WORKWORK6: Freedom Lives in a Walled Garden // What I Accomplished in 2021
Inner Work
Freedom lives within a walled garden. - unknown
More often than not, when we think of freedom and what it means to be free, our default is vast, and without limitations or structure. It’s basically whatever we want! We are free to do whatever we want, whenever, wherever, and at our own pace. That’s at least how I used to think of freedom until about three years ago when I first heard the quote above.
When I think of this quote, especially as it relates to Inner Work, I think of time and its cyclical nature. A day, in and of itself, has parameters—the sun rises and the sun sets every single day, and the amount you can accomplish within a day is limited. But, when you think of the structure of a day repeating over and over, the amount you could accomplish feels much grander.
Now imagine if you placed even more parameters throughout your day. Every day I meditate for 5 minutes, work out for 30, or read 10 pages. The compounding effect of that deeper structure is even more freeing when you put it in the context of a full year. You build on top of that structure and you have a more solid foundation to explore greater depths. That’s a very literal and real example, but it could be as simple as asking yourself a specific question when you feel uncertain about a choice. Something like, “Does this serve me?” Regardless of the answer, you now know what to do. How freeing is that?! You can make a choice, and progress forward, all because you added some structure to your mind.
As I begin thinking about 2022 and what I want for this next year, I’m thinking through the walls that I want to build for my garden. I’ll write these down and have them on hand to reference whenever I might need them. I’ll be sharing my walls with you in next week’s WORKWORK.
Outer Work
A reflection of what I have done in 2021 (It feels good to list it out - try it):
Moved to Miami after a year of nomadism in 2020.
Bought our first home: a 1937 art deco condo on Miami Beach.
Built a custom desk and created my dream work setup.
Left full-time consulting to take a full-time job at Tydo (I love this team).
Began mentoring on Mentorpass. I talk to 2-4 new businesses a week.
Made my first angel investment. You can read more about it here in the Outer Work section, and explore the company here.
Read 4 books (this number will be higher in 2022)
Bought a Vespa that’s named Babe. It’s true, she’s a total babe.
Went to the beach more times in a single year than I ever have before. Huge win.
Adopted a new skincare routine. I’m growing up.
Fell in love with orange wine. It’s all about the skin contact for me.
Became less active on Instagram and Tik Tok and more active on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Played in a beach volleyball league with new friends.
Had more intentional, one on one time with family.
And last but definitely not least, created this newsletter. I’m really proud of it and can’t wait to continue my Inner and Outer Work practice with you all in 2022.