We thought 2020 was a challenging year, 2021 was quite a year!
We have almost made it to the end of what is sure to go down in history as one of my most challenging years.
For me personally and professionally, 2021 brought so many highs, lows, and challenges. It was tough to stay positive at times. Many times it was tough to keep going. But here I am! Resilience, tenacity, persistence and grit has kept me standing.
This year I have forced myself to look back, reflect and find the lessons behind every experience. 2021 was full of these lessons to learn from for sure! In this blog, I’m going to share a few of the lessons I learned this year and I believe will prepare me for a stronger 2022.
1) My Business was Shut Down. One of the biggest challenges I faced this year was receiving a cease and desist notice for The Strong Fit Life. It was a Friday afternoon, I had just picked up my daughter from school and was happy for the weekend. Then BOOM!!! My blood, sweat, tears, and hard work were swept from under me! My family and I felt this both emotionally and financially.
2) My dad was diagnosed with cancer and my aunt passed away unexpectedly. Although my dad’s health isn’t in the best shape, finding out he had lung cancer put my family and I in a panic and shock! We didn’t know how his body would react to the treatments or how much help my mom would need taking care of him. Living far away from my family added to my guilt of not being able to physically be there for my father while he was going through his treatments. Thank God he responded well to chemo and radiation and is now on Immunotherapy for a year.
While my dad was going through treatment we got news that my fun, loving, free spirited aunt (my dad’s sister) in Argentina passed away in such a short period of time. Again, I couldn’t be there, in person, for my dad (he is tough yet, a softy). Thank goodness for FaceTime I was able to call him and we mourned together!
3) I had to stop nursing abruptly. I never knew how long I would nurse my kids (my mom never nursed us, my sister nursed for a couple of months). I said I would give it a try and see how it goes. I nursed Gabi until she was 20 months, so I planned to do the same with Niko. At 18 months I got an infection and had to stop abruptly (cold turkey). Man was that rough and one of the most painful experiences that lasted about a month!
So what did I learn from these challenges?
1) Trust and support from my members. I’m so grateful for my Unleash the Beast Tribe! I launched my digital membership in April 2020 to give people opportunity to workout from home and stay strong physically and mentally. Which has now turned into my mission. I am on a mission to help busy professionals and entrepreneurs feel unstoppable and get in the best shape of their lives. I had built my membership to about 25 members. We were going strong and then almost exactly 1 year later I got shut down. Even with my 4 month forced hiatus my OG’s have stuck with me through thick and thin. For them, I am forever grateful and honored that they have chosen me as their beast mode fitness trainer. We are building our membership back up, going strong and they are still seeing results!!
Lesson learned — I can’t do it alone and neither should you.
2) New Virtual Connections. It was hard for me to attend networking events because I have 2 little ones and no family nearby to help with the kids. Zoom has been my saving grace. I am part of The Brand Attraction Society, SOWBO, and Strength Faction, and have joined the MFBS team which have all helped get back on my feet. I’ve met many new people who truly want the best for me and my business.
Lesson learned — Find a community that believes in you, supports, and wants the best for you. It will keep you going!
3) A New Direction in my business. I launched an app in my Unleash the Beast Membership where I can personalize and customize the experience for each member. I started to implement new training programs that keep getting my members results while working out from home. I lead a 6 week running program and fun run for my local community.
Lesson learned — In order to stay consistent, you need to know your purpose, your true reason for wanting to reach your goal. Knowing your purpose will bring tenacity, grit and persistence to keep going.
4) My youngest turned 1 and started preschool. Running your own business and working from home is not easy. It’s even more difficult when you have two little ones. Niko turned 1 and I decided to put him in preschool part-time so I can have at least 2 days without distractions. He has done so well with not being able to nurse any more and loves preschool. At just one years old he is showing his ability to adapt and be resilient like his mama!
Lesson learned — Having “me time” is vital to your sanity and health! The kids will be ok, they are resilient!
5) Gabi’s first snow day! Although we are from Chicago, Gabi was born in Georgia and then we moved to Tennessee. Gabi never experienced sledding or having snowball fights until this year when Tennessee had an unprecedented snowfall. She had such a blast and asks everyday if it’s going to snow today and if she can play in the snow.
Lesson learned — There will always be work to do, take a break and have fun in the snow!
2021 has definitely brought us many reasons to feel discouraged and want to give up, but it’s also taught us resilience, perseverance, grit, flexibility, and the importance of health and family. Even in the midst of challenges and sadness, there are always lessons to be learned!
As we head into 2022 I wish you strength + health in 2022. Let's make it a great year!