My choice for a Word of the Year in 2020 was TRANSITION (see last year’s optimistic blog post).

How prophetic was that? None of us knew in December 2019 what lay ahead. All those 20/20 metaphors for vision, the beginning of a new decade, this generation’s form of the Roaring Twenties – HAH! EVERYONE was sidelined from whatever trajectory s/he may have envisioned for the coming year. Transition was mandatory, even if unwanted. Whether you worked for Purell or a beloved restaurant, 2020 became something entirely different than what may have been anticipated.

Riding the wave of transition, albeit without predetermination, my life changed radically physically, environmentally and professionally. Each included substantial pain, inconvenience and surprises. Transition was about getting through those adjustments with as much grace as possible. I’d give myself a 68%.

On January 13 I got a new hip. I did not make a public announcement, but if you’d observed me anytime in the last 2-3 years, you might have noticed an increasing limp in my walk. It wasn’t until the x-ray showed bone-on-bone that I knew physical therapy wasn’t going to cut it. Hip replacement surgery is one of the few major operations where the patient is better than before. It took several months of healing to get there, but I can sincerely say that as of today, nearly one year later, I’m grateful for the competent hands of my doc, the incredible nursing staff at Lenox Hill (no, I wasn’t in the Netflix series) and my good friends and family members who ushered me through the ordeal. Unlike Lyndon Johnson, I will not subject you to a close-up of my scar.

I’m walking better, further and more comfortably than I have since moving to NYC in 2012. A very good transition!

Before

After

One manila folder in my file drawer is labeled Kitchen Renovation 2019. That was when I began researching designers and spending time on Houzz to get a sense of what I wanted my small NYC kitchen to look like. As it stood then, I hated the dark grey countertops and was upset every time I closed the fridge door only to have the freezer door pop open. My very cool Big Chill refrigerator was a disappointment, albeit adorable, from Day 1. I longed for an appliance with the freezer on the bottom and more room.

Demolition and construction began on July 13, 2020 (!) causing me to move to a generous friend’s apartment on Central Park West, then another gorgeous loft on East 29th. Because of COVID, there were unforeseen delays starting in August. My kitchen was not fully usable until after Thanksgiving. Talk about transition!

The Pantry

Living Room

My Bedroom

This is what is was like during – speaking of limping along.

My third major, unanticipated transition, was getting back to my roots as an artist where I learned everything I know about running a business, getting coached, and becoming a coach. The weekend before the ENTIRE NYC shutdown, I learned the craft of wool appliqué – Penny Rugs – taught by the incomparable Liz Alpert Fay. While not terribly successful at my first attempt (far left) – who ever is? – I loved the craft enough to make a second, and a third, and then open an Etsy shop!

I’m still happily coaching women entrepreneurs with myself at the top of the list as I develop this- Jane Pollak Designs –  renewed arm of my company.

In my next post I’ll show the transition of my office area to accommodate my new passion and announce my Word of the Year for 2021.

Any guesses?