Pausing, I believe, is key to leading. You can’t lead on autopilot.

Here we are, almost three weeks since announcing our big and exciting news. And you know what happened last week? I got stuck.

When we finally revealed the news, I knew in my heart that it didn’t matter if my worst fears came true. What matters is that we’re handling this transition in a way that is 100% true to ourselves.

Today, we are choosing to look into the eyes of our biggest fears, leave what is comfortable, leave what we aren’t passionate about, and step boldly toward a new vision for our future.

I have so much to tell you. After three weeks off, there’s a lot on my heart. I will warn you that this will be a long one, but I hope you’ll make your way to the end.

One of the things I like to do as I wrap up a year is reflect on the lessons learned and the ones that I want to carry with me into the new year.

This exercise is incredibly powerful no matter how old you are and no matter what you have or haven’t done so far in your life.

Here’s what I’m reading and watching during my time off.

It’s a ritual I started a few years ago: I take three weeks off at the end of the year to unplug, reflect, and recharge.

For years, my happy place was planes, hotel rooms, and lobbies. I did my best work while I traveled. But then, in March, everything changed.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We talk about what we’re grateful for often, but there’s one gratitude exercise we do that takes the cake.

The goal isn’t to dim my light or be someone else; it’s to play up my amazing qualities. I just need to be more disciplined and intentional with how I use them.

I just left an incredible meeting with my team where we chose to do something you aren’t “supposed” to do in business: We lowered our financial goals for this quarter.

A couple months into the pandemic, I had a sobering moment with my fiancé, Spiros.

I imagined what it actually felt like to be coming from their viewpoint. I thought about the solutions I had proposed and asked how those solutions would make me feel if I were on the other side. What was missing?

Suddenly, his chemistry brain clicked with my leadership brain: He doesn’t want to be the leader who slows things down for his team.

I looked into my camera at the virtual audience and said, “Remember how I told you at the beginning of today that I might screw something up? Well . . .”