2021 Goals – Why bother?
The start of a new year always seems like a great time to set new goals for yourself doesn’t it? It feels like the right time to assess where you have gotten to in the previous year and plan a way forward for the next year. I am not a big fan of formal resolutions, but I do always reflect at this time of year and think about the things I would like to achieve. 2021 goals seem a little harder though. Don’t you think?
2021 Goals – where to even start?
After the year we have all just experienced I am sure I am not alone in feeling like any form of planning is just setting myself up for disappointment? This is making setting any 2021 goals or even having hopes seem like a daunting activity. The truth is I don’t know where to start with my 2021 goals as I don’t know what I will be allowed to do.
**I realise I sound rather negative right now, but don’t worry I promise it won’t stay that way and there is a point to these ramblings honest!**
I did start to have a think about what I might like to achieve with the blog and with my CV writing business in 2021, but I immediately got brutally knocked back by the government closing primary schools across London. I am not saying I don’t agree with the decision, but it was certainly a shock to the system.
So does that mean I have given up? Should we all just be throwing away the idea of setting 2021 goals?
No I don’t think so…
After I had a bloody good cry about having to homeschool again and most of my time for business being taken away for the foreseeable future I pulled up my big girl pants (decidedly bigger after all the chocolate I ate during the Christmas break) and got planning…
Why is it important to set personal goals?
We (as a society) may not be able to set huge goals for life changes or extensive travels or even for our businesses due to the pandemic, but we do still have some things within our control and I believe there is still value in setting some 2021 goals however small they are.
According to the Peak Performance Center some of the benefits of setting personal goals are:
- Giving you control of your future
- Clearer focus on what is important
- Provides motivation
- Gives a sense of purpose
There are others, but these benefits that really spoke to me when I thought about my lack of motivation to plan for the future due to the uncertainty that we are all facing right now.
Giving a sense of control
Sure it is scary out there and it is an ever moving feast. None of us really knows what this year has in store for us, but if ever we all needed at least some feeling of control then this is surely it.
‘You may not be able to control every situation, but you can control how you deal with it’
Unknown
Setting goals really can make you feel a sense of control even when everything is out of control and that can be calming and reassuring especially if you are feeling any anxiety about the current situation.
Providing motivation and a sense of purpose
You may have noticed I haven’t written a blog post for a good few weeks and this speaks to my lack of motivation currently. I know I am not alone in feeling a bit bleurgh! With winter and tier 4 lockdown coinciding it is hard to think of things you want to do and to keep on motivating yourself to do things when frankly there isn’t that much to do!!
Goal setting can only help with this feeling. Setting a personal goal gives a person something to aim and as human beings we definitely need things to aim for to keep us going. It doesn’t even matter what that goal is I don’t think. It could be as big or as small as you like. It is the very fact of having a goal that helps your state of mind.
“Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.”
Robert H. Schuller
What 2021 goals am I setting?
This year I have decided to concentrate not on lofty goals of expanding my business or taking over the world, but instead to focus on me. After all I do still have control of what I do and how I behave.
My personal goals are firstly to start running again. During the past year I have let bad habits creep in. I won’t beat myself up about it as to be honest that bar of chocolate or glass of wine was very much needed some days and during a year where there were fewer treats and pleasures to be had I am ok with the fact that I ate a little more and drank a little more. However, at Christmas my husband bought me a dress and for the first time in around 3 years the size 12 was too tight. I won’t be returning it, but instead will go back to normal levels of eating and start running again.
In fact my goal is to return to doing a workout 6 days per week and eating properly. I will still be having a glass of vino though as goals should always be realistic right?!
I will take care of myself… By this I mean I won’t forget about myself. Have you found it an added pressure to keep a happy face on for the kids? I know I have. Even on days where I have felt scared or daunted or just down in the dumps about the pandemic I have worked hard to not let the kids feel it. That is tiring…
So this year whilst of course I will continue to shield the children from my fears I will make sure to give myself a break. So my goals is to take at least 15 minutes everyday where I sit quietly on my own. If I can get more then excellent, but I am making 15 minutes the minimum. That is enough time to listen to a meditation, to read a chapter of a book or do my gratitude journal. I know that achieving this goal will have a hugely positive effect on my mental health.
My last 2021 goal is to remember the lessons I learnt in 2020. Even if we get our dream of everything going back to normal I want to make sure that my family still has a slightly new normal. In 2020, as a family, we spent more time together outside, life was slower and we saw our local area with new eyes. I don’t want to forget that once everything goes back to normal.
My goal is to remember that further away doesn’t always mean better and to see more of the UK and that we don’t always need all the material things and to spend big in order to make memories and have fun as a family.
What do you think will you be setting goals at all this year or are you just in a wait and see kind of mood?
