So yeah – isn’t it interesting that our natural go-to state of mind is to be negative? I mean, look at the news. You occasionally have a good news story squished in there – but the majority is all doom and gloom.

And with Covid and all the fear mongering out there in the media, it can be hard to push through and see the positives in life.

It’s for that reason that I don’t tune into the news. I prefer to live in my own bubble – naive as it sounds – and focus on my own world. And focus on the things I can control – not the things happening in the wider community and world that I have no control over.

Because all that negativity doesn’t serve me.
It just makes me feel more helpless and frustrated.

Do you feel the same way?

I choose to be positive – 90% of the time. Yes, things get me down at times. But I don’t let it absorb me. I give myself a day or two to mope and then find ways to push myself out of that bad mood.

As mentioned in my intro, I asked my network how they would describe 2020 in a few words or a few sentences?

I’m actually impressed that the majority were fairly optimistic.

Yes, the words ‘illusion’, ‘different’, “most unusual year ever”, and “an absolute shit show” were thrown around. And it was referred to “The year the world was put on hold.” by Rosie Kovacs.

Jane Tweedy said “A combination of luck, attitude, industry, location and resilience could move you from challenges to opportunities and back again in a heartbeat.”

Remi Audette said the year has given her a lot of clarity around my business and career. She said “I now know what I want and what is important to me, decisions that I probably wouldn’t have reached if I wasn’t in lockdown.”

Zoe Simmons said “But after surviving the bushfires, COVID-19, and everything else this jerk of a year has thrown at us, I feel grateful: it has shown us—without a doubt—what‘s important, and what isn’t.”

Jon Belinfante said “Thank God for Broadband communications. If the pandemic had happened even 5 years ago; the majority of people would not have been able to work from home.”

Melissa Wiringi said “The best year of my life.”

Sue Hawkins said it was “Like navigating the side of a mountain like goats do. It seems like they have nowhere to step but somehow they get all the way to the top.”

Kate Kennedy said “Keeping an open mind to change and accepting what we cannot control. Finding a silver lining in everyday things and waking up each day thinking my glass has to be half full not half empty.”

I agree with Kate.

So how have I tackled 2020?

Let me paint you a picture of my aspirations for 2020 as of 2019:

• Launch podcast as main marketing tool
• Workshops with City of Parramatta
• Created a vision board
• Struggled with about 6 months of low sales – so did a 21 day abundance challenge. Felt really good about money and the potential to grow my business.
• Then Covid hit. But I had already done so much inner work – I wasn’t going to let it go to waste! Asked if I could turn the workshops into webinars. Never done webinars before – but they were on my to-do list. This forced me to make them happen. Gave me the opportunity to give back with ‘free’ webinars while also receiving some income. AND found it was a great way to build warm leads. Never had anything like that before because my lead magnet still hadn’t been uploaded to my website. I now had a good funnel happening!
• Turned my 6 week masterclass into a 6 week online course. An online course was also on my to-do list – but I figured I’d do it later in the year. Was really just procrastinating…because I pulled it all together quite well.
• Started a paid membership. Once again – something I’d always wanted to do but hadn’t found the right time.
• Tried a 5 day Website Boosters Bootcamp
• Left TCCS and joined Amplify. Surrounding myself with abundance and positive thinking. I’ve felt a massive mindset change in the past month as a result. It’s like I’m living in another world.
• Sickness forced me to slow down – but made me realise I was pushing myself too hard. Once I relaxed – all these new leads came in.

My Mood boosters

For me personally, I do the following:

• Positive affirmations
  Everything happens for a reason
  One door closes, another one opens
  It wasn’t meant to be
  This isn’t a fail, it’s a learning opportunity
  I will get through this
  Tomorrow is a new day
• Go for a walk or run
  Yoga
  Meditation
  Put on some happy energising tunes
  Watch a movie or TV show that makes me laugh
  Chocolate
  Ice cream
  Cuddles with my family
  Talk it out with my sister, Dad, or my copy buddy, Kate

JOIN THE DIGITAL VIPS MARKETING MEMBERSHIP – https://www.writetimemarketing.com.au/membership/

JOIN MY FREE FACEBOOK GROUP – https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalvisibilityzone

BOOK A FREE 30 MIN DISCOVERY CALL WITH LEANNE

https://calendly.com/leanneshelton/30min

RESPONSES

How would you describe 2020 in a few words or a few sentences?

