Wow, the year has sprinted out the gate. The winter holidays already seem like a long time ago, especially when it’s so sunny and mild here in Marin County. Still, I keep thinking about some realizations I had while digging out from the massive storms in the Sierra Nevada in January. I was on a snowy vacation, and I didn’t turn on my computer for seven days straight. (I hope you enjoyed some version of that yourself. After another tough year, we all deserve to unplug and recharge in whatever way feels right to us.)

The truth is, I’m not always so intentional about disconnecting when I’m away on an adventure, whether by myself, with friends, or with my husband. I’m as guilty as the next person of convincing myself that if I step away from my work, some sort of crisis will ensue. How will my clients possibly manage without me? The world (or, at least, my small part of it) will fall apart if I don’t respond right away to emails and texts, right?

You might have seen my post about the last-minute cancellation of the infamous Markleeville Death Ride due to the Tamarack fire. You might also recall that Matt and I had trained for months for this grueling ride and to raise money for Trips for Kids Marin. We were disappointed by the cancellation, of course, but the whole experience left us feeling grateful for so many things—starting with the safe evacuation of all 2,500 riders, volunteers, and the entire town of Markleeville.

Not long ago, I was at a weekend retreat (the same weekend that I had an epiphany after falling off a high ropes course). Exploring the grounds when I first arrived, I happened upon a sign with 11 words carved into it: Are you paying attention to what you are paying attention to? I glanced at the sign and hurried on. A lounge chair at the mineral pool was calling my name.

When was the last time you challenged yourself to do something difficult? Something that made you question your skills, courage, or endurance? If it’s been a while since you tapped into the discomfort, adrenaline, or sweat of a new challenge, I highly recommend you set your sights on a big one as soon as you can!

I was only ten minutes into a Zoom call with a team of smart, motivated, innovative professionals when the finger-pointing, blaming, and criticizing began. Problems were presented. Obstacles were outlined. Faults were floated. The conversation got heated and combative.

It’s clear that remote work, or a combination of remote- and in-person work, is here to stay. This lasting impact of the pandemic will have positive implications for things like people’s mental, physical, and emotional health (hurray for trading in the commute for time to exercise or see friends!) and the environment (which needs all the TLC we can give it).