Here’s what I wrote, exactly one year ago: never, ever give up.

I’d forgotten writing it, and re-reading it made me laugh. Because that’s 2018 in a nutshell: the year of not giving up.

Events of 2018 changed the course of my personal life in ways I’ll never get over. But it pushed me to forge ahead and test the waters of starting a small side business, which I wouldn’t otherwise have done. Was it crazy to try launching (and continually refining) Larksome Goods while also leading quantum-leap change at Kindred Place and also parenting two teenagers? Yep; totally nuts. It was a 12-month, marathon test of pride, resilience and fortitude.

What is 2019 going to bring? A new “From the Executive Director” feature on the Kindred Place blog, for one. It’s two years in the making and something I’ve been looking forward to writing. We’ll talk about organizational change, community impact, and problem solving. (And by “we” I mean the terrific PR team at inferno.)

The planner I’ll be using in 2019? Ink+Volt. It’s the flavor of the month (you know I’m fickle when it comes to planners). At the moment, it’s the best combination I’ve found of a bullet journal format and traditional date book. Plus, it’s pretty. Plus, it’s a company owned by a woman chasing her dream, after launching her product through a Kickstarter campaign.

Over the past week I’ve been combing through the past year’s notes, looking at what worked and what didn’t, using that to frame goals for 2019 – something I do every year, believe it or not, though some years with more enthusiasm than others.

I’d like to start this new year grounded, if not settled. Close out the old; welcome the new. My plan is to spend most of the last day of the year reading, because the forecast calls for rain, and a rainy day in bed with a book (The Overstory) sounds divine, doesn’t it? A day of rest and restoration, to conclude a year of unrelenting busyness.

One of the best gifts from 2018?

In the heat of some tough transitions in my work, one of my board members shared a technique he uses in the company he founded years ago. It’s a six-word mantra, painted on the wall of a conference room:

When they make a decision – any decision, but particularly big ones that affect the entire business operation – they close the discussion by saying: up until now… [we did things this way], and from now on… [we’ll do things THIS way instead].

It’s the language of change, and it’s as good a new year’s theme as any I could think of.

May 2019 bring joy, even in its growth opportunities.