I’m sure that by now you’ve seen the meme about how we are all hoping at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve things will return to normal in 2021.
Almost as though it will be some magical moment that ends the chaos of the past 12 months. While I can appreciate the sentiment, because I’m right there with everyone else who is ready to see this awful year to come to an end, I am also realistic enough to know that is not how real life works. So how do we reset and go into the next year with a fresh outlook and a little bit of hope?
Be like Elsa and Let It Go
This first thing may be a bit cheesy, but I’m a person who is a big fan of the symbolism of letting go. Take some time to write down all the challenges you had this year. It can be as big or as small as you want. It is your list! Go chronologically, go in order of importance, go in alphabetical order. Whatever helps you get all the anger and frustration and crappy days out of your head and on paper. Once you have your list, burn it. Toss it in the fireplace and watch all the anger go up in smoke. If you shed a tear or two here, that’s ok. Let all that emotion, all that frustration, out. Try not to go into the new year carrying the same load you had this year.
I understand that not everything can be released that easily. We all know this past year was a rough one. We went from banana bread baking to murder hornets fast enough to make anyone’s head spin. The pandemic changed life for everyone. The political climate of this country has turned friends and families into enemies going to battle for causes they feel passionate about. I feel like there is still a huge weight sitting on my shoulders every day when I sign in to teach my classes from a remote location and see the struggles of my students. There are some things we will never be able to forget or just put on a list to burn because the scars are just too deep. But for those things that you’re holding onto and hurting yourself with, let them go.
Start A New Plan
When you’ve let go of the frustration and anger, you just might find that there is room in your heart to fill with hope for 2021. Start thinking about the goals you would like to achieve in the next 12 months.
Have you reevaluated your career through the pandemic and realized you want to go in another direction? If so, get started on the steps that will take you there. Maybe it is a new resume, applying to a continuing education program, or even taking a giant risk and starting your own business that is going to fill in a need that you saw as the world shut down. Whatever it is, be very specific in writing down what it is going to take to get you where you want to be. They taught us in the military to create SMART goals, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based. If you’re looking to make a huge shift in career, use that to help you stay on track.
Maybe you want to go into the new year with different goals for your relationships. Not just marriages, but friendship and family relationships. There was a lot of talk about our “quarantine bubbles” this year. The small circle of people we surrounded ourselves with and felt safe around during 2020. Personally, my bubble was very small. I let the germ issues of the year get into my head and let very few people near me. In my selectiveness I saw who was there for me emotionally when I wouldn’t let them be here physically. I was able to reflect on some friendships I put more effort into than I should have. I also got to reflect on what I want to see in relationships moving forward. At one low point I even wrote a letter to God with all of the things I want out of relationships that may come my way. I felt that if I didn’t say it to someone, even through prayer, that it was just dreams instead of a plan. I needed to write it all out so I could hold myself accountable. Obviously we can’t plan what relationships may come and go in our lives, but I could plan for how I would react to them when it happens. For me, having that plan is as important as planning any other goals.
Get Basic
Many people pick a word for the year that they want to focus on. If that is you, reflect on why the word for 2020 was still accurate even through the chaos. Look back at what you wrote this time last year and see why that word was something you wanted to make a priority. See how you were able to do it even in what is going to be a defining year in our history.
Personally, I picked rest for 2020. I am awful at slowing down and enjoying life. I will put so much on my plate that I can’t think straight so I truly wanted to be purposeful in resting. I wanted to find joy in the small moments and really invest my time in just a few things that were important to me rather than saying yes to everything and enjoying nothing. I always say God has a sense of humor when I make requests and this year was no different. When I started to say yes to too many obligations, the world shut down! I had no excuse not to rest. And I had no excuse not to re-evaluate what was important to me. I embraced time away from technology reading great books (and trashy books too). I became more selective in causes I worked with or worked for. I said no to more invites than every before because I was making my mental and physical well-being a priority over my social life. I may not have needed the world to close up to start to rest, but it certainly helped me. The lessons I learned this year will, hopefully, stick with me as we move forward.
While I haven’t yet picked my 2021 word, I know that when I do sit down to do so I will be looking at the year ahead with a different outlook than I have in the past. I think we all will be. This year, as horrible as it was, did make so many of us look at our lives and reprioritize what was valuable and what could be left in the past. I know the ball dropping at midnight won’t erase the past year, but hopefully it will be the fresh start many of us need.
