JANUARY 2021: Wow!

Welcome to 2021. This new year highlights the fact that the change in the calendar does not change a thing.

For the last 40 years, I’ve had concrete goals for each new year and I’d break them down into manageable steps and map them out. Many of my goals this past year were undermined by the restrictions of 2020.

This year, I’m going to shift my focus to developing new habits, instead of chasing specific goals. I’ve chosen pandemic proof habits that won’t be undermined by a lock down. I’ve always preferred a systems first approach, but I used to focus on my goal and develop the steps to get there.

I’m ready to accept that having limited social contact is a fact of life. Seeing people gather over New Year’s shows me that many other people are not ready to accept this as readily. The COVID numbers in mid-January will tell us what to expect for 2021.

I’ve been considering which habits I’m ready to shift. That’s a much different question than which habits I want to shift. Yoda taught us best: “There is no try”. What am I ready to shift?

Baby steps. I’m reading for an hour each day. I’m active (mostly walking) for an hour each day. If there’s a blizzard outside, I’ll play loud music and dance or (with an invisible rope) skip inside. I’m staying in bed for 8 hours. I can’t usually sleep that long, but I heard about the health benefits of sleeping more at the Silver Linings Summit! I’m going to ‘nest’ a bit each and every day. For me, that means doing something to make my place more comfortable and functional. I might sort a drawer or closet, organize some photos, or do some deep cleaning, but something every day. I’ve been in my apartment for a decade now, and it’s time for some primping. I wish I could be better at self-care, but I’m not sure that I’m ready to shift that habit. For now, I’ll say that the extra time in bed is my self-care.

There are also a few new writing projects that I’m keen to work on and I will block off time in my planner to create time. My life is brimming with business commitments and time for friends and family. New projects don’t ever just happen in my full life. When I reserve the time in my planner, I become more committed to it.

I also share my plans with friends to feel more accountable. I ask for accountability buddies and we ask each other about these projects. We will occasionally block off the same 3 hours to work on our own projects and talk briefly at the top of each hour to report how it’s going. It’s very motivating and fun to share the progress (or blocks) with each other! I’ll do whatever it takes to motivate myself to keep moving towards the best version of myself, through new habits. One step at a time.

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