This is a longer blog post than usual. I wanted to keep it to my normal 240 word posts but since it’s my 2019 review, I had a lot more to say…

2019 was challenging from a family perspective. Our parents from both sides suffered from serious health issues which meant there was a lot of travel since our parents live in other countries. Fortunately, we have been able to spend time with them, appreciating the small everyday moments.

We had some back and forth with my son Lucas’s kindergarten which meant we had to make some major decisions resulting in bringing him back to daycare. It was the right thing to do giving us a bit of space and finding ways to best support him. He’s a cheeky little guy with an obsession for dinosaurs so we now have an annual pass for the dinosaur museum. If you ever want to meet me on a Sunday, I’m usually there 😉

Let’s talk about work…

With work, I was so happy to offer my first online course Go go go for your goals in the summer following it up with a Stretch Yourself online mastermind group. It was a classic case of “You get what you put in”. I was so proud of all the participants, they put in so much effort and I could see the growth they made. Some decided to change their life completely and go travelling around the world, others to set up their own business, some to write their book, some changing career and more.

Still after every client session, I feel truly grateful and blessed that I am able to help people at a deeper level with the Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) work and strategy sessions. It’s hard to put this feeling into words, so the closest would be gratitude. Yes, sometimes there are tears yet all feel lighter afterwards. Thanks to all my clients for their trust and support! 

I spoke at a few companies and organisations this year with my “Step out of your comfort zone” and “The Power of Networking” talks and it made me realise that this is something I want to do more of in 2020 so I set the intention and look forward to doing this. 

The consistency muscle with blogging was exercised this year and I am proud to say I have produced 290 blog posts and videos since my blogging challenge which started back in September 2018. I find it a great way to express myself and to stay in touch with people. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a wonderful virtual assistant who has helped keep me on track with publishing my blogs.

This year, Astuti Martosurdirdjo and I offered lunchtime workshops on different topics giving people an opportunity to experience RTT work. It was eye-opening as people saw what was causing them to hold themselves back. Plus it was great fun for us too.

I was reflecting on what could have gone better. I dabbled with Facebook Ads and can’t say I got very far with them. I learnt that launching new products involves a lot of trial and error and fortunately is a skill that can be learnt so one step at at time. 

Photo: With my mastermind buddies in Bern (top left to right: Selen Graf, me, Jenne Ragazzo, Isa Hiemann, Rossella Pfundt, bottom left to right, Nuba (Selen’s gorgeous dog) and Katharina Lettich)

And developing personally…

As I have done for years, I invested in myself, with business mastermind groups Sigrun and Esther de Charon. It’s so important for me to continue developing. Having accountability buddies and mastermind groups are like having oxygen and it’s something I recommend.

I had weekly calls with my accountability coach buddies Edson Williams and Mike Flam to keep us on track with what we discussed at our annual retreat. I just recorded a video with Edson on the Circle of Influence – will follow shortly. 

Getting together in person with my mastermind buddies in different parts of Germany and Switzerland was a big highlight. We got to know each other better and speak regularly every week supporting each other through business hurdles.

My husband and I had two family retreats this year, this is where we discussed what was important for the both of us and what we wanted to work on and some cool things like my husband’s home gym came out of it. It’s amazing to see what you can do in 3 months when you put your mind to it.

Photo: Sitting by the river with my accountability buddies Edson Williams (left) and Mike Flam (right) during our retreat

Looking after myself…

Spending time with friends is super important. I have regular catch ups with girlfriends and friends. They are there through thick and thin and we have fun talking about our families, the latest courses we have been on and just generally how life is treating us all. Good to get away and have a laugh once in a while. Having small kids often means meeting up with other people with small kids. At times, I have thought we’re alone with all the challenges that come with having a family but after talking to other parents, we know we’re not. It’s been both reassuring and relieving at the same time.

I’ve been a long time Toastmasters and this year, I was happy to hand over to a new committee. I was Vice President of Education from July 2018 to June 2019 so it’s nice to be a normal member again and I can concentrate on doing more speeches. People often ask why I still go since I speak professionally – I tell them it’s my gym.

Back in university, I did a martial art and for years now, I’ve been thinking of taking something up. This year, I found what I have been looking for. I started Wing Chun Kung Fu right at the end of the year. It’s early days yet I know it’s right for me. I’ve found an amazing teacher that I respect and I’m looking forward to growing there.

In August, my husband and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary! Incredible how quickly 10 years goes by. When we got married, we honeymooned in Langkawi, Malaysia and jokingly said we would go back there for our 10 year anniversary. That didn’t happen, we had a rather low key little celebration but nonetheless, we acknowledged it and we will save a Langkawi trip for another year.

Towards the end of the year, I noticed I didn’t have as much energy as before so I started listening to my body and slowed down a bit. We had a lot going on especially around our parents’ health so I was kind to myself and didn’t push push push like I usually tend to. It was a good call because I feel like I have more energy now and am ready for 2020.

I’m generally an optimist and looking back, although it has been a challenging year in terms of family, there’s been a lot of growth and self-care baked into this year.

Photo: Having a peaceful moment at the Emma Kunz Cave

So what’s in store for 2020?

I’m often telling my clients to focus so it’s only right that I take a bit of my own advice. I know that when I have too many things going on, I’m not able to give them my full attention.

SPEAKING – As I mentioned before, speaking is something I will do more of in 2020. If you know of speaking opportunities, please let me know.

CLIENTS – Serving my clients is a privilege and an honour and it’s something I love doing. When I first started working with RTT, I was helping entrepreneurs overcome procrastination and as time has passed, I realise it’s become more than that, I find myself helping women that know there’s got to be more to life to discover and live their vision. If this is the year you are ready to work on a theme in your life, please contact me for a complimentary discovery call.

FAMILY – We realized that health is so important so we’re looking into a lot of areas to make sure we are in the best of form. We’re looking at eating, sleeping, exercise and ways to make life easier for everyone.

If you have read this far, thanks for joining me. I would love to hear what sparked your interest in this 2019 review. Please drop me a line and tell me. It’s getting comments from readers that make this journey all the more worthwhile.

How was your 2019 and what exciting adventures are you preparing for in 2020?

I wish you a happy and successful, however you define success, new year. Let’s enjoy and celebrate the new decade!