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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…
- My newsletter was featured in Creative Mornings Most Anticipated Newsletters.
- Named as one of the winners of the Influential Women in Business awards 2021.
- 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.
- Celebrated turning 40 and 10 years of Tech Biz Gurl.
- 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.
- 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.
- Featured in Claudia Dawson’s What’s In My Bag. Hint: one of the things is Recess CBD Water.
- 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.
- Ran two #IamRemarkable workshops.
- 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.
- Set up #jesspicks on Introsend, which allows you to be matched with another member via email. Wanna join? Click here.
- Passed the 1,000 subscriber mark with #jesspicks, an awesome accomplishment for a newsletter creator. Cue confetti!
- Did a Side Hustle Generation talk with the National Urban League. Grab it here.
- 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.
- Applied to a poetry fellowship. Didn’t get in but got a chance to submit a mix of new and old poems.
- Experimented with a few different Voxer coaching offerings. Excited to see how this one goes in 2022.
- Did a few puzzles like this one.
- Took a 3 week break from #jesspicks in June because I felt burnt out.
- Saw a Van Gogh immersive art exhibit (it was aaaaa-mazing).
- Tried a yoga class (and fell over during a warrior pose transition, in true Jess fashion. In other words, I crushed it!)
- 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.
- Got a deep tissue massage. GLORIOUS. I need to find a way to make these happen more often than 1-2 times a year.
- 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.
- Had two guest editors for #jesspicks: Kandice Cole and Taylor Elyse Morrison.
- 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.
- 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.
- Taught as part of the One Summer Chicago program helping high school juniors and seniors become leaders in their communities.
- #jesspicks turned five!
- 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
- Took a “learning to bike” class for adults. It’s never too late to do something you’ve always wanted to do.
- Created a list of values. The big ones for me are fun, freedom, and flexibility.
- Participated in Lizzy’s Christmas Party. Got over 700 signups for my Tips for Starting a Curated Newsletter course. Got over 300 new subscribers!
- Started going back to BeMoved dance class every week. Still tough at times after the ankle injury, but so good for my soul.
- Decorated my first Gingerbread house ever.
- Put together a LEGO flower bouquet and ordered another project from their Botanical Gardens collection.
- Discovered The Good Patch and have been a loyal purchaser ever since. Love their patches for keeping calm and recovering after a night out.
- Made a personalized candle at one of our Chicago candle bars. My scents? Chai Tea, Vanilla, and Lavender. Deliciousness.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wrote an open letter to caregivers. If you are also a caregiver, my heart and hugs go out to you.
- Set a daily reminder to ask myself, “What’s the most important thing for me to do today?”
- Interviewed by the fabulous Sarah Guerrero. Turned into a great article about side hustles.
- Signed up for Clo Bare’s Lazy Investor training. Excited to learn about investments as another income stream for 2022.
- Gave my Resources page an update after going through the updated Lazy Guide to Affiliate Marketing course. Anything I should add?
- 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.
- Survived season two of the pandemic.