Never more ready for a new year

As we reflect on the past year, I think we all deserve a ‘hall pass’ if few (or even none) of last year’s New Year’s resolutions were fulfilled.

I have renewed faith in setting high goals for 2021. Not to tempt fate, but it feels like things couldn’t get much worse than they did this past year — so why not shoot for the stars in the next one?

To achieve what I’ve coined ‘The Best Year Ever’, my first goal was to get a Franklin Planner, which is basically a fancy, paper-based time management system. In other words, it’s an expensive day planner that’s supposed to help you reach your goals.

After an extensive Google search, I realized that many of these planners were well out of my price range. In the end, I decided on a very affordable Go Girl Planner. While still functioning as a day planner, it also has sections for writing out your overall life goals, as well as your top goals for the upcoming year and for listing daily habits that will help you achieve those goals.

As disappointing as this year has been, one silver lining is that, in some respects, it feels like anything is now possible in 2021. It’s a new year, fresh with new possibilities and opportunities. And while I understand that realistically we may be halfway through 2021 before life begins to return to any semblance of normality, it does feel like there’s a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Physical distancing will eventually come to an end and we will never again take for granted the simple pleasure of coming together as friends and family to celebrate milestones and to just enjoy life.

So, with the new year in sight, I will take my Go Girl Planner and fill it with my all hopes, dreams and aspirations. Even though I know deep down that only a small fraction of these may come true, it feels really good to think about positive outcomes for the future.

I know it’s a cliché, but sometimes we need a little rain to appreciate the sunshine. And I hope to soak up as many rays as 2021 has to offer.

Heather Innis is a community correspondent for Windsor Park. You can contact her at htiede@gmail.com