My only goal so far is to complete Dry January – 2 days in & so far so good!! #mischiefandmemories
That is a huge goal as far as I am concerned lol!
I find goal setting to be so motivating, and yet this is a challenging time with so many variables beyond our control.
Yes me too. Goal setting and gratitude journaling are really helping me
I like the humour in this post. I never feel sorry for those new to homeschooling having done it for around 6 years with little support or interest. Nice that people including myself now realise it is not at all easy to be mum and a facilitator of learning too. Makes me feel I was not so bad after all. I certainly need to set goals as I find my marriage took a lot of time and effort trying to save it and work out why it was not working so I am left with loads of time and space to think and of course sad at the changes even if they were necessary this can lead to negative spirals in my emotions. Have worked out a present and future focus is necessary and goals will help with that. I also reflect that we should prepare for the unexpected lol. I like the reminder you give that we can control how we react to things – I need that so much as my husband sets out to provoke me.I know self-care is vital right now even though I have unexpectedly got a shot at happiness I need to ensure I am ready to enjoy that to the full so lots of meditation, journaling and so on. Not sure running is for me but as I said prepare for the unexpected lol! Happy New Year to you and yours! #MischiefandMemories
I am so glad you enjoyed the post. This whole homeschooling thing is no more or less difficult than at any other time I guess, but for me the difference is that the majority of us now forced to homeschool are not people who ever wanted it and it has been thrust upon us without warning or chance to even think about how we could make it work. I know I am not cut out for it and with 4 little kids it is, for me, an insurmountable task to give each one of them what they need academically so it feels that I am doing them a disservice. I don’t want to be their teacher except as their mother. That said I will have to make it work and do my best. I will bet you did a great job.
I used to work in Learning and Development and one of the things that always stuck with me from the behaviourial development training was that idea that we can’t control other people and can only control our own reactions and responses to the outside world.
Happy New Year to you too and I was delighted to read about your chance for happiness. I never thought I could run either – I actually hated it, but now I struggle not to. It makes me feel so much better. Great to have you with us on #MischiefandMemories
One of my goals is to ramp up my workout plan and get back to 3 days a week. So far so good. Because of COVID, I now workout at home. I miss the gym terribly, however, I’ve found lots of great workouts online plus I ordered a few pieces of equipment to make sure I get a great workout. Wishing you the best this year with your goals. You can do it! #MischiefandMemories
Yes I miss my outdoor gym classes. Zoom isn’t quite the same, but it is much better than nothing so I am just focusing on doing at least 4 or 5 sessions a week to get back on track. Wish you all the best too and thanks so much for joining in with #MischiefandMemories
Happy New Year! I agree with you – it’s difficult to come up with goals when we’re in another lockdown but I have still written a few things down that I want to do, small things that will help me get through – like getting fit and trying new recipes x #MischiefAndMemories
Happy New Year to you too! Yes the little things and feeling like we achieved something each day will help I think.
I couldn’t agree more. I set some goals months ago and have only reviewed them now and realised that some need to change. I miss running, like a lot, so I bought a treadmill 🙂 Now my goal is to actually get on the darn thing! But in all honestly I think having personal goals somehow remove us from this sluggish mindset and help us move forward during a really difficult time. #MischiefandMemories
Yes exactly. I feel like if I don’t have some goals at least then I may lose it completely!
It’s hard to set big goals when so much is uncertain, isn’t it?!? I have written a list of goals for my blogging business which gives me something to focus on. I have also started a gratitude journal … well I haven’t written things down but as I get ready for bed I reflect on 3 good things for the day. Its made me feel much more positive even if we are just muddling through the days. I feel brighter days are ahead, so we just need to get through these next few tough months. #MischiefAndMemories
I started a gratitude journal this year too and I have been surprised about how positively it affected me.
I really agree that we don’t need the material things or to spend money on order to have fun and to make family memories. I wish you well with your business plans, I’m sure you will make every success of it when the time is right xx #mischiefandmemories
Thanks so much. I am trying to be relaxed about the fact that I have to put some plans on hold or I will go crazy trying to do everything including homeschool
I set the goal to run a marathon last year and was really getting into training till it was postponed twice. My motivation did drop a bit but going to get back to it!! New marathon date Oct 2021 so I need to get cracking! #mischiefandmemories
I can imagine how that would affect your motivation. How cool that you are doing that at all though!
We both wrote about goals this past week 🙂 Good on you setting some personal ones. At the moment, we are all about getting through the day and taking each as it comes hehe. #MischiefAndMemories xx
I am not going to say that I am achieving any of them 🙂
Whilst clearing my desk last weekend to find a notebook to write some goals for 2021, I found the page of goals from last year and hadn’t done a single one! I felt bad at first then thought of all the things I DID achieve over the year, yay me! #MischiefAndMemories