New Years Resolutions | 2021

I am usually not one to make yearly resolutions.

Mainly because I forget, but also because there’s already so much I want to do in a year that I don’t want to pressure myself to feel like I have to accomplish a specific goal. However, since 2020 was such a terrible year–in which I feel like I accomplished nothing–I’ve decided to make a few goals for myself in 2021.

And yes, I’m aware that it is the end of January already; who says goals have to be made right on the first day of the year?

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1. Read More Books

When I was younger, there was nothing I loved more than a good book.

I used to read so much, to the point where it was sort of an obsession; but in recent years, I haven’t reached for a book as often as other hobbies I have. During my high school summers, I averaged one book a day–sometimes two, if I was really dedicated. And that concept seems so foreign to me now.

Last year, I only read 20 books. And I was so confused when I realized this because I didn’t leave my house for months due to the pandemic. Why didn’t I read more? Lord knows I buy too many of them–many of which I haven’t read yet–and my to-read list is just getting longer by the day. So, why is it so difficult to pick up a book these days?

What ever the issue is, I want it to go away. I want to love reading like I used to.

The one thing I genuinely believe in is that reading opens a lot of doors. Not only does picking up a book make you think better, but it also makes you more empathetic. Reading helps you feel alive; connected with yourself and others–especially people who’ve read the same book as you.

Reading is dreaming with open eyes, which I definitely need more of in the new year.

2. Write Enough Poems to Fill a Book

Like reading, I’ve been straying from writing.

These are two things I love more than anything else in this world; they’ve shaped me into the woman I am today. I would be nothing without words, but I haven’t invested much of myself into writing in so long. This is quite unfortunate because I feel like words are always threatening to spill out of me.

My imagination runs a thousand miles per hour, which is both good and bad. Good because it means I always have ideas, but bad because it means I stay up all night thinking too much.

So, this year, I want to write more. And not just more, but everyday (if I can, of course).

I’ve always wanted to be a published author–of novels, poetry, memoirs, an autobiography…I don’t know. I guess all of the above eventually, but poems are a good starting point. And maybe everything else will fall naturally into fruition.

3. Go Somewhere I’ve Never Been

If 2020 made me feel anything, it’s wanderlust.

Don’t get me wrong, I like being at home. My introvert-self has been reveling in not having to go anywhere. However, as much as I love the security my room brings, I also love seeing the beauty the world has to offer.

I miss day trips. I miss exploring. I miss discovering a fantastic new restaurant or coffee shop. I miss asking my friends, “what are you wearing?” just to end up picking the exact same outfit. I miss the fresh air in the mountains, and even more so the sand beneath my feet at the beach.

I miss living.

The horrors of 2020 really consumed me to the point where I forgot that it’s okay to breathe and enjoy life. Socially distanced, of course. Even in the midst of an awful world, time is still ticking by. Life waits for no one, which means I can’t expect things to happen on their own. I have to make those adjustments myself.

And what I want is a new perspective–beyond my bedroom walls. Somewhere new. Somewhere exciting.