My 2020 Top 5
I've spent a ton of time over the last few weeks reflecting on 2020. This has been a year like no other, and it's easy to feel discouraged by the seemingly endless challenges that it has presented. I understand that everyone has been impacted differently by 2020, and I definitely don't mean to make light of that, but I like to believe that a lot of good has come out of this year as well. In the spirit of positivity and optimism, I spent some time thinking about some of my favorite things from this year. Continue reading to see my "Top 5" New Destinations, Books, Hikes, Monthly Challenges, Career Milestones, and Lessons Learned!
Top 5 New Destinations
Traveling has always been a huge passion of mine, and I was blessed to be able to see some new parts of our beautiful country this year. Here are my Top 5 favorite places I was able to visit in 2020 (most of them by car)
1. Glacier National Park
2. Lake Tahoe
3. Olympic Peninsula
4. Grand Tetons
5. Nashville
Top 5 Books
One of my goals for this year was to read a new book every week. After reading 52 books in 12 months, narrowing it down to my Top 5 was extremely tough, but here are the winners
1. The Ride of a Lifetime - Bob Iger
2. Thirst - Scott Harrison
3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
4. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer
5. How I Built This - Guy Raz
Top 5 Hikes
With gyms being closed most of the year, I did a lot of outdoor activities in 2020. I ran over 400 miles, started biking regularly, and went on 23 hikes. I finally invested in some good hiking boots and hit the trails as much as possible. Here are my Top 5 hikes from 2020
1. Hidden Lake (Glacier National Park)
2. Jenny Lake Loop (Grand Tetons)
3. Tolmie Peak (Mount Rainier)
4. Colchuck Lake (Cascades)
5. Mount Storm King (Olympic Peninsula)
Top 5 Monthly Challenges
For the 2nd year in a row, I completed a monthly challenge every single month in 2020. I find these challenges to be a fun way to try something new, form good habits, and test my discipline. They also help define each month in my memory instead of having all the months blend together. Here are my Top 5 monthly challenges from this year
1. Yoga Every Day
2. 10,000 Steps Every Day
3. Gallon of water every day
4. Random Act of Kindness Every Day
5. Write in my Gratitude Journal Every Day
Top 5 Career Milestones
Running a business during an economically uncertain time like 2020 has had some major ups and downs. There have been extremely challenging and painful moments this year, but we have been very fortunate to be able to continue growing Theory. I am grateful every single day to be able to work in a career that I love with some of the best people on the planet. Here are my Top 5 Career Milestones from 2020
1. Reached 50 incredible people on the Theory Team across 8 Theory Companies
2. Sold over 200 homes for the first year since starting the company in 2016
3. Created PNW Strong Campaign that featured and supported nearly 100 local businesses
4. Started offering health insurance
5. Launched Beaker Collaborative, a new coworking community in Tacoma
We have even bigger things in store for 2021!
Top 5 Lessons Learned
Last but not least, I want to share some of the lessons I've learned this year. I'm fairly certain that I've learned more in 2020 than any other year that I've been alive. We live in a crazy complex world, and everyone is doing their best to survive and find happiness. I believe that constantly learning, growing, and getting better every day is one of the best ways to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. Without further ado, here are my Top 5 Lessons Learned in 2020
1. Things often don’t go according to plan - We must constantly adapt and think outside the box to come up with creative solutions for tough problems
2. Listen way more than you speak - we have two ears and one mouth for a reason
3. Just because you grew up believing something, that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind
4. Stand up for what’s right, no matter what
5. Don’t take yourself too seriously
