Well, here we are … 2021 has arrived. There were moments in 2020 when it felt like the year would never end, there were also moments of brightness amidst such a dark and bleak year.
Last year, my word of the year was RECONNECT. Although I didn’t spend anytime blogging after that initial post, January 2020 Melissa had no idea what was coming and how that word would be such a prevalent part of my life.
First, a bit of backstory. I live out in the suburbs and my commute is an hour and a half each way. Most of my commute is on the train, which means I have ample reading time, but I leave the house at 7 a.m. and return home at 6 p.m. daily. I love my job and I love where I live, so I would change this for the world, but with the onset of the pandemic and a switch to working from home, which is continuing at least part-time into 2021, it provided me with an extra three hours in my day. At first, I was filling that time with extra work time, but as I started to settle into a better work-life balance, I realized what a gift that extra time was. So, for the latter half of the year, I reconnected.
Yoga. I completed a bucket list item and did a 30 day yoga challenge and it was INCREDIBLE. Following the yoga challenge, I reconnected with making physical activity a priority in my life. While it’s not about the numbers on the scale, they are lower, but I also feel physically stronger and healthier than I have in years.
Writing. It’s mildly ironic that my online identify has been WRITER grrl reads for years, but I haven’t written much aside from blogging. I picked up my journal again in March and started writing daily to process my thoughts and feelings when the world was swirling out of control around me. The daily practice of writing was set aside when I started feeling more centered, but I also attempted NaNoWriMo in November as another bucket list item. The pressure of daily word counts, and such high word counts, isn’t for me, but I’m committed to continuing my project in 2021.
Crafting. I love being crafty and it’s another thing that I ‘never have time for.’ In 2020, I scrapbooked, sewed and bullet journaled and it was amazing.
Organization. Being stuck at home was the perfect excuse to go through things I’ve been hanging onto for years. I’ve never wanted to be a pack rat, but there are some sentimental items that I’ve carted from house to house, and I finally went through them all, digitized what I wanted to remember and THREW IT ALL AWAY. I cannot describe how liberating it was to let it all go.
Family. Spending more time with my boys at home led us to make the leap and adopt two kittens, Nala and Mila, two sisters who have completed our little family in the most perfect way possible.
What does this mean for 2021?
As we launch into a new year, I’m grateful for all that 2020 added into my life and all the moments of reconnecting with the things that I ‘never had time for’ before. In 2021, I want to continue that work and my word for 2021 is BALANCE. At first, I was going to choose FOCUS because I wanted to reduce the amount of social media and mindless scrolling and spend my non-work time on the things that I reconnected with in 2020; however, upon reflection, I also understand that sometimes I need that mindless scrolling and the engagement with those I’ve met online. For 2021, I will strive for balance. There will be times when that’s what I need, but also other times that I need to remember to set down my phone and pick up a book and read. A writer grrl writes, but a writer grrl also reads, and this girl is SO ready to read all of the things.
I can’t call it an official reconnection from last year because I’ve always been an avid reader, but 2020 was the year that I reconnected with a more balanced approach to book buying and it’s that focus that I want to carry forward into 2021. In 2019, I added 102 books to my shelves, starting the year with 123 unread books and closing the year out with 186. In 2020, I only added 26 books to my shelves, and closed the year with 148 unread books. While I don’t intend to limit my book buying in 2021, I know that I have become more intentional with what I purchase and more intentional about reading the books that I already own.
At some point in 2021, I anticipate that I may be returning to work in the office full time. When that day happens, I would still like to balance my work life with making time for the things that are important in life after I finish my commute home: being active, family time and exploring my creative side through crafts and writing. Hopefully, this will also include me posting here more regularly, but no promises.
Wishing you a safe and healthy 2021, friends, reconnecting with the things that bring you joy and finding balance and happiness wherever you are.
Writer Grrl Reads 