Dearests,
I always love when Austin Kleon writes his 100 Things list for the year. I shared my list in 2020, then in 2021. Now here we are again. A tradition.
This time, I’m just doing 50. Thine eyes are a bit dodgy of late, so I won’t push them. Just write, press publish, crawl up into bed.
I’m ridiculously grateful for ALL of this.
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50 Things I Did, Loved, Experienced This Year…
- Started the year on holidays in Hervey Bay. It was just gorgeous to have a true summer holiday. We raced barefoot after the ice cream truck and spent hours in the pool. It was perfection. And definitely an inspiration for us to start thinking about buying a home with a pool!
- Loved it so much that we went back to Hervey Bay for another holiday for Easter. We’ve never really taken regular holidays before, but have started getting good at it now!
- Read 150 books. Roundup post of my favourites coming soon!
- Rebirthed the Brilliant Biz & Life Academy so I could go back to giving away ALL my courses & workbooks for a ridiculously affordable price.
- Ran a small group coaching program for the first time in a decade.
- Had lunch with Brigit Esselmont, Tash Corbin & Emma Vaiga-Malta. It was my first time meeting Tash in person after being friends online for YEARS and it was friend-love at first sight. Now enjoy her being referenced henceforth throughout this list because over this year she’s become one of my dearest mates.
- Got flooded in again.
- Purchased a new home to be closer to schools & the ocean again. Sold our acreage. It was a 10/10 move.
- Made a video meditation to honour leaving our acreage property.
- Moved Chris’ parents into our investment property in the same suburb as our new home. Another 10/10 decision. It’s been wonderful to have them close by!
- Adored the movie Encanto. The colours! The songs! The message! Everything!
- I was psychiatrically diagnosed with ADHD.
- Grieved the loss of my cousin & processed the shock of an awful thing.
- Much of this year was spent coping with the difficult news of a family member’s cancer diagnosis & the subsequent emotional fallout. Gosh it’s been a lot. I can’t say much more as it’s not my story to tell, but it’s been rough on multiple fronts.
- Created Get Organised in 21 Days course.
- Went to dinner with some local business goddesses – some I’d already met, some who were new to me. It was like magic happening right there. We knew instantly we wanted to stay in the room together, and become a mastermind. Since that glorious dinner we’ve had a spa afternoon, had a full day business brainstorming session and done a women’s circle together. I can’t wait to see their faces again. I’m so in love with Tash Corbin, Brigit Esselmont, Cass Deller, Madison Beaufort, Claire Riley and Amanda Rootsey. Our connection has been one of the biggest highlights of my year, and I can’t wait for what’s next.
- Made a poster on 8 ways to increase sales.
- Celebrated 12 months off social media. It’s now been almost 2 years as I type this!
- Did a Healthy Habits reset.
- I’ve swam more in 2022 than I have in years. Buying a home with a pool was a brilliant decision. Even today, one kid their friend over so they spent most of the day frolicking like mermaids. We notice how much bigger our kids smiles are when they are in water. And the same goes for us.
After 4 years here on the Sunny Coast, my friend group is deepening and consolidating and it’s the most glorious thing. Like watching a field burst into wildflowers. And when I see them, somehow we always end up falling into the nearest body of water. It makes this mermaid heart of mine very happy. - Made a free monthly goals business worksheet.
- Had tea & cake with Viv Guy!
- Recorded 19 podcast episodes of Leonie Dawson Refuses to Be Categorised. The most popular episode was me answering your Business & Marketing questions!
- Earlier in the year, we thought we were losing our 17 year old doggy Angel. But nope, she just had a bit of an upset belly, and after having explosive diarrhoea in our vet’s face, she was right as rain! After having her for 14 years, she is still obsessed by my husband (understandably) and only barely tolerates other humans or animals. We joke that my husband is HER support animal… she doesn’t cope without him.
- Created How To Hire & Manage A VA workshop.
- Had a mother-daughter spa date with my darling Madi. She’s one of my very favourite people on the planet. We met 3 years ago and we just can’t get enough of each other. Being around Madi is screeching when we laugh, big bosomy hugs and telling the truth. (Also, if you’re ever at Eumundi markets, find Madi’s art stall! She’s wildly talented. And she even has a print dedicated to my boobs!)
