New Year's Resolution 2021
Well well well, thank god you’re coming to an end 2020. Safe to say this year did not pan out the way anybody expected. Plenty of twists and turns along the way that’s for sure.
When 2020 started, I was incredibly optimistic. I had dubbed it my “Year of Ambition”, making my resolution to strive harder towards my dreams and focus on my goals. I wanted to write more, read more, travel more, and be as ambitious as possible. Well, I was almost able to do all of those. Over this last year, I really did more reading and writing, and a lot of that was due to having more time on my hands. 2020 saw me working from home and staying safely indoors more, which lent itself to more time for me to work on what brought me joy, but obviously not a whole lot of time for travel. That’s not to say I didn’t have some fun adventures this year — tiny house getaway, national parks road trip — but there was some adjusting and flexibility that had to happen in 2020.
Now is the time that I’ve been thinking about what kind of resolution I want to set for myself in 2021. I found inspiration from a book I read this year called “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. The book follows a year in Rubin’s life where she sets out to bring herself more happiness through her actions, goals, and mindset. Each month she would focus on a resolution and an area of her life, such as parenthood, leisure, and her passions. Rubin described a happiness project as “an approach to changing your life,” by appreciating your every day, setting higher standards, challenges, and goals for yourself, and letting go of the thoughts that bog you down. To do that, one would need to identify what brings them joy and satisfaction, but also guilt, annoyance, boredom, etc. From there, one would make a list of resolutions to identify actions to take to boost happiness. After reading that book, and going through this rollercoaster called 2020, I’ve decided that my resolution for 2021 is to make it my “Year of Happiness”.
A happiness project can be for anybody. You don’t need to be unhappy per say to start this kind of journey. Overall, I’d say I’m a happy person, but I can recognize areas of my life where there could be more happiness. I’d like to spend less time worrying about things out of my control, I’d like to have a better sleep schedule, and I’d like to try an activity I’ve never tried before. These are all things that I can recognize as dissatisfying aspects of my life and areas where I can find more happiness. So, if I want to change them, I need to be proactive.
Before the new year begins, I have to set clear monthly resolutions and areas of focus:
JANUARY - Get Organized
Order
FEBRUARY - Boost Energy
Vitality
MARCH - Love Myself
Confidence
APRIL - Be More Present
Mindfulness
MAY - Let the Little Things Go
Relationships
JUNE - Give Back
Community
JULY - Make Time for Friends
Friendship
AUGUST - Strive for More
Work
SEPTEMBER - Try Something New
Ambition
OCTOBER - Remember, Reminisce, Record
Family
NOVEMBER - Pursue a Passion
Writing
DECEMBER - Put It All Together
Happiness
At the end of each month, I’m planning on sharing a blog post on my progress and how well I tackled my resolutions. I’m hoping that not only will that hold me accountable, but that sharing my own happiness project may inspire somebody out there to find their own happiness in this new year.
For the past few years, I’ve also made a fun video with clips from the year. While this year’s looks a whole lot different thanks to the pandemic, I was still able to put together a video that captures some high points from 2020 - walks with Tanner, time with family, our road trip, weddings, and a presidential election! You can watch my video here.
What’s your resolution for 2021?