2021 Resolutions...No Thanks

2021 is here, and I have been listening to family and friends talk about what New Year resolutions they plan to follow. So I began thinking long and hard about the past year and the New Year ahead of me when it all of a sudden hit me.

I do not plan to make any New Years' resolutions at all this year...And this is why. Looking back over 2020, I began to realize just how many exciting and fun plans my family and I had looked forward to.

I also looked back on just how many canceled plans left us so disappointed. Now I realize that 2020 the year is not all to blame, and 2020 is getting a bad rap and bearing most of the blame.

Covid-19 found a way to blast every one of us. For my family, it started off with the cancellation of school. Fearing the unknown, I have to admit I was scared out of my wits. I never in my 5 decades on this planet ever dreamed I would see some of the things that have taken place in 2020.

People rushing the grocery stores, buying any and everything that could get their hands on. Come on now, we had a major toilet paper shortage. Grocery aisles were left empty. I mean it looked like a scene out of The Walking Dead show.

Schools remained shut down throughout the rest of the year, graduations, weddings, and big events were canceled daily. We all found ourselves stranded in our own homes for months.

The fear of contracting the coronavirus and the growing depression of just how quickly life, as we knew it could be ripped away, was and continues to mount.

Granted the grocery stores and suppliers are doing a great job of keeping items stocked. But who is to say when the next dose of major fear and panic will unfold.

So I have decided that in 2021 I will do things a little, or a lot different depending on how well the world does with the handling of Covid. First off I will not be making resolutions, instead, I will write out a list of things to accomplish that is really important.

Going into 2021 unaware of what the future holds is scary and tiresome, to say the least. So many unanswered questions arise. Who will be leading our country, will the COVID-19 vaccine help, can the United States pull together and get our people back to work?

That being said here are a few ways I will live my life differently from now on. First off I decided months ago that my family and I would not be caught off guard again.

I started buying a few extra groceries and supplies every week and turned my spare room into an extended pantry. Don't get me wrong, it is not a doomsday bunker it is far from it. It is just a few cases of water some canned goods and yes extra toilet paper. Just enough to set my mind at ease should a situation arise again that causes grocery shortages.

Next, I have been working on making my home more comfortable. I once read somewhere years ago that you should spend the most money on things you use the most. Well, I have to admit that has been the house.

Being on lockdown taught me it is good to have plenty of things to occupy your time, even if you are working from home. So I stocked up on a few new books to add to my to be read list, puzzles, games, and so forth.

I also have hobby supplies, I took up diamond painting and purchased a few kits. I have also added, and you will either laugh or shake your head in agreement to my pajama wardrobe finding was only buying the comfiest of attire these days.

We learned quickly how to shop online, making grocer click list and pickup orders. Basically learned to deal with what has been dubbed our so-called new normal.

I will work on showing my family and friends just how much they mean to me every day. Enjoy the little things more. Not take for granted that family dinner or occasional game night.

2020 really gave us all a new and up-close look into togetherness. It taught us just how much we really took our lives for granted, and how we could all survive in a slower-paced lifestyle.

It also taught us to appreciate each day, and not to take for granted that there will always be more time. Not to put off calling, or if you are able to visit your loved ones.

While later in 2021 we may slowly get back to business as usual, I know one thing I will forever be taking into the future the life lessons of 2020. So as I said I am not ready to make 2021 New Year resolutions, what am ready for is carrying on my life with this newfound gratitude and appreciation of life each and every day.