- Ran a live round of Marketing Without Social Media.
- Went through an absolute shitshow of 6 months at my kids’ school. It’s hard to communicate just how brutally stressful and debilitating it has been. It’s one thing to go through something personally, but when it involves your kids it’s a whole other level of awful. I’m so very much looking forward to a fresh start for them next year at a new school.
- Made a poster about acting on inspiration.
- Binged season 2 of Bridgerton. This year’s season wasn’t anywhere near as porny as season 1 and that was disappointing… still, I have high hopes for season 3, and I do love me a regency romance!
- Had to take an enforced screen sabbatical after developing an eye condition.
- Made an illustrated zine on being officially middle aged.
- Hired a house on a river for a family summer holiday with Chris’ parents. It was gorgeously fun!
- Taskmaster continues to be my very favourite TV show. I can talk for days how good it is and how often I can descend into scream laughing from it.
- My wee family got obsessed by Ryan Trahan’s challenge to travel across America on a penny. Funny, interesting & heart warming!
- Developed plantar fascitis. Added a podiatrist to my rolodex of humans I need to not be in pain. Craig is another 10/10 healer hottie (in a respectful, consensual way again). Got myself some custom orthotics & became an aficionado of sexy orthotic shoes. #canyoutelliammiddleaged
- Also got obsessed by playing Star Stables. Nothing says fun like a digital world where you ride around on pretty ponies collecting stars for pony outfits. I started playing it with my kids, but they got bored and I stay addicted for another 6 months. #woops
- Made a poster for things US friends can do to support abortion rights.
- Favourite meal: Hard to choose between a feast from Happy Days Diner in Maryborough or a German feast from The Bavarian.
- Favourite drink: stayed the same as last year, I reckon. Passionfruit bubble tea with tapioca & rainbow jelly.
- Favourite exercise: pilates session at Noosa Flow followed by tea and cake at River Read.
- Had the BEST 40th birthday! Went away with my darling friends Madi, Tash, Jody & Bron to a historic chalet in the mountains. I still can barely process how magnificent it was. Time with women is deeply healing.
- Who cares about Wordle… when you can play HEARDLE! This one is especially fun when you’re married to a musical savant.
- Became the proud owner of a Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra. I went from not having any kind of robot vac to the top of the line robot vac/mop/self cleaning station… and I couldn’t be happier. It’s like having a cleaner without having to deal with another person’s energy! Plus I don’t have to remember to do anything for it… it’s smart enough to do it all itself with minimal input from me. It’s the ultimate ADHD hack!
- Started seeing a clinical psychologist. Dr Anita is a 10/10 babe (in a totally respectful, professional way of course bahahahahaha).
- My old cubicle boss Lil & her family came to stay for a holiday… it was the most brilliant time. I love that our friendship of two has now expanded to a friendship group of 8 – our husbands and kids all get along like a house on fire too. It’s such a rare thing, and I’m so grateful.
- Hand-made an illustrated zine on creativity.
- Became OBSESSED with playing the Monopoly Deal card game. Even just writing this makes me want to play it. I’ve inflicted this obsession on my family, my parents-in-law, my friends. Anyone who I can con into being a captive player, really. Ha!
- Got a prescription for CBD oil (through Montu) to help treat my ASD symptoms. It has been LIFE CHANGING. Over and over again. I couldn’t be more grateful. My brain is so much less on fire on CBD oil. It really has been a miracle for me.
- I also got to see my mermaid sister and talented author friend Kaylia Dunstan after 3 years apart. We’ve been friends for 18 or so years now, and have had so many magical and hilarious adventures together.
“Remember that time we went swimming naked in that river?”
“I wasn’t naked, but you were. Wasn’t that at the Murrumbidgee?”
“Oh. No, that was another time we went swimming and I got naked! Ha ha! I was thinking of that time we went swimming down at that other river!”
“At that reiki weekend we did? The creek at Gini’s farm?”
“Ha! Oh… No, but I was naked then too! No I was thinking of that OTHER river near Weston we were doing a women’s circle at, and decided to go swimming and I got naked and some kayakers went past.”
HO HO HO. BRILLIANT.
And that’s the perfect way to finish.
Breast wishes,
