It’s Thanksgiving, and though the list of things for which to be thankful may be shorter this year than past years, I think there’s a useful exercise available to all of us.

Every experience is a good experience, whether it’s pleasant from start to finish or an unrelenting hell. In either case, we have the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience new things, and that is what life is all about.

This year, for Thanksgiving, take a minute to dial in on your hindsight until it’s 2020. Take stock of what happened this year. Evaluate some of the more milestone or memorable interactions and events. Consider who stood out for being pivotal – either because they helped you or held you back.

Consider the key decision points and what you chose to do. Was it the right thing? What would you have done differently knowing what you know now?

Thanksgiving, to me, has always been a time to reflect and let the people around you who played an important role in your life know they’ve cemented a place in your permanent mental museum. This year is no different.

With the hindsight of 2020, take a look, not just at this past year, but your life. Take a minute to identify the important people and the milestone events and acknowledge them. Write to those people. Memorialize those events.

This is the perfect time to identify the takeaways and learning opportunities to make sure you can capitalize on this going into 2021.

Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you make the most of it.