Goodbye 2020. Hello 2021!

2020 was the best year yet. Ha! Did I get your attention? 2020 was hard and at times really hard. So, I don’t have any problems saying Goodbye 2020.

There were so many adjustments and changes to make, sometimes weekly and I don’t really do well with disruption in my schedule. I’m a list maker and a planner and I don’t really like the unknown. So, for someone that doesn’t go with the flow, this year was hard. 

But, 2020 wasn’t all bad. 

As the end of each year approaches, I always get reflective. I tend to look back at what I accomplished and make goals for the next year. Funny for 2020 I didn’t set any goals. I was working on my first children’s book and was caught up in the process. I had some things I wanted to accomplish but I didn’t put them down on paper. Man, part of me is glad I didn’t. How many things would’ve been left undone?

So no goals set but I did accomplish some things but most importantly I learned some important lessons and learned a lot about myself.

He will provide for us. 

This was the biggest lesson for me. I’ve always tried to be in control (of everything) and never really trusted anyone to take care of me. But this year taught me God will provide for us. When the Bearded Rooster’s main contract job ended with ‘Rona, he had the opportunity of a big remodel project that lasted 6 months. As he was finishing up with that, another job presented itself. 

The uncertainty of his income was a stressor for me. But recently, as I was looking back on the year, I realized, God took care of us. He is faithful and will provide for our needs. 

We have enough 

I’ve been on a quest the last few years to live a simpler life but this year taught me that we have enough and we have a lot more than a lot of people. We purchased very little – mostly just necessities. Truly we don’t need much and this year taught me to be content with what we have. We are so blessed. 

Thankful

I have so much to be thankful for. It’s easy to get caught up in what you don’t have or things you wish you could do. But we have a roof over our heads, a warm bed to sleep in, food in the pantry, a healthy family, and supportive friends. There is really nothing more that we need.

Family (and relationships) is important

We do family night once a week and our adult kids come over for dinner. For the first month of the virus, we put our dinners on hold. Then I realized, I really look forward to our weekly dinners. It wasn’t just about eating but about being together and making a connection. We were all being cautious with hand washing and staying home but mentally I needed to see my kids. Family is important. 

Be prepared for disasters. 

The Bearded Rooster is a novice prepper but once the virus started I got on board. Herb had quite a few things put back, like tuna and beans, but now we have a system. The food was haphazardly in our cabinets but now we have our preps in storage tubs. Each tub has items grouped together that we could make several meals from plus salt, powdered milk, flour, and sugar. Total, we have a good month’s worth of food.

I also came up with a system to check the expiration dates and we will rotate out food and eat it as needed. Then I started writing down recipes instead of relying on the internet. What would you do if you couldn’t access Pinterest?

Do you have an emergency fund? If you don’t, set one up. Any amount you can put back will help in case of a disaster, natural or other.

Self Care

It’s so important to take care of yourself. There is nothing like some “me” time. No one asking you for anything or where something is or if you can help with something. Just peace. I truly believe you need time for yourself to refuel your soul. With everyone at home and on top of each other, it may be hard to do it but make time in your schedule. You deserve it. 

Be Flexible

This is still hard for me but 2020 gave me a lot of good practice. This will be something that I continue to work on in 2021

So, I decided I will make goals or resolutions for 2021. I was leaning towards not making any but I think this will help me to stay focused. I’m working on my second children’s book and hope to release it in the next few months. The illustrator is working on it currently! 

I want to try and do some school visits, craft shows, and fairs. (If ‘Rona lets us)  Herb wants to sell honey and see what else we can do. I’m going to reach out to some local stores to see if they will sell my children’s book. These things are definitely out of my comfort zone but with the growth I’ve had this year, I’m going to do it.  

I’m ready to say Goodbye 2020 and Hello 2021.