Jane Tweedy
Challenging for so many and yet provider of abundant opportunities for others. A combination of luck, attitude, industry, location and resilience could move you from challenges to opportunities and back again in a heartbeat.

Hayley Lam
Time for change and mindset

Anna Ostafin
What came to my mind was an illusion..

Nel Sen
Different 

Rosie Kovacs
The year the world was put on hold. It forced people to re-prioritise what is important, at the same time people’s lives and livelihood were thrown upside down. We’ve had to reinvent how we do things, think outside the box, and the struggles of some b… See More

Zoe Simmons
An absolute shit show.
But after surviving the bushfires, COVID-19, and everything else this jerk of a year has thrown at us, I feel grateful: it has shown us—without a doubt—what‘s important, and what isn’t.

Jon Belinfante
Leanne
I have been thinking of this so much.
And of course how you think of Covid depends on how you have been affected by the virus yourself, your family and community.… See More

Maev Higgins
That we have all had to learn how to pivot this year and change how we work, socialise and go about our daily lives.

Kerrie Sheaves
Image may contain: 2 people, text that says ‘Aiden @Aiden_Nsl 2020 every second MEMES BUT WAIT, THERE’S RE’

Melissa A Wiringi
The best year of my life 

Larissa Wright
An opportunity for growth, development and the best chance to pivot and realign where I was going in a whole lot of areas… That’s not 1 word. Mindfulness.

Katy Trimmer Ewer
A second bite at the apple to be a stay at home mum. I loved having my kids at home, watching them learn, adapt, connect, laugh and approach life in a different way. I put my own losses aside and focussed on what I had gained, time with my family.

Leah Shelton
Most unusual year ever.

Dana Dyer
The year we re-prioritised…

Annabel Wood
So far this year our family has experienced illness, chronic pain, surgery, birth, death, marriage, home evacuations, job loss, and significant decrease in household income. Despite this, we have remained strong for each other, reflected on priorities … See More

Sue Hawkins Pickford
Like navigating the side of a mountain like goats do and it seems like they have nowhere to step but somehow they get all the way to the top.

Andrea Rowe
An inside out year where home became an isolated sanctuary where we beamed in the world, where we flipped from envying luxury commodities to scrambling for toilet paper, where supermarket and health care became our frontline defenders and the bruises… See More

Liz Green
I discovered my way of life as a copywriter had a name – self isolation 

Nerissa Bentley
If 2020 were a drink, it would be colonoscopy prep!

Alicia Fae
Like making sure to look both ways when crossing the street only to be hit by a crashing plane.

Kate Kennedy
Keeping an open mind to change and accepting what we cannot control.
Finding a silver lining in everyday things and waking up each day thinking my glass has to be half full not half empty. Strength & growth!
The sun will come up in the morning to show… See More

Scotty Brown
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
– Friedrich Nietzsche

Amanda Dickerson
Unprecedented. Socially distant. Isolated. (all the buzzwords!)

Seriously, though, it’s a year where the adaptable have succeeded and those who can’t have struggled and/or been left behind. A year in which we’ve understood the effects of isolation on mental health more than ever. A year that has shown the public what can happen when politicians actually do work together for the greater good and the politicians how much goodwill is generated when they actually do that. A year that has shown the fault lines that spread along state borders and what deepens those cracks.
See profile for Leanne Shelton
Status is online

Remi Audette

This year has given me a lot of clarity around my business and career. I now know what I want and what is important to me, decisions that I probably wouldn’t have reached if I wasn’t in lockdown.

Marieke O’Halloran

Absolutely epic!

Viola Tam

Amazing Pivot! Amazing Progress! Amazing Profit!

Kylie McCorquodale

Full of unusual opportunities! Life goes on…