It’s official - I’m starting an annual review. I’ll be looking at what went well, what didn’t go as well (and what I learned), and what I’m focusing on for the coming year. It’s a mix of both personal and professional, so prepare yourself for a photo dump.

When I started out, I really didn’t think I’d have much to say. As you’ll see - I was very wrong. I’m excited to start this tradition and keep it going. Looking back is so important to know where you want to go and how much progress you’ve made!

What Went Well?

I READ BOOKS

You might think this is the part where I tell you I read all these books that changed my life. This year, not so much. Yes, I read some books. But when I looked through my library, I saw that I fully read my “guilty pleasure” books - psychological thrillers and historical fiction - and only partially read the self development books.

You know what this tells me? I needed a break. And THAT’S OK.

I find that my brain goes through phases. Sometimes I’m diving into self/professional development and can’t get enough, and other times I need a break and want to read something light and fun, or at least page-turning. Here’s where I landed (at least the ones I could remember!):

Fully-Read Books:

The Last Mrs. Parish by Liv Constantine
The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine
The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine (someone lent me her books)
The Girl in the Cabin 13 by A.J. Rivers
Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Partially-Read Books:

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck
Grit by Angela Duckworth
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

I COACHED AMAZING LEADERS

I coached 20+ leaders at multinational organizations and led 8 leadership and team building workshops. What stood out to me the most was that across the board, the biggest thing getting in the way of someone’s ability to reach the next title or improve themselves as a leader is what’s going on inside - the hidden beliefs that are hard to see and even harder to know how to address. It’s common to focus on the tactical or strategic things to become a better leader, but none of it matters if you don’t know what’s making you shut down, react defensively, or burnout. I’ll be focusing a lot of my content this year on how to address those internal issues that are often overlooked, but imperative if you want to have that “intangible” leader quality that everyone is looking to achieve.

I also hosted a beginning-of-year goal planning session with women leaders. We had a great time and a portion of everyone’s ticket went to a good cause (The Sterling House).

I TRAVELED

I went with my husband and 2 kids to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, Bend, Oregon, and Green Bay and Madison, Wisconsin. The cool part about each of those trips is that other family and friends met or joined us. We also met new and interesting people, and got some quality time with our smaller family unit.

We took an annual trip with close friends to a lake house in Connecticut and I took a Girl’s Trip with college friends to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The college girlfriend trip is a tradition I’m especially proud of maintaining for the last 10+ years. We live miles apart, but what’s great about keeping 20+ year friendships is that we’ve helped each other through divorce, illness, and general life-ness. Outside the trips we stay in touch almost daily on Marco Polo.

Until I reflected back, I didn’t even realize how much I traveled. I’m so grateful this has become a regular part of my life.

I PICKED UP SOME HEALTHY HABITS

I started a morning walk routine where I get up, grab my coffee, and just walk. I know this is going to sound blown out of proportion, but it literally changes my day. I don’t try to “exercise” during these walks but oftentimes I get my heart rate up and some extra miles in. I also did the Peloton regularly and got “close” to my goal weight (2024 I’ll surpass it)!

I STARTED AN ANNUAL TRADITION & KEPT UP SOME OLDIES

We have a mix of friends who golf (some golf well, some are working on it - the former includes me!). I had this idea - what if we organized a private friends’ golf scramble with contests, prizes, and a dinner. We called it Swingfest (GOLF SWING! Don’t get crazy on me) and it was such a blast. We decided to make this an annual event.

We continued other traditions - 4th of July, Halloween with friends, and a Memorial Day workout dedicated to Kyle Milliken.

WE FINISHED A RENOVATION

We renovated our attic and are enjoying the ocean views and my new office. I’m not interested in any type of renovation in the near future, I can say that much!

I SUCCEEDED AT MY SECOND FULL-TIME JOB AS A DANCE MOM

Enough said.

I STARTED A PODCAST & WAS FEATURED ON A PODCAST

I launched the Lead Easy podcast in the middle of a lake in Wisconsin, because that makes sense, right?? I got a lot of positive feedback and so I’m doubling down on it this year with a lot more focus around the topics (improving as a leader and getting the next title).

