2020 Reflection + Goals for 2021

I was reading over my goals for 2020, and although they were written pre-pandemic, they still were really applicable to the year overall... not going to lie, I typically forget about my New Year's goals after a few months each year. However, despite not intentionally focusing on my goals, they really did shape my year. Today I am going to unpack my 2020 goals and share what my goals are for this year!

2020 Reflection

My big goal in 2020 was to focus on me. In 2019 I remember being very all over the place with life, friends, relationships... constantly just focusing too much energy on other people, what they were doing, etc. In 2020, most likely due to the pandemic, I spent a lot of time with myself, focusing on myself, and as odd as it might sound, I think my mental health is better / stronger than it has ever been because of it. 

I credit a lot of this to being alone in my apartment in Madison throughout the spring/summer at the height of the pandemic. Because I hadn't yet started my post-grad job, I spent the majority of my days taking walks, going for runs, blogging casually, trying new recipes, and watching the sunset. In short, I spent my time relaxing, doing whatever I wanted to do, and it made me realize what is important to me!

Mid-summer I also started to drink less. In college, I was pretty wild, and as soon as I graduated in May, I realized 1. I get hungover now, and 2. it's actually more fun to drink less. You guys know how much I love a glass of wine, and I was very into trying new wines and visiting breweries this fall, but I have limited my hard alcohol intake dramatically. It's just not something I'm interested in right now! 

Some other goals in 2020 were to read more, eat more vegetables, and post what I want. I feel good about the 19 books I read in 2020 but definitely could have spent *much* less time on my phone and more time reading. I also still fall into the Instagram trap and know I have room to grow in sharing more content on my IG that is more "me" -- more on both of these below!

2021 Goals

I started writing this post yesterday and got through the above (2020 Reflection) but when it came to this part... I was like... um, I don't know? I feel like in "normal" years I have a pretty good sense of where I want to improve and things I want to achieve, but this year, it's just like... well, who knows what's going to happen? Do I set goals for my life at home or goals for post-pandemic life? So, I'm keeping it simple with the goals and setting more "lifestyle-ish" intentions rather than things I want to "do/accomplish"... I don't know if that even makes sense but it does to me... kind of, haha.

1. I am committed to doing Dry January this month! // I am actually really looking forward to it. I mentioned above how I tried to drink less in 2020. I've always struggled with feeling very mentally "guilty" after I drink... like I did something wrong or I was being weird or crazy while I was drinking. Just an overwhelming feeling of shame/guilt/embarrassment... At times, that can be much worse than the physical hangover for me! I am curious if taking a month off of drinking and not experiencing any "moral" hangovers will motivate me to drink less throughout the rest of the year, too. We shall see! (let me know if you're doing dry January too!! I'd love to do it together!!)

2. I want to spend less time on my phone in the mornings and before bed. // I am on my phone quite a bit during the day, which honestly doesn't bother me too much... I know when to put it down when I should, like while I'm working or while I'm hanging out with people. But in the mornings when I wake up, I would love to start my day without scrolling through Instagram first thing. I think it would help set me off on the right foot. Same with bedtime!

3. Read more! // Would just be a much more productive use of my time than scrolling endlessly through IG all of the time. Plus, I have such a big list of books I want to read already! They're all on my Goodreads page here.

4. Post more "real" content on IG // I put a lot of pressure on the pictures that end up on my IG feed and it's super taxing. And... I know it's the reason why I dwindle instead of grow on the platform. I just would like to post more content this year, content that I like! 

& That's really it! In past years I put a lot of pressure on myself when it came to my health and habits like that, but this year I feel good about how often I work out, what I eat, how much water I drink, etc. I prioritize doing what makes me feel good and that's my plan for this year, too!

Oh, actually one more goal!! When my nails chip I want to take the nail polish off immediately instead of staring at chipped nails for days!!! Lol. 

What are your goals for 2021?

xoxo