And what I’m embracing as we settle into 2021…
Today’s Mantra: I am choosing to move forward without the baggage of last year’s turmoil holding me down and back from manifesting a more restorative living experience.
As I mentioned in my last post, I don’t have any new goals or resolutions for the new year. My only plans are to continue making progress on old goals; goals that rolling over from last year to this year.
And so below is a list of what I’m leaving behind in 2020 and/or continuing to work on in pursuit of a better version of myself, internally and externally, throughout 2021.
20 Things I’m Leaving Behind in 2020
1. Making daily lists with more than 5 to-do’s – We’re (me, myself and I) prioritizing and keeping things as simple as possible.
2. Underwire bras and thongs – I think I may have worn a legit bra like 4-5 times in 2020? The tig ol bitties really enjoyed their freedom and soooo, last month, I purged all my wire bras; keeping only my sports bras and bralettes. Same goes with thongs, which have always felt like wedgies to me. If it isn’t a seamless boyshort or granny panty, the lady parts don’t want it.
3. Saying ‘yes’ when I really actually want or need to say ‘no’ – Tis the year to continue reaffirming my boundaries and max capacity for optimal self-operation.
4. Fear of failure influenced procrastination – Waiting till the last minute to do something because I get wrapped up mentally on the possibility of failing, overthink the whole process and shut down. BUT then knock it out the park on execution when I finally do do whatever that thing my be… Alllllllllll that stress = For nothing. It’s a bad habit that I’ve been getting better with catching myself and will keep working on.
5. Size ‘large’ tops – I don’t own a weight scale so I’m not sure if I’ve actually lost any weight… But working out consistently all last year has got me feeling more confident in my body. So, in 2021, we’re transitioning to size ‘medium’ and the silhouette is coming out.
6. Not celebrating myself and my accomplishments – Of course, there’s always room for improvement but, this year, we’re gonna celebrate all forms of progress, even the tiny ones. *Case in point, every year I get a new journal but then end up never filling it out. But this year, I’ve already written in my new journal every day now for the past four days and am feeling pretty darn proud of myself.
7. Setting expectations on people without letting them actually know what those expectations are – No more talking around the bush when it comes to ‘responsibility’. We’re going to continue being clear and direct in communication when it comes to this.
8. A slouched posture – Went for my annual dental appointment and mentioned that I was having some jaw pain. In response, Dentist noted that 1) bad posture can affect my upper back, neck and head alignment which then affects the alignment of my jaw and 2) she shared that it looks like I clench my jaw (hello bodily manifestation of stress) and gave me some daily exercises to help release the tension. So basically, we’re standing and sitting taller this year.
9. Speaking of sitting… No more sitting for longer than an hour at a time – The booty and lower body deserve better blood circulation.
10. Crusty lips – If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to find the right lip regimen to keep the dry, cracky crust away this year. I do pretty well for myself but then the week of my period hits and these lips go to sh*t. First attempt will be to try out lanolin per Disa’s recommendation.
11. Dehydration – I got a gallon water bottle last year. Filling and drinking it all of it by the end of everyday was a struggle at first and I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom for the first couple of weeks which was annoying. But lately, drinking the whole bottle has been getting easier and less annoying.
12. (to piggy back on 11) Drinking more than two servings of any alcoholic beverage – that’s my limit and I’m sticking to it. No need to drink more to have a good time. Operation ‘no more hangovers for the rest of my life’ and also ‘stop trying to act like you’re in your twenties’.
13. Not trusting my creative instincts – I’ve got great ideas and they deserve to be realized, not muted. We’re going to continue experimenting and trying out ideas instead of throwing them in the mental trash box.
14. Reading and responding to text messages in my mind, forgetting about the person and their message completely and then responding weeks later – It’s so sad to reflect back on but my basic communication etiquette really went down last year. Sooo this year, I’m making an effort to not read messages unless I’m in a space to legit respond. That way, the messages will stay bold and ‘unread’ so I can be reminded that I read and respond, via actual finger typing, in a timely manner.
15. Low vibrational and highly processed foods – Went through a couple emotional binge eating/ordering take out episodes last year that made me feel horrible afterwards (sorry booty and budget). But towards the end of the year, I established a Sunday morning routine now includes veggie-based meal planning for the week (with one seafood option, if we’re craving ‘meat’) and ordering groceries for pick up later in the day and we’re gonna keep it going.
16. Paper books – Charles surprised me with a Kindle; which my initial reaction was both ecstatic and mournful. Ecstatic because now I can have all my library and purchased books in one place to read in a more sustainable way. Mournful because ‘bye bye’ paper. I think I may still buy ‘special’ books in paperback but, for the most part, your girl has moved over to the dark, digital side of reading.
17. Code-switching and respectability politics – this more so applies to how I present and advocate for myself and others in my 9 to 5. It’s been tough because my job is my main source of income and I don’t want to mess with my financial security, especially right now during these pandemic times. But I’ve been pushing myself to speak up more on issues in the workplace that I normally wouldn’t. Some of those times have resulted in positive changes, others – not so much. But at least, I still have my integrity at the end of the day and that’s what matters most.
18. Doomscrolling – I’ve gone through and purged all accounts don’t serve me and the only apps I have on my phone now are instagram and twitter. Time limit is set for one hour a day of digital consumption and when I reach that usage limit, the apps deactivate till the next day.
19. Overplanning – I’ve gotten better with letting go of control and going with the flow more. Going to continue to lean into change and surf any kind of wave that may come my way this year.
20. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep every night – In 2021, the alarm is set for 9:30pm every night and we’re getting our REST.
What are you leaving behind in 2020 and embracing in 2021?
xo, Setarra
P.S. In case you’re curious, I got my 2021 planner and Five Year journal via the bundle pack from Unbound Planner – so far I’m enjoying the design and format of both. And I have the Kindle Paperwhite and this is the cover I got for it – I love how the cover has a table stand and hand-free strap, makes reading super convenient in any setting, i.e. no fear of my Kindle dropping on my face when reading in bed. (not sponsored)
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