I'll come right out and say it: I don't make New Years' resolutions. But this year, I’m doing something different. I’m picking a “word” for my year. It’s not immediately obvious or sexy, but it works.

We made it! The third and final week of our annual review.* Our three questions are also on my blog if you'd like to refresh your recollection.

On to week 2 of our annual review! What did you think of week 1? What went well for you this year? I hope you surprised yourself because I know I did. As promised, though, week 2 is going to be a bit harder. The question is: What didn't go so well? Once again, I'm answering as an entrepreneur and letting my gut do the talking.

Back in September, I was super excited to host my first ever JMT Speaks giveaway and select a random subscriber to win one of my favorite books of 2021 (and all time), Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm circling back to that bestseller so I can draw from the author's Annual Review that he performs each December (see page 245!).

The “bare minimum” is “15 pieces of flair,” not 37 — and there’s nothing wrong with doing the bare minimum!

I was lucky enough to accompany two preschoolers on a trip of "firsts" recently. Their first train ride, subway ride, and Broadway show. What a day! To watch them encounter those new experiences was kind of like looking up "joy" in the dictionary and seeing it defined by a picture worth a thousand words. The look on their faces was priceless.

I was nonchalantly walking down the street in town when I spotted it: yet another abandoned mask on the sidewalk. As I drew closer, I thought, "How funny, that's the same signature blue color of my JMT Speaks mask." Then I realized: it was my JMT Speaks mask! <GASP!>

Give or take ten years ago, I read an article in my local newspaper about an organization that assisted low-income women who were victims and survivors of domestic violence. It provided free legal representation for the women to seek final restraining orders against their abusers. Attorneys could volunteer to complete training and then take pro bono cases on behalf of these women.

"Whether you think you can or think you can't -- either way, you're right." - Gerald Ford. I've heard this a thousand times before, but it really struck me recently. Perhaps it was because the iFit trainer said it while she had me slogging it up a hill so high the elliptical inclined to the point where my topknot was bumping against the ceiling. (At 5'4", that happens approximately never.)

I ran into a local mom at the grocery store this weekend. As we debated the pros and cons of different kids-themed frozen waffles, I confessed I ate them too. She agreed and noted how quick and easy they are in the morning rather than cooking breakfast for the kids. She added: "I'm a bad mom." 

Those of you who have heard me deliver my authenticity talk know that I wrote a highlights column, “On Marino’s Mind,” in my high school newspaper. Fast forward nearly 25 years, and I’m using a different platform to highlight topics of my choice. It’s funny how these things go, but more on that after this fun excerpt from my first article. And why am I sharing this? I'm taking another trip around the sun this week and I can't believe how much my teenage voice and writing style foreshadows me now!

Just because I’m good at being a lawyer at a law firm doesn’t mean I have to do it….It’s ok not to want it anymore. It’s ok to let it go.

I love writing my newsletter. Suffice it to say, it's a highlight of my week. Sometimes it takes me 25 minutes. Sometimes it takes me an hour. However, I used to have this tiny problem: No matter how long it took, I couldn't leave it alone. I couldn't say, "It's done!" and move on with my life. I'd tinker with it night after night, driving myself nuts over inane things like whether semi-colons are too archaic. (They're not; I love 'em.) 

Five summers ago, I was a partner at the law firm that had been my home for nearly a decade. I was a commercial litigator and, at the time, was handling several high-profile matters. I worked a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I was also overjoyed to be expecting my son and spent the summer getting ready to be a mom.

Did you ever sit down to complete a new or difficult task and think, "Hm. I'm not sure about this, but I can knock it out in an hour." It then takes you almost three hours to finish. You feel frustrated as you remark, "Wow. That took a lot longer than I expected." Why does this happen?!

When everyone was mouthing the words to "Driver's License" by Olivia Rodrigo a few months ago, I didn't join in. I didn't know the words because keeping up with popular music is something I no longer do. (Btw, I cringe to write "popular music" because I sound like the section of a long-defunct CD store.)

We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable if we want to make any progress. The alternative is staying cozy…right where we are.

Welp, we’ve been at this for over a year now. Quarantine. Forced remote work. As I’ve written in the past, I was WFH for several years before the pandemic and always loved it. Quarantine obviously presented new challenges, but as we start a new week, here are some reminders about why WFH really, truly, is awesome. (At least, in my opinion. Maybe some will resonate with you, too.)

I've wasted too much time worrying about what others think. And I'm done with it. Why? I realized that worrying about what others think gives them the power to define my self-worth. Relying on outsiders for validation? Eek! That's enough convincing for me.

If I asked you to go dumpster diving with me, you'd probably say, "Um, hard pass." But I'm going to ask anyway, so let me back up. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has heard 2020 described as a complete dumpster fire or seen gag gifts to that effect.