Turns out she works for an organization that is completely in line with the executive coaching 12-session package that I offer. It seemed like she came out of nowhere - and to a certain extent, she did - but now, it's full speed ahead.
Investment. I loooooooooove spending money on myself. Not on clothes, cars, or jewelry, but on coaching, trips, and really anything that takes me outside of my comfort zone. I will throw down major cash to any of those things, because I know that the ROI on them always comes back 10-fold.
Flexibility. There have been so many personal things that have happened in the last 2 years that I have been able to be there for, and not have to ask anyone for permission. Staying with my friend's toddler when her water broke with baby #2. Surprising my 90-year-old aunt for her birthday. Sitting for hours in a hospital ER with a friend. Getting there early to help set up for my friend's wedding. I have not let the flexible time aspect go to waste.
Leadership. While I am no longer managing and don't want to be managing a team right now, I can say that I am a better leader than I ever have been. Why? Because I finally took the time to focus on myself: where I wasn't living up to my potential, which blind spots were holding me back, and where I want to go. I have talked to about 70 CEOs and have learned so much information from them that I could write multiple books. And my favorite CEOs I talk to are the ones who recognize that they've gotta work on themselves first. Which is what they do 1:1 with me. PS, feel free to book a call here.
Gratitude. I seriously cannot imagine not being where I am now. It is really amazing how someone could go from a 6-month sabbatical because of being burnt to a crisp a few years ago, to now sitting here in workout gear on my couch, just arriving back from teaching a class at the Y, not using AI to write out reflections that really mean a lot to me. Out of all of these things I listed, this one is the most important. Life is such a gift, and I have so many more tools to manage my stress now than I ever have.
It's a privilege to work with so many wonderful leaders who have read the books, listened to the podcasts, done the workshops, but still can have the humility to look up and say, "I am exhausted and I don't want to carry this all alone anymore." Those are the people I have gotten to be there for. They don't know how much they have helped me, too, but they have.
And sometimes my heart is filled with so much joy, empathy, or excitement for them that I could just burst. Not from being burnt out, but from being built up. That's really the biggest reflection - I feel so built up, so on fire, so in love with what I am doing and with my life - and it's only been 2 years out on my own.
Wow.