2019 was personally the hardest year I had experienced and as I approached December, I felt anxious about not having much to show for myself since the life I hoped for vanished overnight after one rough week in March. I had an epiphany when I realized that instead of fixating on all of the things that didn’t pan out, I could try to form a list of 30 achievements, however big or small, and wrote this post. I was deeply moved by the positive response I received and to see my peers share their list of proud moments when they turned 30.

Well, 2020 was a pretty great year for me against the backdrop of a really awful time for the world. It created an strange sentiment where I felt equal parts proud and grateful but also frustrated that the current circumstance is preventing me from running at full speed. Once again, I felt grief because I lost the vision I had for this year as we all took a long pause from normal life.

Putting this list together has become a therapeutic exercise for me especially when feeling stuck at home with so much uncertainty of the future.

“You’re going to look back on your life and realize that seemingly fragmented moments of your life came together in ways you couldn’t see at the time. And through it all, you were fine. Not perfect, but fine.”

-MHN

1. Organized a fun Galentine’s Night Out with a great group of new and old friends

2. Hosted another successful Sip & Shop at Scanlan Theodore with new attendees

3. Became a first-time homeowner in Manhattan!!! (an epic closing during citywide protests and a global pandemic)

4. Pretty decent first attempt at wallpapering my walls (requires far more time and focus than I anticipated)

5. Featured by Apartment Therapy on International Women’s Day for the purchase above here

6. Resigned after a five year run at my previous firm to take on a new role at a new firm….entirely remotely.

7. Successfully negotiated my salary with a new employer for the first time ever in my career (long overdue!)

8. Struggled with and slowly overcame imposter syndrome in the early days of my new role. It took about 6 months and many conversations with mentors and friends

9. Leveraged my personal network to create a fundraising campaign called “Nespresso for Nurses.” The goal was to buy one Nespresso and I ended up getting three along with hundreds of coffee pods for three well-deserving hospitals in Long Island during the height of the pandemic

10. Hosted a virtual session for Northeastern University alumni on how to thrive at work while working remotely

11. Continued to prioritize my mental and physical health through personal training, therapy, meditation, and acupuncture

12. Completed Yale’s most popular course on the Science of Well-Being offered by Coursera which strongly shaped my outlook on life and happiness this year. Highly recommend!

13. Learned how to make pasta from scratch through a Zoom fundraiser

14. Stayed in touch with colleagues-turned-friends from both of my prior firms

15. Visited two new cities (Santa Barbara and Santa Rosa) and went to two national parks (Joshua Tree and Redwoods). Finally made peace with California thanks to new memories with great friends

16. Mentored current co-op students and former NU alumni interested in finance careers

17. Worked hard to diffuse most of the anger and negative emotions I felt for my past… the goal is to feel indifferent one day!

18. Had the unique opportunity to WFH for 6 months alongside my mom. We strengthened our bond while getting to see each other from a new perspective

19. Expanded the AHD community and continued to run the blog

20. Got back into reading for fun again after a long hiatus (I love to read but had trouble staying focused and couldn’t finish a book last year)

21. Binged many, many TV shows without any shame or guilt, thanks to quarantine!

22. Began a daily gratitude practice with a friend to end each day on a positive note

23. Supported my friends and family through tough times

24. Donated my time and money to causes I strongly believe in

25. Learned to be more open-minded, courageous, and present while dating

26. Developed new skills at work while looking to add value and fresh perspective whenever possible

27. Lead of a steering committee within my firm’s women’s network focused on developing and retaining female talent

28. Cooked the vast majority of my meals this year which is not only healthy and relaxing but also great for my bank account

29. Purged digital clutter of old memories, texts, and junk that no longer serves me (trust me, clearing out digital stuff is just as satisfying as it is to get rid of physical items)

30. Learning to find new ways to celebrate special moments since normal traditions are on hold for now (so many Zoom parties!!!)

31. Finally feeling whole on my own and enjoying how life has unfolded…. for the most part!