Given that it’s New Year’s Eve, I assume you’re not into deep thinking or reading anything too heavy, so I thought I would tell you what I’d get you as a holiday gift if I could. Consider it my wish list for you but also a suggestion for your New Year’s resolution.

If I could wrap up a gift for you this holiday season or offer up an idea for you to take into 2022, it would be that I’d like all of us to have a greater sense of peace. 

What I mean by that is peace of mind. Peace in your heart. A peace that comes from knowing that you’re doing an amazing job and everything you could possibly do to be successful in all of the meanings of that word. 

I want for you a peace that is confidence in your ability to do it all again in 2022.

Every one of you has faced frustrations, demons and challenges this past year. Sometimes your personal life stole you away from the work. You’ve watched team members who you thought would never leave you walk out the door. You’ve had clients treat you badly or steal an idea. You’ve scoured the earth for a reasonably priced employee to hire. As always, you’ve worked your tail off on nights and weekends to make sure the ship sailed on safely and smoothly.

None of that was easy or a result of something you did or didn’t do. But you survived. 

For most of you, you did far better than just survive. You’ve made payroll every month and have some money in the bank. For some of you, a lot of money. For others, enough to get you to 2022 with hope in your heart and a plan for better days.

You’ve also worked hard to create a workplace you can be proud of and have built a strong team around you. You’ve bent and flexed in ways you didn’t think were possible when it comes to work from home, remote work and giving your employees grace as they faced their own challenges. As a result, your team is stronger and you’ve kept some amazing superstars because they don’t want to work anywhere else, despite the offers that have come their way.

You’ve also learned some invaluable lessons. You’ve learned that no one is indispensable or irreplaceable. You’ve learned new levels of humility and gratitude. You’ve gotten scrappy and smart in new ways that will serve you well in the long run.

My end-of-year hope for you is that you’re able to recognize all of that in yourself. I want you to take a deep breath and remember that business leadership is for the long haul and you’ve already survived so many storms. You weathered the great recession. COVID. The great resignation. You’ve survived them all. You know how to do that. And when called upon, you’ll do it again.

But you’ve also enjoyed the fruits of your efforts. You’ve built a pretty amazing life for yourself and those you love. You’ve nurtured a work environment that has earned you the respect and loyalty of your team, and you’ve grown a customer base that keeps coming back for more.

Find peace in all of that. Slow down enough to recognize that you’ve developed the skills, instincts and fortitude to weave and bob when you need to and that when you get knocked down, you’ve built a strong foundation that allows you to right yourself pretty quickly.

You’ve got this. I’m not promising that it will always be easy. But it’s always within your abilities. Go into the new year with that confidence and reassurance. Let it give you peace.