I love New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. They hold such promise, enthusiasm, and hope. 2020 was not as bad for me as for so many in the world. After losing my dad in 2018 and my mom in 2019, the worst thing 2020 gave me was frustration and worry. And for that I am very thankful. But that doesn’t mean that the dreams don’t start to build this time of year.
As I was planning this year, I wanted to make sure I wasn't rushing forward too fast. As the single mother of a nine-year old, we most likely will not be doing that big Disney/Harry Potter trip we had planned in 2021. And that is okay. But there are a lot of things I can do to build (or build on) good habits.
So here it is, my 2021 New Year's Resolutions. Watch here to see if I succeed!
Take 100 beautiful pictures. This is a self-indulgent, self-care item. My 2018 began with my son being admitted to the hospital and ended with my father's burial. It was a bad year. One of my resolutions that year was to get a real camera and take photography classes. My dad loved my interest and it wasn't till a year later I found out he had been an amateur photographer in his younger days. How did I not know this? But he was so supportive. Those nights in classes, with a hired babysitter, allowed me to stop, breathe slowly, and truly focus on getting a good picture. I took some priceless pictures of my son in action and beautiful photos of flowers. I had one made into a 3-D box and gave it to my dad for his last birthday. I continued taking pictures and classes in 2019 until my mom got sick and life was just overwhelming. I took a few in 2020 but I didn't take enough. So in 2021, I will take 100 that are beautiful to me and post them on my 2021 Photographs Album on my Facebook page. I am sure a few of the best will make it here as well.
Read 100 books. Okay, to be fair, I read over 100 books in 2018, 2019, and 2020, so this isn't a stretch. It is a continuation. For one thing, I love reading. For another, I find that I struggle to focus on reading when I get stressed. So if I haven't read 6 books in a month, I know something is wrong. It is a way of knowing when I need to slow down and re-center. So 100 more books in 2021. I track these on Goodreads and The Story Graph as well. I can guarantee you'll hear about my favorites.
Write 100 blog posts. This is a HUGE stretch goal for me. I loved this blog when I started it and then life became overwhelming. I didn't want to stop and reflect on anything or I thought I would lose it. I probably would have. I wrote some pretty lengthy Facebook posts that I wish I had put on here instead, but that is okay. I am okay digging in now and I know I will be better for it in the end. I am sure by the end of the year I will have a better idea of a schedule, but for now, I am going to see where it fits.
Cook 100 things. My resolutions for a few years have been around cooking more. Cooking or baking, either one. Just trying to do more from home and eat less of the fast food we survived on when life was a constant go here do this pattern. I have been steadily increasing but 2020 took me back to when I was young and single and cooked from home most nights. It was fabulous, and this year I had the cutest sous chef ever. I keep track of what we cook/bake at home on a Pinterest Board called 2021 Kitchen Adventures. We are already at 2 today, because that is just how we roll. The 100 probably won't be a huge stretch, but I like the symmetry of it.
Send 100 thank you notes. This is something I am horrible at so it will be a stretch, but doing 100 will help build the habit. I am going to count e-mails because it is 2021 and sometimes sending them out immediately is better than waiting, but I do want to send a significant number of physical notes. I will track them in my planner.
Save an extra $100 a month. This is about doing better. Honestly, I can probably do this with the bringing lunch 4 days a week that I started tracking in December so it may not be the biggest stretch, but it is measurable and it will help in the long run. I track this based on my savings account statement.
Drink 100 ounces of water a day. My work did a water challenge a couple of years ago for a month and I loved the way I felt in the middle of it. Not drinking water is just a bad habit. I live in Ames, Iowa where they have the best drinking water so there really is no excuse on this one. It is just a matter of doing it. I track this one on my Fitbit app.
100 things to be thankful for. I've tried a gratitude journal and I like the process of it, but I tend to repeat some of the same things. So this year, in my planner, I will work on a list of 100 things to be grateful for. Unique things. Memories, people, skills, etc. I'm really excited about reading this list on December 31, 2021 and the way it will make me feel.
100 hours of professional development. I honestly don't know if this is a stretch or not. I read a ton of non-fiction every year. I attend professional development programs. But I rarely count it up. I have to renew my ICF Coaching Certification this year so I have to count at some level so I decided to keep track of everything and strive for 100 hours. I will track this one in my planner as well. (If you haven't noticed, I love my planner. I have fallen out of the habit for a few years and relied on my Outlook calendar, but I started using my paper planner again in November and it has been a good thing for me.
So there you have it. Simple things that will make a positive difference in my life if I follow through. Even if I miss the 100's I will learn from every attempt to get there.
What are you planning for 2021? Do you get as excited as I do?
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