If I haven’t mentioned it before, I love the beginning of a new year. The idea of starting over fresh is just appealing to me. Growing up, making New Year’s resolutions felt like a fun game. I saw this reflected in my niece and nephew when we asked them what their resolutions were for 2021. They included things like “see if my new RC car can jump off the roof” and “try a new hairstyle.” But they also had more realistic and practical goals like “read 50 books” and “score a goal in soccer.” It was fun to listen to them and see them get excited about all the possibilities that 2021 can bring.

I think this year it’s a little harder for us as adults to get into making resolutions. Almost everything we planned for on January 1st of 2020 ended up cancelled or put on hold indefinitely. For most of us, our year in reality looked nothing like the one we had hoped for. But I do think there is hope for 2021 being different, albeit a tentative hope. I keep seeing a meme circulated that says something to the effect of don’t declare 2021 as ‘your year’ and tread softly so we don’t scare it. I get the sentiment and the humor, but it also makes me sad that as much as people are cheering the end of 2020, there seems to be little celebration about the beginning of 2021.

As much as I’m cautious, I also want to be optimistic. The past few years have been difficult for me personally, however I feel like I’ve actually turned a corner on a few things. And I don’t want to put that progress and momentum on hold just because I’m unsure what this year is going to look like. So instead of making ‘resolutions’ this year, I want to set intentions. And then I’ll set short-term goals that fall under these intentions, re-evaluating on a more frequent basis to adjust for all those unknown external factors that are sure to come.

• Be present: the past few years have been a challenge for me on this front because I was so frequently unhappy in my personal circumstances. I was always looking forward to getting home from a business trip or being done with a big project launch or even just getting through the work day. I’ve recently realized how much that stripped me from finding joy in my current surroundings and I’m looking forward to practicing being present.
• Focus on the essential: I can’t tell you how much money and effort I’ve spent over the past decade searching for the perfect face cream that would dramatically change my skin. The perfect dress that would make me look 10 lbs smaller. The perfect gadget that would simplify my life. The perfect workout gear that would make me actually want to go for a run. This year I want to stop searching for the perfect [insert object here] and focus on what is essential. And I’ve also finally accepted the fact that no pair of leggings exists in the world that is going to make me want to run.
• Stay connected: I grew up moving around a lot. And then I moved around a lot during the beginning of my adult life as well. It was harder then than it is now to keep in touch with people and I just kind of accepted that I would lose all my friends every time I moved. As long distance communication got easier, I didn’t change that mindset at all. People say to live with no regrets but the regret that I don’t think I’ll ever shake is all the wonderful relationships I let go of over the years. Being cut off from almost all face-to-face interaction last year showed me how easy it really is to text or call or FaceTime people. It can be an hour, 5 minutes, or even just a 30 second text message. But it takes effort to stay connected and I am determined to do that this year.

So that is how I am approaching my growth and development for the year of 2021. The next step is to create those SMART goals and, as I said before, I plan to keep them focused on the short-term so I can shift as things inevitably change this year.

I hope your New Year feels shiny, bright, and hopeful (even if it’s tentative!)