Well, it is that time of year again, putting away the holiday decorations and gearing up for New Year’s Eve traditions. However, 2020 has been a tough year mentally, physically, and emotionally. After being at home for work, school, and play, we are ready for change. In 2020, we all have had time to reflect. In so doing, we have learned a lot about ourselves. Now is a perfect time to make resolutions that can piggyback on our learnings from 2020. However, just like years previous, how to keep those resolutions is difficult. Find out the top five resolutions for 2021 and tips on how to keep them for good.
- Travel more, but in a different way
Yes, 2020 was the year of staying at home. Many of us had to cancel travel plans or postpone them. Perhaps you ventured more in your own neighborhood or region, but now you’ve exhausted your local adventures. In 2021, a popular New Year’s resolution is to travel more. However, there won’t be many stamps on the passport. 2021 is the year of domestic travel and in a different way. With the rollout of vaccines, many will choose to travel safely in cars around domestically, choosing outdoor activities versus indoor museums, concerts, sporting events, and more. Although group travel has been popular, audio tours where you and your immediate family can learn on the go will be surging. Another great way to prepare for your road adventures is to get your technology up to speed. Get speedy, cell connectivity with a weBoost t-mobile cell booster.
To keep your travel goal in 2021, you must start now. First, put your travel plans on the calendar. Secondly, start researching your routes. This means buying books and audio guides online. Thirdly, make it known that you are planning a trip to get advice from your connections. Getting pictures and insider tips is a great way to stay motivated to accomplish your travel goals. When the date approaches, you may want to utilize these tips to beat travel boredom as well.
Lastly, with 2021 travel plans, most will do it differently in regards to accommodations. Most travelers will drive to a location and opt for smaller, independent accommodations like private cottages and/or cabins. This provides a way to have a safe home away from home. For the more adventurous, you may want to search for alternative accommodations like yurts, treehouses, and/or bungalows.
- Get fit by doing exercise you like
We all know the January 1st menu. We eat lots of fruits and veggies with low-fat proteins for a week or two. We increase our workouts at the gym. Then, by February, we are back at our normal, go-to menus with our favorite carbs and meats. Plus, our workouts at the gym are only a few times a week. Why? It isn’t fun for most to sweat while running, spinning, or climbing in place. By doing exercises you like, you can accomplish your fitness goals. So, what are you waiting for? Find an activity that you enjoy. Try riding a bike outside. Perhaps you like swimming. So, get a membership to your local pool for lap swimming. Even if you have never tried winter sports, perhaps this is the year for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Just like you can get inspiration from your connections for travel goals, do the same for your fitness and nutrition goals. Ask your social media friends and colleagues for recipes, workouts, and other fun additions to make your 2021 fitness goals come to fruition.
- Work from home in a comfortable office
Near spring of 2020, we all had to quickly turn our homes into remote working spaces. Many of us were unprepared and perhaps with little space to work with. Although the pandemic is gradually getting under control with masks and the vaccine rollout, we will continue to work remotely in 2021. However, many of us would like to work at home more comfortably. Making your workspace more efficient is not that hard.
You can give your at-home office a makeover with these tips. First, declutter your office space. Get organizers. Utilize all drawers, shelves, and perhaps buy additional organizers to remove piles and stacks of papers, books, and/or others. Secondly, separate your office space from your living space. If you have a separate room already, you are lucky, but not all of us all that fortunate. So, hang a curtain, purchase a dividing screen, or move the furniture to create a living space versus a working space. Lastly, your desk, chair, and computer screen must be positioned correctly and designed to be ergonomically healthy. If you have been using a dining room chair and a tv tray, go out and get a small desk and a chair comfortable for eight hours of work. Many select a yoga ball as a chair to break up the day comfortably. Finally, to get the motivation to makeover your office, ask your community. You can find a lot of great ideas from right next door or online.
- Balance learning at home and returning to school
2020 many students continued their learning online. Regardless of age from elementary school to postgraduate studies at the university level, around the world, everyone was remote learning. However, in 2021, a top resolution is to create a hybrid of learning, both from home and at school. The first step in this balance is to have technology that is up to date. Every learner should have a laptop or tablet that can be used at home as well as at school. Secondly, like the at-home office, the at-home classroom may not have been the best for learning in 2020. However, you can change the at-home classroom in 2021 for better results. The rule of thumb is to have a separate learning space. The bed is for sleep, but not for the math lesson as well. Make sure there are a good desk and comfortable chair. Also, it is essential that the lighting is good. You can get great examples of at-home classroom design from others. Ask your friends and colleagues online or search on Pinterest. To accomplish this resolution, you don’t have to recreate the wheel. Find something you like and imitate it, putting your own spin on it.
To transition back to going to school, being prepared is key. Make sure that all students have the basics down of wearing masks, washing hands, and social distancing. Then, discuss how playtime will be different. Emphasize that recess can still be as much fun, but with subtle changes. It may be a great online discussion to have with school administrators, teachers, and parents. In fact, a schoolwide checklist for how to implement the hybrid model would be ideal. Start the conversation with your school.
- Make healthier choices
We all can say that 2020 was a challenging year. Perhaps we watched a lot of movies and series. Likewise, we played many video games. All the while, we were snacking and perhaps drinking an adult beverage or two. In 2020, there were so many unprecedented stressors. Whether they were financial, family, or school-related stressors, 2020 was stressful. If you were like so many, you started to drink or smoke a bit more than regular.
In 2021, it is time to make healthier choices for destressing. Self-medicating by drinking or even smoking marijuana takes its toll after time. Why not choose a healthier way to relieve stress? Investigate forms of meditation that resonate with you. Many select gardening, taking a walk, getting out in nature, practicing yoga, playing an instrument, singing, and making art. If you have ever wanted to paint, knit, draw, or throw pottery, 2021 is the year to do it. Perhaps you have always wanted to learn to play the piano, guitar, or drums. Now, is the time to start a new healthy hobby. And, just like before, it is easier to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions when you have told your community that you are doing it. In doing so, your connections will support you through tips, pictures, and invitations to join them.
As we pack up our holiday decorations and eat the remaining leftovers, we are getting ready to greet the New Year. Not many of us would hesitate to say, we are eager for 2021 to arrive. 2020 was a roller coaster year, to say the least. However, from challenges, we can bounce back stronger and better. That’s why your New Year’s resolutions this year are so important.
Let’s celebrate 2021 by learning from the lessons of 2020. Make the resolutions above to be a better version of yourself. Keep motivated to accomplish your resolutions by sharing them with others. Allow your community to give you ideas, tips, and tricks.
If 2020 taught us anything it is that we are in this together. Here’s to traveling more, getting fit, having a comfortable at-home office, learning both at home and school, and making healthier choices in 2021.