Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater

2020 was a crazy, uncertain, and <insert here your preferred adjective> year. At the end of each year, I take some time to reflect. I write down what went well, what I need to stop doing, start doing, and continue forward into the next year. If you’ve ever practiced Agile software development, I basically do a retro of the year. Yes, I’m that kind of person! Even though 2020 was filled with uncertainty, I still did my retro. I wanted to step back and look at 2020 with a retro in mind.

One thing that came to mind while reflecting on the past year was a phrase I heard a few years ago: “Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.” As an immigrant, raised in a Spanish speaking household, I don’t know many English idioms. When I first heard the term, I was confused. “What do you mean by throwing the baby out with the bathwater?” It turns out, it means we shouldn’t throw out the good with the bad.

For me, 2020 felt so unreal. Just like everyone else, I had to figure out how to navigate the world during a pandemic. I’m not talking about just the “work” aspect of my life, but all areas. I learned to value relationships, I learned to be intentional in my interactions and to have quality time. Was 2020 difficult? Yes, it was. But, there were some good things in it too.

2020 was a year of change for me. I graduated from NYU’s Executive MBA program in August, started a new job and role, and spent a lot of time thinking. Thinking; something that I didn’t intentionally do that often. This year, I learned that I was always “doing” and never stopping. I realized that I didn’t spend enough time thinking and stepping back to look at what I did on a daily basis.

So here’s my retro for 2020 at a high level:

I’m grateful for the people in my life. For the connections and relationships.

I’m grateful for you! Grateful for this website, this place, this platform to share with the world.

I’m grateful for going through 2020, for learning more about myself, my community and the relationships around me.

Are there things from 2020 that I wish don’t repeat themselves in 2021? 100%!!!! But, I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I’m going to take the good from 2020 and bring that into 2021. 2020 can keep the rest.

I wish you a year of health and happiness. Cheers to 2021!