Patrick McDonnell

Annual photo!

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The biggest shifts for me were becoming a Dancer, and growing as a Leader in the City.

My goal from last year was to “Invest myself in the City,” and I’m confident that I accomplished it and then some.

What I didn’t realize would happen was that I would find a whole new friends groups and that I would get a glimpse into a couple new worlds that I didn’t have access to before. I’m eyeing a few more this upcoming year.

The end of this year marks a very special goal for me. It’s the longest I’ve stayed at any job outside of the military (where I didn’t have a choice but to stay in for years).

And recently, when I went to visit my family in my hometown of Carrollton, I felt much more of an identity with Austin. Austin is my home. It’s me. It’s where I feel most comfortable and I absolutely can’t see myself living anywhere else.

My vision for 2024 is to “Master My Work” — that is to become the best at Design, Leadership, and Dance. I really want to figure out how I can incorporate all these skills into my life so that they become common, that they become behaviors, and they become easy. I have a feeling trying to Master these things is going to take a lot of work, and will probably unlock new levels for me to achieve.

I’m truly looking forward to the challenge of Mastery, and can’t wait to see who I meet and what I discover along the way. 

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