Last year instead of doing a traditional year in review post, I decided to put together a list of things I did, experienced, and appreciated. It was such a great way to reflect on the year and remember what significantly impacted me.

I struggled to come up with 55 things for 2021, but ultimately I realized that it is OK to be different. And even 48 is an impressive number of happenings to celebrate.

Here we goooo…

1. My newsletter was featured in Creative Mornings Most Anticipated Newsletters.
2. Named as one of the winners of the Influential Women in Business awards 2021. 
3. Participated in the Fear Experiment: The Goodbye Show and got my Broadway dancing skills on for the second time in my life. A little shakier this time after last year’s ankle injury. But still a good time. My fave performance here. See the entire show in this playlist.
4. Celebrated turning 40 and 10 years of Tech Biz Gurl.
5. Ordered a weighted blanket and was not a fan at first. But, now I’ve come to love it. It is like a warm hug, and I can’t imagine life (or my bed) without it.
6. Did my first Facebook Live. Dr. Barbara Provost invited me to talk to her  Purse Strings for Financially Fearless Women community about starting a side hustle. Check out this recap.
7. Featured in Claudia Dawson’s What’s In My Bag. Hint: one of the things is Recess CBD Water.
8. Interviewed for the We’re Only Human podcast. We talked about A LOT of things, including why I’m not trying to leave my day job, how being laid off ended up being a blessing, Fear Experiment (see #3), and #caregiverlife.
9. Ran two #IamRemarkable workshops.
10. Joined Mox.E, a coworking space, in my neighborhood. After working exclusively from home for over a year, this was an excellent mental health decision. 
11. Set up #jesspicks on Introsend, which allows you to be matched with another member via email. Wanna join? Click here.
12. Passed the 1,000 subscriber mark with #jesspicks, an awesome accomplishment for a newsletter creator. Cue confetti! 
13. Did a Side Hustle Generation talk with the National Urban League. Grab it here. 
14. Participated on a panel for Women Tech Founders and talked about side hustles as an approach to start your business in a low-risk way.
15. Applied to a poetry fellowship. Didn’t get in but got a chance to submit a mix of new and old poems.
16. Experimented with a few different Voxer coaching offerings. Excited to see how this one goes in 2022.
17. Did a few puzzles like this one.
18. Took a 3 week break from #jesspicks in June because I felt burnt out.
19. Saw a Van Gogh immersive art exhibit (it was aaaaa-mazing).
20. Tried a yoga class (and fell over during a warrior pose transition, in true Jess fashion. In other words, I crushed it!)
21. My job introduced me to the decentralized finance world. It is very complex and breaks my brain often, but I think it’s an excellent investment opportunity. This course and the community have helped me wrap my head around things.
22. Got a deep tissue massage. GLORIOUS. I need to find a way to make these happen more often than 1-2 times a year.
23. Learned all about my Human Design during a session with my coach, and it continues to blow my mind. I’m a Generator, if you’re curious, which means that my strategy is to trust myself and wait to respond. I’m a Role Model/Hermit (6/2) profile as well.
24. Had two guest editors for #jesspicks: Kandice Cole and Taylor Elyse Morrison. 
25. Fostered a pup over the July 4th holiday weekend, named Waffles. It was a wonderful experience, and it was uber hard to let her go. I mean, look at this face. I’m so grateful that I could give her a good home for a few days while she recovered from surgery.
26. Signed up to walk 30 miles in July to raise money for St. Jude’s. I was able to crush my goal and raise $435.
27. Taught as part of the One Summer Chicago program helping high school juniors and seniors become leaders in their communities.
28. #jesspicks turned five! 
29. Tried a shot of Mallort for the first time. If you are a Chicagoan, you understand. If not, you probably have your version of a local spirit that tastes horrible. Chased it with a tequila shot. #winning
30. Took a “learning to bike” class for adults. It’s never too late to do something you’ve always wanted to do.
31. Created a list of values. The big ones for me are fun, freedom, and flexibility.
32. Participated in Lizzy’s Christmas Party. Got over 700 signups for my Tips for Starting a Curated Newsletter course. Got over 300 new subscribers! 
33. Started going back to BeMoved dance class every week. Still tough at times after the ankle injury, but so good for my soul.
34. Decorated my first Gingerbread house ever. 
35. Put together a LEGO flower bouquet and ordered another project from their Botanical Gardens collection.
36. Discovered The Good Patch and have been a loyal purchaser ever since. Love their patches for keeping calm and recovering after a night out. 
37. Made a personalized candle at one of our Chicago candle bars. My scents? Chai Tea, Vanilla, and Lavender. Deliciousness.
38. Tried and failed with a few different meditation-type things. I realized that being mindful and present works better for me, like the feelings I get when working on a puzzle or going to dance class. Breathwork is also huge. The 4-7-8 breathing technique works wonders.
39. Continued bullet journaling. My version anyways. What I find helpful are the daily task list and the symbols. In addition, I use Google Calendar for appointments and the yourweek.app to help keep an eye on bigger picture things.
40. Made over $1,400 in advertising and sponsorship for #jesspicks. This still blows my mind. Sponsorships and donations are the primary way I make money from my newsletter.
41. Read 32 books. Goal was 28. A few standouts are Who is Maud Dixon?, Under the Whispering Door, and Take Back Your Life: A Caregiver’s Guide to Finding Freedom in the Midst of Overwhelm.
42. Wrote an open letter to caregivers. If you are also a caregiver, my heart and hugs go out to you.
43. Set a daily reminder to ask myself, “What’s the most important thing for me to do today?”
44. Interviewed by the fabulous Sarah Guerrero. Turned into a great article about side hustles.
45. Signed up for Clo Bare’s Lazy Investor training. Excited to learn about investments as another income stream for 2022.
46. Gave my Resources page an update after going through the updated Lazy Guide to Affiliate Marketing course. Anything I should add?
47. Established a new primary care provider who I love. She has set me up with a few other doctors as well. As you get older, you start to need a care TEAM.
48. Survived season two of the pandemic.

What’s something you did, experienced, or appreciated in 2021?