Gratitude Monday: bargain of the year

On Friday, my team met to do a retrospective of our recent product launch. I’ve been nagging at our manager for months to do this, because so many things made this launch more painful that strictly necessary.

We started with a think-outside-the-pattern exercise—what’s your spirit animal. Which is a little weird, not coming from a Californian. But then our manager asked for a recap of highs and lows over the past year, both personal and professional.

My worst moment was watching a week in Sorrento slip away because of the pandemic. But costs were higher in the team. One colleague’s father-in-law died from COVID19, another one’s stepmother also died, and he couldn’t go to Salt Lake City to help his father. And a third found out that his friend and mentor from agency days has committed suicide.

We all have paid a high toll throughout this year. But for me, if the worst thing that’s happened is a lost vacation, I am blessed. I know that; I just wanted to acknowledge it publicly.