I’m walking into 2022 like….tired.  Really, really tired.

Judging from the amount of reshares the above  meme garnered, there are a heck of a lot of us who could really use a great nap. One friend recommended our small business community “rent a gigantic AirBnB with a million beds, where all of us can go sleep for 100 days.” 

It turns out living through an ongoing pandemic will take its toll on every human – entrepreneurs included. Over the last however many months it’s been, we all learned how to do more with less. Less hours in the day (hello, homeschool), fewer clients, restricted resources – everyone did what was necessary to keep their businesses functioning, often with unimaginable financial, mental, and emotional costs. 

Even with the unexpected roadblocks, businesses that were struck down by happenstance have come roaring back full force. Our city’s famous markets, once delayed, are multiplying. The calendar shows networking events every day of the week. New venues and restaurants are opening and injecting even more life into our city. I see it in our offices and at community events – everyone is grateful for their growing businesses, but the number of balls they are juggling grows every day. 

As entrepreneurs (hopefully) take a much-needed break over the upcoming holidays, I’m hoping they use it take inventory of what areas need attention to keep the joy and magic of business ownership alive. I personally will be focusing on healing from the rollercoaster of 2020 AND 2021. I plan to thank my body, my family, and my community for helping my businesses keep on kicking through unprecedented times. I’m working to shift my mindset from surviving to thriving. It’s been dificult, but the challenges of this period have taught us resilience, and served to strengthen unrecognized weaknesses. Most of all, it’s shown us the gift that comes from following passion, purpose and perseverance. 

Happy Holidays to all of you – here’s hoping we all get a MUCH less eventful 2022 – and a really good nap.