Get ready for a brighter 2021…
2020 has been a disaster, let’s face it.
How are you feeling after your 2020? It is a year that will go down in history, for sure. So much has happened and it will be studied in future generations. I don’t think anyone (or many people) could have predicted it. So how can you ‘get over it’ and move forward into a 2021 where you thrive and grow?
The hard thing is that because of the global pandemic, that has made it difficult to operate a business, let alone plan for the future. to add to this, if you live in the UK there’s that little thing called Brexit which has impacted supply chains and business plans even further. If you work for a company in a ‘secure’ job your world may have been turned upside down from working in an office to being stuck at home (this could be a good or a bad thing). Whatever you have been through, mental health has been impacted. Our lives have changed significantly and getting used to this is something that is not simple.
So I wanted to share with you some top tips on how you can thrive going in to 2021…
1. What was the hardest part of your 2020?
Maybe it was the lockdown(s) and the fact that you couldn’t see your family. Or maybe it was that you were stuck at home and had to home school your children. Or maybe you live alone and the pandemic only made loneliness worse. Perhaps it wasn’t the global pandemic that impacted you adversely, maybe it was another element of your life altogether. You may have a job but have realised you don’t have a passion for it. Or you may have had other struggles with your health that has made the year tough. Take a moment to think about your hardest part of 2020. Get into the specifics and grab your journal and write it down if you can. Write a list of all the things you can think of that were challenging and ask yourself ‘why did I find that hard?’.
For me, the hardest part of my 2020 was learning how to feed my baby. I have been told many times how hard it must be to have been pregnant and become a mum in 2020 - the year of the global pandemic. However I am truly grateful for having my daughter and I try not to think of it as a tough year to have had a baby. Being pregnant and having a baby amongst a global pandemic is all I know now, so I have nothing to compare it to. My struggle this year has been with respect to breastfeeding. I could (and will) write a lot more about this but to just share a little for now... I thought it would be simple and it would come naturally. I had no idea how hard it would be. Amongst various challenges that made it more difficult for my baby and I to breastfeed, I persevered despite a lot of heartache and tears. I still have challenges now (5 months on) but overall we have got to a good place with it. To struggle with feeding your child is something that I never imagined and I would actually say in some ways it was harder than the labour part (which was pain like I’ve never experienced before!!). So there you have it - my hardest part of 2020!
2. What did you learn from 2020?
By taking time out to think about what you learnt in 2020 you can dig deep and find a positive in your challenges. When we go through hard times, the best thing we can do is to reflect on them and try to understand what we learnt. It may be that you learnt what you truly value in life (your health, your family perhaps). Or may be you learnt what you don’t like about your work (colleagues perhaps, or your commute!). Or maybe by being indoors more you found a new hobby or you realised how much you love getting outdoors in nature. Whatever your biggest learning from 2020 is, take it forward into 2021 for your future.
My biggest learning from 2020 was to trust my gut instinct. I talk about it a lot but sometimes its easy to ignore. Becoming a mother in the second half of the year has really given me the power to listen to my gut instinct more. I have had to make more decisions in a day than I ever thought was possible (or necessary!) and it can be tiring to question yourself all the time. I have learnt to truly listen to my gut, trust myself and follow my instincts.
3. What is your word for 2021?
The idea of entering 2021 may be a bit scary. We don’t really know how this pandemic is going to play out. It has impacted us financially, emotionally, and our lives don’t look the same any more. However a simple and fun exercise is to figure out what your word of the year will be for 2021. This is a word that you want to represent your year and take your forward for the future.
Here are some ideas:
Fun, Love, Care, Growth, Inspire, Create, Me, Happy, Joy, Bliss.
And for more ideas take a look at this great list too:
https://thegoalchaser.com/word-of-the-year/
In case you were interested, my word of the year is INSPIRE. My goal is to create a community of inspirational women who want to make an impact on the world and 2021 is my year of striving towards that goal. If you would like to be part of it take a look at my #goalswithlove community and register here.
4. What is your one big goal for 2021?
Finally and perhaps most importantly, what is your goal for 2021? Maybe you want to make a career move. Or perhaps you are looking to find love or to make changes in your relationship. You may want to achieve a weight goal or invest in something for your future. Think about what area of your life you want to prioritise for 2021 - is it health, wealth, love, spirituality or career? Maybe it’s a couple of these areas or maybe it’s all of them. Take some time to write down what you want to achieve in these areas and decide on one big goal for your 2021. Get your journal out and write down your goal because this will help clarify it in your mind and keep the goal in the back of your mind as you go about your daily life - just watch the opportunities open up.
My big goal for 2021 is to design my life around my businesses, figuring out how I juggle work with being a new mummy and create a community of inspiring women all at the same time.
If you want to work together on goal setting for 2021 get in touch for a free 15 minute chat.
Jennie, With Love xx
