How to Do Goals in a Pandemic

I was thinking about goals last night and how the pandemic impacted my goals in 2020 and if it's going to impact mine for 2021. 

In 2020 I had this massive list of 50 things I wanted to do. Suffice it to say, 75% of them had to get scratched out because they required being in public or going to a restaurant or something that meant you could get the 'rona.

This year's list is only 30 items. I wouldn't call them goals as much as things I'd like to do this year. Some are my actual goals like reading and cooking and such. There are several on here that I'm almost sure won't happen, but it's worth dreaming a little.

So with very little fanfare, here's the list:

1. Travel to a new country (this is one of the 75% that may not happen)
2. Pay it forward - buy a strangers coffee
3. Donate quarterly
4. Do a good deed without explanation
5. Send flowers to someone
6. Go on 2 road trips
7. Visit Paul and Suzanna in Bellingham (or someplace in the middle)
8. Go for a walk on the beach
9. Watch a sunset for real (not out your front door)
10. Try 10 new restaurants (if we can)
11. Go to Space Needle restaurant (if we can)
12. See a movie in the theater (if we can)
13. Read 50 books or 15,000 pages
14. Follow a cleaning schedule that includes the big stuff we forget (windows, baseboards, etc)
15. Ride a ferry
16. Buy a new mattress
17. Complete your outstanding online classes
18. Complete your TBR Leadership books
19. Complete you movie watch list
20. Finish the marvel movie list
21. Plan and complete 5 scrapbook projects
22. Review / Revise the Will and update the "death" book
23. Book a date or two with a friend you haven't seen
24. Bake a treat quarterly
25. 125 new recipes
26. Visit MOHAI (if we can)
27. Visit NW Trek (if we can)
28. Visit Tillicum Village (if we can)
29. Take the elevator to the top of Columbia Tower (if we can)
30. Do 10 wine tastings

Phew. I'm tired just typing it. Like I said, these aren't "goals" as such, but things that I like to try to remember to do. It helps my life keep in balance a little by doing some different things. 

In other news, we have today off to celebrate MLK. I had forgotten, or didn't realize it, until a colleague reminded me on Thursday. What a gift to realize you have an extra day off. I spent part of the morning reviewing some of his speeches and reading some of his story. What an amazing man. So ahead of his time. This is one of my favorite quotes from him: 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So long 2020...it wasn't fun. 

Hello 2021...please be kind to us and our frayed nerves. 

I didn't stay up last night. I rarely do anymore. I mean, it's just another day. The universe had another plan for me though.

The new neighborhood, apparently, are allowed fireworks. They started around 8pm and were periodic. 

I went to bed around 10:30. Fell asleep and then was bolted awake at midnight. The amount of fireworks going of was amazing. And not the small ones. M80s are apparently the firework of choice up here in the hood. 

In addition, the neighborhood exploded in HAPPY NEW YEAR cheers. I had to smile at how loud it was from all the different condos. 

So here we are...2021. I'm still working on the full list of goals. I feel like there are a couple different ones I want to work on, but they haven't quite bubbled to the brain and haven't been formed into words. 

The regular ones are:

• 50 new books, or 15,000 pages
• 125 New recipes (up'd this from 100)
• Up the 401K by 2%
• Squash the random spending (practice the "need" versus "want")
• 300 scrapbook pages (I hit 340 this year, but without a major trip last year, this goal will be a touch one)
• Pick a charity for the year and donate monthly

The other thing that the world does is the "one little word" concept. I've tried this a couple of years in a row and usually make it about 90 days before I forget, or just don't care. I have one friend who's doing "12 words" this year. One for each month. Her theory is your life shifts and changes, so why be so rigid on "one little word". I kinda like that. I'm not going to do it, but I like it. 

Instead, I want to focus on a concept. The election this year showed me that I get worked up over the smallest of comments, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to sway or change the minds of people. So my "one little concept" is going to be LET IT BE. We'll see how that goes. 

Happy New Years everyone. Here's to making 2021 just a little brighter.