Looking Forward to 2015 (or Thank Goodness 2014 is Over)!

It's no secret that 2014 was a tough year. A year ago, I was enjoying sunny skies and warm weather as I visited my parents at their winter home in Naples, FL. Little did I know that within 4 months, the worlds of all of my family members would be turned inside out as each of us navigated the new territory that only the death of a parent can reveal. Life as we knew it had changed forever.

Dad's death had far reaching consequences. For me, it meant deep sadness and mourning, of course, but also impacted just about all of my close relationships in some way. Along the way, two of my girlfriends lost their mothers as did my sister in law. During that time, I "failed" as a friend as I was unable to provide them with support due to my own grief. I lost touch with quite a few friends and am just now reaching out again. The stress and strain has been overwhelming at times and something had to "give." That something was this blog. 

But now it's a New Year and it's time to get things back on track! From a career perspective, 2014 was awesome---full of some pretty intense challenges and stress for sure but also promotions, success and record setting sales for me and my team. Over the last couple of days, I've been reflecting on what I'd like to accomplish this year at a high level. Here are a couple of highlights.

Getting More of What I Need

This sounds slightly loaded but it's really about getting back on track with what I need to feel my best. For me, that means regular exercise and taking time for myself, doing activites that relieve stress---music, crafts, writing, and learning new things in addition to doing the job I love. Despite being very extroverted, I definitely do need "alone time" and I've gotten so little of it this past year. That is going to change in 2015!

Spend More Time at the Beach 

I don't need to go to a tropical island (although I plan to visit at least one this year) but there's something about being near the water. It's so relaxing and calming. Heck, I even love heading to the Outer Banks in the middle of winter! It's cold and often windy, but the impact on my mood is exactly the same. Love it!

Help Someone Help Themself

For years, I've looked for opportunities to help people. Sometimes that means giving money anonymously, other times it's volunteering my time or helping a friend to look at a situation from a different perspective. I'm not sure what that the plan is for 2015 but I'm open to the possibilities.

So here's to 2015! More to come---I'm back!!