Happy New Year 2021!

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the first day of the new year than outside with fresh air walking in a beautiful snowfall.

I’ve spent this week reflecting on the year, like I’ve done each year for sometime. Thinking about the things that I accomplished. Thinking about the things that I want to accomplish as life moves forward. For the last few years I have started each year with a word for the year. My word for 2020 was “Create”. Who knew that word would became so relevant as most of us spent much of 2020 “Creating”. Creating new ways we would do our jobs, creating new ways of learning, creating new ways we would attend an exercise class, creating new ways to visit family and friends and celebrate special occasions or holidays, even creating new ways to grocery shop!

Although 2020 was a challenging year and brought so much heart ache to so many, we were fortunate that our family stayed employed, stayed healthy, grew in size and our relationships within the family grew. We worked on projects, this year encouraged us to spend more time outside, this year helped initiate important conversations with family and friends and it allowed me extra time to work on and camp in Effie. This year opened my eyes to some of the unhealthy things occupying my time. On October 1st I said good-bye to my role as a WW Ambassador, Facebook and Instagram. Those particular social media outlets had become an unhealthy time sucker and practically a depressant for me. I may go back at some point, but for now I’m enjoying my time away from those.

For many reasons, I leave 2020 feeling grateful.

I have a lot of ideas of what I’d like to accomplish in 2021 and how I’d like to spend my time. This will be the third year that I’ve chosen a “Word” for the year. I needed a word for this year that would keep me motivated, inspired and encouraged to do what I’d like to do. Choosing a word for the year has worked well for me these past two years, and as silly as it may sound, I need the perfect word!

When I think about 2021, what I want to do the most is grow. Growing means learning. I thought about both of those words a lot. Grow. Learn. When I think about the particular areas that I want to learn and grown in, (some small, some big) they are things I’ve thought about before and I realize that it was fear that was holding me back. Fear.

Fear of failing. Fear of judgment from others. Fear of lack of support. Fear of not understanding. Fear of feeling overwhelmed at the learning process. Fear of simply not being good enough at whatever it may be, small or large. Fear of the unknown. None of us want to fail. But the reality is, if I don’t jump in and try these new things and put myself out there, I won’t be able to grow in the way that I want to grow and I’ll always wonder, could I have done that thing that I was afraid to do? And, maybe not. But I’ll know that I believed in myself enough to at least try. And damn it, I like the way that sounds.

My word for 2021. Fearless.

Certainly not everyone needs a word for the year, but I would love to know what you’re looking forward to in 2021!

Thank you as always for your continued support as this little corner of my world here on the blog evolves each year and I never really know what it will look like, but you stick with me.

New here? Thank you for stopping by and I certainly hope you’ll come back!

Here’s to a year of Health and Happiness more than ever before!

“love the life you live, live the life you love”

9 thoughts on “Happy New Year 2021!

  1. I love how you always create such an ambience of inspiration and promise. Your posts are truly a breath of fresh air, especially as we get this new year off and running. And that snow … I can’t thank you enough for sharing these photos for those of us who don’t get near enough of the stuff. Beautiful! Happy New Year, my fearless friend!

  2. wow!!! Fearless is the most appropriate word for this year – especially with COVID – so many people are freaked out! Thank you so much for this – I needed it – I’m working on doing something every single day for me – made an amazing WW recipe tonight for dinner with leftover turkey from New Year’s Day – changed it up a little and actually lowered the smart points and it tasted like “Thanksgiving.” I rode my bike on New Year’s Day – even though it was pretty chilly out – did some stretching, yoga and breathing yesterday – baby steps – all add up to a healthier me – so for me, the word I need to focus on every single day is “LOVE” – self love, that is!

  3. Julie!

    Happy New Year! Once again you’ve touched my heart. You said exactly the things that I needed to read. I, like you have the same thoughts I can do so much more, but always the fear of failing holds me back. So very true that you will never know how far you can go without trying. Must work on that this year.

    Thank you for this blog and for your insight. Always brings me comfort that I am not alone. Here’s to a wonderful 2021! Best always, Lu

  4. You can do this Nancy! Don’t overwhelm yourself with big goals. Start small. What’s one small thing you could do this week? Come to my virtual workshop! I would love to have you! Let me know if you need details on how to make that happen! If you can’t join through the zoom app on your phone or your tablet then you can call in on your phone. Friday morning 9 AM central time! Let me know if you need more information and I’d be more than happy to share it with you and have you join me!

  5. Determined/resolute
    I have to get my weight down enough to get my legs in/out of a car.
    I’m down to only going to doctor appointments and I want to do more.
    I may think determined but it’s in the plans I make that will make it possible.
    So I have my journal going and planning has started.
    I might complete my cleaning out of my apartment finally or even more important make it to a WW meeting!
    Spring holds a lot of possibilities.

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