2020, ammirite? What I devised and conquered this year

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Whatever 2020 brought you, it almost certainly brought adjustments to your world. I know it brought changes to mine.

I went from visiting exotic Batuu in a galaxy far, far away, to shutting up in one house indefinitely within a matter of weeks. Many of us were suddenly faced with:

  • Even less structure or accountability than before
  • More chaos
  • More distractions
  • Without many of our pre-established routines to rely on (gym, commute, etc)

I had a lot of conferences planned for 2020... 😅 The ones that still happened went virtual, which was not playing to my strengths. I've done my best to adapt, as have we all.

What kept me sane

I "attended" MacStock for the first time, and spoke about using automation to aid our cognition (especially Shortcuts). The bonus tutorial videos from my virtual MacStock 2020 talk are on YouTube.

I've been lucky enough to be invited to other Apple-nerdery activities (okay, podcasts) this year. They have brought me a lot of joy.

  • I started joining in the MacVoices live live video podcasts. It's great to know that I can kick back with other nerds and discuss all of Apple's latest announcements (which were a lot this year!)
  • Chuck has been kind enough to invite me on a few other episodes of MacVoices, like his famous Gift Guides
  • I was invited to be a guest on the Focused podcast, which was a thrill!
  • I had a great time talking about Apple on In Touch with iOS and
  • ADHD and the Benefits and Pitfalls of Technology on the ADHD Essentials Podcast

I helped prepare for the International Conference on ADHD, both as a member of the Leadership Team for the ADHD Coaches Organization, and I joined the conference planning committee to help introduce folks to the new virtual conference platform.

At the ADHD conference, I spoke about Health and Technology for folks with ADHD. I presented "Brittany's Law" for prioritizing activities to manage both our health and ADHD. Spoiler: my general priority suggestion was:

  1. Exercise
  2. Sleep
  3. Everything else

I have a few things on the docket for 2021:

  • A webinar for ADDA
  • My first course 🤞
  • A colleague and I are investigating running an Accountability Team, for folks needing more accountability and encouragement in their lives. If you're interested, let me know.

Thank you

I've been very fortunate this year, and I know many others have not been so lucky. I'm grateful for the connections and encouragement I've received. And for the opportunity to lend a hand and make a difference where I am able.

This has been a write-off of a year for most of us, and my year was not without its serious challenges. But these end-of-year letters aren't about all that. They're about stating the positive things and being optimistic about the upcoming year. So, let's do that:

Whatever 2020 brought you, give yourself credit for weathering the storm. You handled what this year threw at you the best you were able at the time. Keep those victories in your heart. Life may not be “normal” for a while yet.

And, whatever happened, we get to keep the skills and lessons we’ve picked up this year to pivot and plan for whatever does come our way. What lessons will you carry through into 2021?

We will get through the rest of this in whatever form of "together" we can safely manage.

Happy New Year (finally) to you all! Brittany