Make 2021 the Year of YOU

And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.

―Rainer Maria Rilke

Wow, what a year.

To say that 2020 was “challenging” would be an understatement. After the events of the past year, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all ready for a fresh start.

Even though the end to the pandemic is (finally!) in sight, we aren’t quite in the home stretch yet. The next several months will be full of lots of hard questions: How will the new COVID-19 vaccines be distributed? How long will it take for schools and businesses to return to normal operation? Will the Saints make it to the Super Bowl?

(I will admit that in the big picture that third question isn’t quite as significant as the first two. But as a New Orleans girl, I definitely have it on my mind! ?)

Much of the goings-on in the world are beyond our control, which can be frustrating and maddening and incredibly irritating. One way to deal with that, though, is to focus on what we can control. And that’s why, after feeling mostly helpless through much of 2020, I’ve resolved to make 2021 the year in which I seize control of the things that truly matter to me.

Welcome to the Year of Me.

In 2021 I hereby commit to:

• Appreciate time with friends while also appreciating time with myself. I will choose quality over quantity in my social interactions. I will also consciously refrain from overbooking my schedule.
• Let go of “perfect.” I recognize that holding myself to unrealistic standards is unhealthy (“perfect” is not an attainable goal) and does nothing to help me to manage the chaos of today’s world. Instead of aiming for “perfect,” I will give my all while not losing site of what is best for me.
• Stop dwelling on what I can’t control. I can try to influence others to do what I want or need them to do, but their decisions and actions are ultimately their own choices. I will let go of what I cannot control and instead focus on my own actions and attitudes.
• Find something positive in each day. Life is far from perfect, but even among the negatives there is always at least one positive (and often many more, if you search for them!). I will find the joy in each day.
• Stop being hard on myself. Months of being trapped alone in my condo have left me stuck with only my own perspective—which is often more negative than it should be. I will stop being self-judgmental and will instead remind myself that not only am I good enough, but I am also actually pretty awesome. 
• Focus on what matters to me. Like many people, I am overextended. I say “yes” way too often and end up taking on things that don’t truly matter to me. I will start each day by asking myself “What am I going to do for me today?” and making the answer to that question my priority for the day. 

I encourage you, too, to make 2021 the Year of Me! Um, I mean the Year of You! (Well, you know what I mean.) 

Write up your own list of personal goals for next year. Feel free to use mine as a springboard or come up with something completely different. The important thing is to chart the path to your own happiness and fulfillment—and then follow it!

Here’s to the Year of Me and to the Year of You! 

Here’s to the Year of Us All!

Hugs and best wishes for 2021,

Val