The final sprint of 2021

Hello Friend,

Here we are in our final sprint to the end of the year! For many of us only a handful of business days remain, and then we can hope for a few quiet days to close out 2021 and mentally prepare for a new year. Or at least that's the story we tell ourselves!

I'm inspired this week by an interview I heard yesterday with Katherine May, the author of a book called Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. I've learned in this role that entrepreneurs feel the pressure to deliver in every minute of every day of the year, whether to their customers, employees, investors, their families, or themselves. There is never a break and that pressure never lets up - even when there isn't a global pandemic dragging on - which means exhaustion and burnout always taunt from the sidelines like a modern-day Loki (a shape-shifting trouble-maker, for those not reading old Norse mythology these days).

Even all of us hard-wired with entrepreneurial drive are still human though, which means our bodies react to the seasons (don't these dark mornings make it so hard to get out of bed??), and we need breaks between the sprints. So my wish for everyone reading this is that the next couple of weeks offer some time to restore. For myself, I intend to take a day to read "Wintering" in front of the fireplace. If there's any way we at OEN can help close out your year well, or help set you up for a great 2022, please let us know by Wednesday next week and we'll make it happen.

In the meantime, I encourage you to get to know a woman who definitely knows how to make things happen! Jennifer Fox is back at Autodesk in a new role supporting global innovation, and you can read all about it in our interview with her below. Our thanks to Autodesk for supporting OEN this year, and to Jennifer for serving on OEN's board of directors.

Best of luck crossing everything off your to-do list this week!

Cheers,
Amanda

PS: You can help us end our year well by making a tax-deductible donation to OEN! We've got big plans for 2022 and need people who put their money where their mouth is to make them happen. Join us!