Image by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash
I always feel energised this time of year. I reflect on the year that has been, draw pride from what I have achieved, and dream of the year to come.
What do I take away from the past year and how has it changed me? Maybe my journey of learning to swim front crawl will inspire you to reflect on what you take away from the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What am I most proud of last year?
Surprisingly, what I am most proud of is not what I was expecting. Despite the periods of lockdown, I completed two swimming courses. At the age of 37 I have learnt a new skill. I can now swim front crawl.
I have always loved swimming and being in water generally. I just never got around to learning the most efficient way to swim. Now I can comfortably swim 200 metres in front crawl non-stop, thanks to underwater turns.
As I usually push myself too hard – not just in swimming – I tend to be out of breath after about 50 metres and need a quick break. To swim further in front crawl demands that I pace myself.
How does learning to swim crawl translate to the rest of my life?
I must relax into the swimming, not race to the other side of the pool. I cannot swim four times the distance at speed. This is a lesson I have started applying to my life. I will always be an enthusiastic and energetic person. But I don’t have to always been in a rush.
This has been a steep learning curve for me. I have a natural tendency to get fired up and go with it. That will only get you so far. I also need to stop and admire the view. Not just when I get ill or have an accident.
2021 was about learning new skills: Podcasting & photography
I have talked about swimming but that is not the whole story. In September I started a podcast, which wasn’t even in my plans. “Women that inspire” presents the personal stories of women pursuing their professional dreams and passions. You can find out more about the podcast here.
Here I must stop to say a big “thank you” to the amazing Kristi Winters who is a video and audio genius and inspired me to go for it. I proofread her book on making educational videos and this spurred an interest in me to upskill.
Curious? Here is her book: Lights! Camera! Action! Teach! A Handbook for Making Educational Videos? She has an impressive YouTube following and describes herself as: “Progressive. Feminist. Humanist. Social scientist. Nerd.”
If you don’t yet know this about me, I am a keen photographer. I have learnt to improve the quality of my pictures using editing software. And to create art through the medium of photography.
I like to capture plants and landscapes when I am out and about in nature. I also photograph animals, people, faces, buildings, angles, and abstract scenes. You can discover my style on Flickr.
Alongside these more personal projects, I also used the year to brush up my professional skills. Because life is work and play.
2021 was also about upskilling & pacing myself
Learning front crawl taught me to pace myself. I am still learning. To achieve a goal, I need to turn up, I need to breathe, to plan, to stay focused, and to give myself rest. I have benefited from working with mindfulness coach Sam Pope all online.
Speaker Dave Crenshaw from LinkedIn Learning offers many good courses on time management. I have adopted SCRUM to organise my business priorities in two-week sprints. An inspiring friend and business owner at camping-app.eu showed me that and it has changed my life.
Editing, copywriting, promoting, and translating were my most demanded skills in 2021. Hence, these are areas that I have been upskilling in. I recommend having a look at all the courses offered by The Publishing Training Centre.
It turns out that mentoring is a people’s skill that I have revived over the past year. I gained a talented colleague last year whom it has been a pleasure to work with. I find it very rewarding indeed to bring in the right people and then watch them grow and shine.
Reflecting on the road ahead
I have a lot to be grateful for. The continuation of the pandemic has been for me a doorway to deeper learning. As a good stoic, I accept what life throws at me and I want to keep learning.
The last year has shown me that I can learn new things, I can change, I can do more than adapt. Curious, ambitious, and energetic, I have long struggled with many interests, pursuits, and pulls. I tend to go all in. And yet I have been slowing down, gaining more focus in my business and my life.
Adaptation is crucial and it is something I have always praised myself for being good at. I have thrived with home office, in so many ways and on so many levels, that I cannot describe it here.
Only now, I realise that the next level, is to make my own, conscious change. Not just adapt to the changes around me. I have started. I can choose where to focus my time and energy. A crucial part of that is learning what to stop doing.
What have you learnt about yourself over the last year?
You can contact me here.
