So many things to be grateful for!

2020 has been a different year for sure, but it has given me so many gifts, learnings, and opportunities. I’m going to share with you the 20 things I’m most grateful for this year :) Here’s the first ten:

 1. I stepped up and asked for more help. I knew that I wanted to start a second business and that it takes time, effort, and work to do so. I was also hiring a business coach and needed a regular day to meet with her later in the day (Daphne Wells she’s in New Zealand).

I have a business partner in Australia for our summit business and we meet in the evenings as well. All that to say that getting all of my work done before the school bus came was challenging!

I was working from dance lessons, the climbing gym, the dojo as I ran my son around to all of his activities, then rushing home to throw together dinner. I asked my husband if he could do after school activities one day per week, and he said he would do two!

I had two days every week totally alone from 7am to 7pm, it was amazing (covid killed this entire plan but more on that later).

The family dynamics we had in place were leftover from when my son was small, and my husband was just getting started in his business. We often just keep doing things out of habit, or thinking this is just the way that it is. I don’t have to do everything as a mom and wife, no matter what society says, and I think it’s past time to look at these things and make changes where we want them!

  2. We sold a house! After moving in 2016 the house that we left was in a lease-purchase agreement for three years, and our renters decided in 2019 not to buy. Not only that they left the house pretty trashed.

I spent two entire days cleaning with my daughter, paid to have trash hauled off, hired a handyman for repairs, paint, and replacing a broken window, we graveled the driveway, and I cleaned up the yard including a water feature I had lovingly installed to enhance the Feng Shui of the house.

Picture me up past my elbows in dirty pond water removing the muck, when a bloated dead mouse floats right by my face… I was out of that pond so fast! I removed every bit of water scrubbed the whole thing down and refilled it with fresh clean water. My efforts paid off and we closed in September 2020 with a full price offer.

The woman who purchased the house had wanted it in 2016, but her husband didn’t like it, she was now divorced from him and very happy to buy “her” house. We are very relieved to own only one house, and we were able to pay off some bills and taxes. 

 3. I owed A LOT of taxes! This was no fun, but it did push me to incorporate my business and hire my accountant to do my monthly bookkeeping and advise me. My business is now officially Elevate with Gael Inc! Now I’m an employee of my company paying regular payroll taxes as opposed to self employment taxes.

I don’t like doing stuff like this, I just want to create, write my emails and have fun, but I’m glad it’s done, and I feel like a proper grown-up.

4.The reset. I’m not grateful for COVID, I hate that it has affected many families and businesses, but I am grateful for the reset that it gave me in some areas of my life. We are so much less busy and I love that.

It felt like a huge exhale to suddenly be less scheduled. We realized many of the activities that our son was in he didn’t really care about. I gave up my office space with mixed feelings, but it was for the best. I pivoted from starting a local Feng Shui business, to Elevate with Gael which feels so much more aligned!

It was not easy, I suddenly had no office, no house cleaner, no school for my son, or after-school activities. It was a blessing though to look at and see what was and wasn’t working in our lives. All the help and freedom I had asked for and received in #1 just disappeared, but….

5.I am so grateful for this time with my son! Last night was the first time that he turned down watching a movie with me to play Minecraft and hang out with his friends! I’m glad he has friends and my mama heart is sad that things are changing.

We decided to homeschool this year, something I’ve always wanted to try, and I worry constantly if I’m doing it “right” or doing a good job, but I know that I’m doing my best, and I’ll never regret having this time with my son. My hope is that I can instill in him a love of learning, if that's all we accomplish this year is a win in my book!

6. I’m so very grateful for YOU! For everyone who reads what I write, watches my videos, and purchases marketing content, programs, or courses from me, I hope that it helps you to take action, think of something in a new way, or gives you new ideas you can implement. I wish you so much success and happiness! Thank you for being here. 

7. My husband, for many many reasons. He always supports my crazy ideas, he works very hard to make sure we have everything we need, he always wants to spend time with our kids, and he’s generous and always thinking of other people. Yes, he drives me a bit crazy, but I’m sure the feeling is mutual. :)

8. I’m grateful that my grown-and-gone daughter is thriving! Growing up is not easy, being 23 in the middle of a pandemic isn’t easy, but she’s finding her way and getting the hang of this adulting thing. I love seeing her confidence grow and the values she was raised with shining through. She is such a blessing!

9. I’m grateful for my friends, my two local friends who I’ve known since I was 12 (and we all became massage therapists, what are the chances), we may not see each other much right now but friends you can call on for any reason at any time are invaluable. And new friends too!

I don’t make friends easily, I’m shy, I’m driven and work a lot, and there is no place in my life for any pettiness or drama. This year I’ve connected with two moms of my son's friends and we can really talk, have fun and it feels really good because I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me...

Finally, my business bestie in the UK, thanks to the internet I have a friend who really gets what I’m going through building my online businesses and we cheer each other on and help each other manage the meltdowns! 

 10. I’m grateful for Katy (the amazing VA and customer support angel here), and Sarah (the amazing copywriter and editor). I couldn’t run my businesses alone, and I’m thankful for these ladies that put up with my last-minute ideas, make my stuff look beautiful and professional, and keep my customers happy so I can do what I love.