Episode 43 - 2021 Year in Review with Céline Williams
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
I’ve seen all these memes going around about how 2021 didn’t turn out the way people had hoped, so let’s hope 2022 is better. Or rather the funny, more entertaining, equivalent of that sentiment.
And yet, I look back at my life and I can say with confidence that none of the years that I’ve lived as an adult turn out the way I’d hoped. Some were much better, some were much worse, and for the most part, they were just different than I had planned, hoped, or expected.
I feel the same way about 2021. I mean, things on a global scale were a mix of relief in some circumstances and horror in others. And honestly, I feel similarly the closer to home we get on that scale as well. At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember, at least in my opinion, is that there is always a balance between good and bad and that being able to celebrate the good while acknowledging the bad and learning from it, is really the key.
Normally, I do a year in review and planning for the next year in December for myself, my business, and with my clients. A few years ago I invited a small group of people to participate in a session virtually and also ran one in person. The thing that people consistently take away from the sessions is that there is always more to celebrate and acknowledge than they initially thought, that intentionally sitting down and looking for lessons (while challenging) always changes their relationship with the things they had categorized as mistakes, failures, or things that were wrong, and that setting intentions for the upcoming year and creating a structure for checking in around those things is a game-changer in terms of how they step into the next year.
Note to self: set aside time to do this review in December and invite a few people to join the session as well.
So with all of this in mind, I put together a 2021 year in review episode.
It was great to reflect on everything that we did and put together some of my key takeaways from the year. And obviously, celebrate some things as well. Because not only did we release 20 episodes of the podcast in 2021, we were also named one of the top 20 leadership podcasts in Canada. Given this podcast is a labour of love for me, it’s truly an honour to be recognized in any way–especially when it comes out of the blue and I didn’t even know I was being considered.
In this episode, I talk about what I’m thinking for next year, as well as some of my key takeaways/celebrations/observations from this year:
1. Self-awareness really matters.
2. There isn’t one right answer.
3. The only constant is change.
4. Communication is everything.
5. There is not enough emphasis on compassion.
6. 2021 was a year of growth and reflection for me, personally.
7. Leading Through Crisis is now an award-winning podcast!
8. We’ve got to celebrate the wins AND recognize the challenges/losses.
9. The most rewarding things take the most courage and vulnerability.
10. I want to know what YOU want to hear about now, more than ever.
Obviously, there’s a lot more in the episode about each of those points so I hope you’ll check it out and let me know your thoughts!
I’d love to know what you want more or less of, what really resonated with you, and how you’re going to honour 2021 and prepare for 2022.
Send me an email, a quick DM or head to the contact page on this site, to get in touch.
We’re going to be taking a bit of a break as we prepare for the next season of the podcast, so we look forward to connecting with you next year. And, wish all of you the best this holiday season–wherever you are and whatever you celebrate.