I really hate unloading the dishwasher. (Weirdly, loading it’s no problem). If I had to rate how much I dislike this chore on a scale of -10 to 10, it would be somewhere around an -7. As a point of reference, having to take the dog out in the middle of a busy day is a 2. Letting myself sneak off for a quick nap after the dog walk is an 8.

As you can tell, I’ve given a lot of thought to quantifying how much I enjoy or dread certain aspects of my day. That’s why I’ve come up with a way to do less of what I dread and more of what I love. Inspired by my former coach, Martha Beck, I call this system, “Bag It, Barter It, or Brighten It.” It’s a powerful way to design your life so it’s as bright as possible.

Recently, I was on the phone with my sister. She was feeling down because the pandemic is preventing her from seeing her new grandbaby who lives with his parents in Boulder. My heart aches for my sister during this holiday season. She’ll have to figure out a whole new way to celebrate the holidays on her own this year, as will my nephew and his growing family. The truth is, most of us are facing the same challenge.

Like many of us, this is typically the time of year when I get to reconnect with far-flung relatives during large, loud family gatherings. Since that’s impossible right now, I’ve been reconnecting with some of my favorite family stories and memories.

Here’s one that keeps resurfacing. When my nephew, Dwight, was about four-years-old, he and his pal Justin were in my sister’s backyard. The boys were dressed as Ninja Turtles, lunging at each other with pretend swords.

The past couple of weeks have been pretty overwhelming for a lot of us. When the pandemic is about the fourth item on the news, coming after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, outrage at racial injustice, and the terrifying fires and smoke here in the West, you know things are getting crazy. As the world seems to darken by the day, it can feel hard or even impossible to find much brightness.

When companies authentically invest in their culture, people feel seen, heard, valued and respected. Connections deepen. Collaboration soars. They come together around a higher purpose and achieve extraordinary results.

When you invest in your family culture, the same amazing things happen.