OH, and I started a YouTube channel where the episodes will be posted as videos. If you feel so inclined, like and subscribe to help me get it going!

I also had the privilege of speaking on the Hospitality Daily Podcast with Josiah Mackenzie and Mariana Safer.

What Didn’t Go So Well (And What Did I Learn?)

I GOT SIDETRACKED EASILY

I didn’t stay as focused on the important things in my business as I would have liked and chased shiny objects. It became very apparent how much I do something called “creative avoidance” where I spend time on things that I enjoy and are not as scary as putting myself out there and doing the hard things (selling, sharing, etc.).

MY MESSAGING WAS MURKY

I’m passionate about a lot of things, so when I looked back I saw that sometimes I talked about work satisfaction, other times improving as a leader, other times transitioning careers. They all go hand-in-hand, but I think talking about so many different things made it hard for people to know who I help and how I help them.

I SAID YES TO THE WRONG THINGS

I signed up for a couple work projects that took way more time and frustration than they were worth. I learned that I want to guard my time more carefully and be more judicious in what I take on.

My life was mostly kids and work and I didn’t do any hobbies for myself. I’m still working on that, but I need more in my life and I’m actively trying to figure out what that looks like.

MY MINDSET WASN’T ALWAYS GREAT

Yes, coaches have to work on this too! I went through a lot of rollercoasters of emotions when it came to my business. I spent time overthinking and in doubt, and allowed some unproductive beliefs to sneak in. One of my beliefs that I’ve become very aware of and I’m working on is “the things I set out to do won’t work and I shouldn’t try.” Obviously it’s not true and I’ll be working on reframing this one.

I ONLY PARTIALLY ACHIEVED MY HEALTH GOALS

This is something that went well and also something that didn’t go well. I came within 2.5 lbs of my goal, which is totally how I operate. I guess I told myself, “that’s good enough, right?” Maybe it is, but what if I didn’t settle for ‘good enough’ when it comes to my health goals? That’s my focus for 2024.

I HAD BACK PAIN

I was in a lot of pain and I know it’s from desk/electronic slouching. I’m happy to say I found an amazing practitioner I’m working with, Dr. Mark A Konopka - you can find him here. He works with my marathon-running husband and took him from hyperventilating-pain in his back / hip to pain-free. I’ve tried other chiropractic and physical therapy practitioners and spent tons of money and it didn’t help. I’m excited to report the progress in next year’s post!

What Am I Focusing On Next Year?

I BROKE IT DOWN INTO 4 BUCKETS:

Mindset: Address subconscious thoughts getting in my way as if I’m my own client. Spend time daily doing a grounding, centering, or meditation practice.
Clarity: I already worked with a coach to help me clarify my message and I feel good about the direction. I also plan to lean into my zone of genius and blend deep inner work with career and leadership strategy.
Focus: I have a solid, doable plan, now I just have to DO IT. And stick to it long enough to see if it works and not chase shiny objects.
Enjoyment: Work gets to be FUN, or at least enjoyable. I want to enjoy work and life, while increasing my energy and reaching health goals. We have exciting travel in the books - St. Lucia, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

I know this is a strange New Year’s Resolution, but I can’t think of a better way to say it - I want to “do more stuff.” When looking back on this past year, although I traveled and did “some stuff”, I didn’t say yes to many things spontaneously, or plan fun things. I let my life get wrapped up in work and kids and to put it simply, THAT’S BORING.

If I’m honest, I get tired early and mostly look forward to being in comfy clothes and watching a movie. And although I like that, I also feel great when I get out of the house, connect with people, and do things I enjoy like seeing shows, visiting with friends, and going out to dinner. If you are my friend and reading this, please push me outside my comfort zone and hold me accountable!

The first thing I said yes to was a Janis Joplin cover band.

I’d love to hear about your year and what you have planned in 2024 - send me an email at sara@sarakobrien and tell me about it!

Here’s to 2024!

~ Sara

2023 Annual Review