2021: New Hope in a New World

Each new year, many of us wake up on the first day thinking that the coming year will be different. There are new plans that we call resolutions. There is new hope. There is a new zest for change. There is a sense that things will be better.

This year, 2021, there truly IS new hope. So much hope. Face it, 2020 was a dark year. But, 2021? Well, it's not going to be perfect, but there is hope.

For one thing, a vaccine is being rolled out to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic that made 2020 one weird year. Yes, that is most definitely something to celebrate and means that at some point this year things just might start to return to "normal".

Many of us are also feeling good about the United States having a new president. Yes, some aren't so happy and even stormed the Capitol building in Washington to show that displeasure. But, for those of us who are pleased to see this changing of the guard, once again, we have hope and something to celebrate. It felt like a dark 4 years with Trump in power. Biden brings the hope of stability and normality to a world that has seen so much tumult.

So, the world seems a little brighter for many of us already in 2021.

On a personal level, oh boy, do I have plans. Write lots, do more painting, make more money, lose lots of weight! Indeed, big, big plans. But, I also know that it is important to be realistic.

Last year, I was part of a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) group that focused on anxiety. I've been in these groups before, and find that I get a great deal out of them. They are helpful, especially when it comes to approaching all of those goals I have above.

It is easy to get overwhelmed. When I look at that list, I feel a bit overwhelmed indeed. So, as I have learned, it's good to break this list down into more manageable chunks.

Instead of looking at this big, vague goals, I need to start breaking them down into much smaller, easily achievable goals that will get me closer and closer to my eventual big goal.

For example, I want to lose weight. Okay, that's a pretty big goal. Now what? What do I have to do to achieve that? Well, I need to take a whole pile of little steps, right? So, for example, I need to start walking. Do I have to walk 2o miles on my first day? Heck no. In fact, that's a bad, bad idea. No, I need to start small and make a reasonable goal. Okay, so what do I do? Maybe I will look at the coming week and say, "Okay, for three of these 7 days, I am going to take a 10 minute walk." Is that an achievable goal? Yes. Absolutely. This is far more manageable, and gets me closer to my goal.

So, a new year and new resolutions is also requiring a new way to think about how I am going to achieve the lofty goals that I do have and hopefully ensure my success. I have a far better chance of succeeding at these things if I am able to break them down into manageable chunks.

But, these external factors, like the fact we have this vaccine that will hopefully end the Covid-19 pandemic, really take a load off of my mind. All last year, it seemed that so much awful stuff was out of my control. The pandemic was not something that I had any power over. Lockdowns and restrictions have been imposed, and again, I, heck WE as a collective whole, have had no control over any of it. So, the fact that a vaccine is out now means that the situation is going to improve. And I'm grateful. It's a weight off of my shoulders.

I can control how I approach losing weight or achieving career goals, and having the right approach is empowering. I don't have control over things like pandemics or the President of the United States. That can overwhelming. So, the fact that those things are changing in a positive way is a relief. And it's a relief that makes 2021 a more promising year than that darn 2020 that so many of us were happy to see end.