Reimagining Pandemic Life: Goals for 2021

It’s the end of January, so I’ve had time to try on and test out the goals I set for myself for the year. I’ve had time to practice my block schedule and tweak the problem areas. I’ve had time to build routines and work on habits. After some trial, I’m feeling even better about the vision I laid out for the year.

I feel both a pull to comment on 2020 and a desire to leave it in the past now that the calendar has finally turned. While there were both highs and lows, as is always the case, the heartache and challenges do stand out a bit more boldly for 2020.

*Photo from a winter trip to Paris several years ago.*

It was the worldwide pandemic, the social justice movement that peaked and seemingly fell without resolution, the presidential election and its aftermath that then tainted the first days of the new year with the Capital riot. As someone who actively avoids news sites for the emotional spiral they provoke in me, even I couldn’t ignore or avoid these headlines. It was a year of tension and fear throughout the world. As the new year came into sight, there were political shifts coupled with the chaos of objection and the onslaught of another wave of COVID-19 cases. There are days when it feels like we might never shake the hate-filled and divisive nature of the current political landscape or the destruction of this persistent virus. Is it possible for all Americans to one day feel safe? Can we table the hatred and accusations and work together for the greater good? Where is the justice? It seems so basic and so impossible all at once.

I am not a politician. I am not an activist. I don’t have a huge following that I might influence. I am a thoughtful, introverted, goal-setting, growth-focused wife and mother. I am a friend, a sister, a daughter-in-law. I am torn by the belief that the small, everyday, family-focused interactions I have matter tremendously and the feeling that I should be doing more, much more. Can I spend this year building my physical, mental, emotional, spiritual strength and find a path to more widespread contribution? Can I prioritize the small ways in which I communicate and interact in my relationships? Could those relationships not only grow but also teach me something new? Can I actively incorporate things I love into my days and still fulfill my responsibilities? Could there be something worth sharing in those priorities, in that growth, in that self-love? Can I come to believe that choosing what’s in my own best interest doesn’t have to be selfish?

WIth those questions rolling through my mind and others lingering in my subconscious, I spent the last week of 2020 and the first couple weeks of this new year brainstorming my dreams, articulating my goals, and tweaking my schedule to allow due time for the actions and feelings that I want to fill my days. Hopes and dreams can sound nice, but they quickly lose steam without plans and action. So, I’ve taken my dreams for 2021 and phrased them into actionable, measurable goals for the year. More than anything, I want to feel good this year; I want to focus on the things I can control and allow the rest to go; I want to set aside worry. Maybe if my mind and body are full of the things I choose, there won’t be much room left for the junk

*Photo from a winter trip to Rome several years ago.*

To read more. I will read at least 50 books this year.
I have always loved reading, both getting lost in someone else’s story and learning through nonfiction. In recent years - honestly all of my adulthood - I’ve neglected this favorite activity. I’ve chosen every other priority. I’ve read books here and there and gone through bouts a few weeks long where I read consistently, but it hasn’t been a lasting habit. This year I’m stating a clear goal and, importantly, I’m scheduling meaningful time to read into each day.

To love my body. Complete 200 yoga practices; complete 100 strength workouts; run 2 half marathons.
I’ve never experienced body hatred and I’ve never dieted. This goal actually has nothing to do with weight or appearance. It has everything to do with how I feel. Three years ago when I did consistent yoga, I felt amazing. In the same year I also began consistent strength training, and I felt amazing. My biggest victory in 2020 was training for and running my own half marathon; throughout that process I felt amazing. Those three unique physical activities have proven beneficial for my sense of strength as well as my mental flexibility and clarity. Making a clear goal for each of them to span the year will push me to make time for them.

To write daily. Publish 100 blog posts.
LIke reading, I have always loved to write. It’s therapeutic; it’s a skill to be developed; it can be a thoughtful way to engage. I want to do more of it. I also want to build a foundation on my blog that will allow me to consider new directions and possibilities in the future. I anticipate that this will be a slow start that builds steam as my daily writing habit strengthens.

To develop creative skills and make things. Complete a sewing course and make at least 5 usable items; assemble and print the backlog of family photo albums.
For years I have wanted to learn to sew. I have memories of my mom’s sewing supplies strewn across the dining room table and her machine clicking away at one end. I remember twirling in the sundresses she fashioned for me, and I still have the American Girl doll clothes she made to supplement the catalog offerings. I want to connect with her memory through this craft. I purchased an online sewing course; I’ve unwrapped a hand-me-down sewing machine and made space for its use; I’ve blocked time twice a week to learn. As for the photo albums, their creation is a running joke with my husband - I have been dragging my heels on them for the entirety of our marriage. Not this year. I’ve blocked off some afternoon time four days a week in order to actually make this goal happen.

To complete 3 home projects. Paint the first floor bathroom; paint the cabinets in an upstairs bathroom; assemble and maintain garden boxes on our deck railings.
I love seeing progress on our home. I think it’s fun to have a vision and then work to make it happen. This goal is simply an articulation of a few visions for this year and a reminder to make time for them.

To grow my closest relationships. Prioritize weekly date night; plan and engage in 1-on-1 time with my kids each week; skip the food battles.
Theoretically, 2020 should have grown my marriage and parenting relationships, and I suppose it did in some ways. Mostly I remember feeling a lot of frustration at the lack of alone time. This year the ongoing pandemic will likely continue to force lots of time all together. Instead of allowing the time to blend together and finding frustration, I will block times for growing and strengthening individual relationships. This goal is largely a mindset shift, and I believe the previously explained personal goals will create balance within myself and aid this shift. On the food front, I find myself easily concerned about what the kids are and aren’t eating, but when I step back and really consider it, their dietary needs are being fulfilled just fine. Food battles detract from these relationships, and the table should be a place for love, conversation, and growth.

As a family:
To shop only for consumable goods and necessary replacements (i.e. kids clothes).
I think we have more than enough stuff and sometimes find myself overrun by physical belongings and all that it takes to manage them. My husband is always looking for ways to tweak the finances and save some money. This joint challenge will address both of those concerns and allow us to grow as a family through choosing creativity and adventure.

To opt outside.
We don’t really do much screentime in our house, so that’s not the objective here as it may be for some families. Instead, this is meant as a reminder and motivation to play and explore outside in all types of weather.

Tracking my progress in these areas throughout January, I’ve noticed that some items on the list felt easier and had more immediate appeal than others. At this point, I’m not interested in dropping any of the goals. I’m thankful that I could latch on to the most appealing items, place them into routines, and work on the habit of doing them before nudging myself into the goals that seem a little more challenging. I’ll share a more detailed review of my tracking and progress after three months of work. For now, I’m eager to see what can be done in February!