I Am Ready for 2021

December 24th, 2020. Christmas Eve. 

As we approach the end of each year, I like to spend some time writing out reflections and setting intentions for the new year.

This year I'm lucky to be spending the holidays at home in Kentucky with my mom and stepdad. 

As everyone knows, 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year. The world faced the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide the virus has taken 1.77 million lives, over 300 hundred thousand in the United States, almost 20,000 in New Jersey, and just shy of 3,000 in Kentucky. Sometimes big numbers can feel too abstract to grasp the gravity. But unfortunately, so many people have been touched by this pandemic that most people know faces and names associated with the numbers. A parent, grandparent, friend, colleague, family member, neighbor. Let us take time to remember and honor these folks. 

Then, of course, there's the impact of the virus has on our everyday lives. On scale I've never experienced in my lifetime and hope to never experience again.  Canceled trips, weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other milestone events not celebrated in person. Students, teachers, parents, and school administrators, who've grappled with online learning. Furloughs, unemployment, and businesses closing. Social isolation, anxiety, and fear. This year, we also experienced the devastating losses of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Daniel Prude, and Rayshard Brooks. Not from the COVID-19 virus but from the more insidious and implicit virus of systemic racism and injustice. We experience the ongoing and imminent devastation of the climate crisis. 

The list is endless. 

For myself, I had to cancel trips -- to Hawaii to visit a friend, a work trip to Seattle, a work trip to Virginia, for two friends to visit me in NJ/NY. This may seem trivial but for me, travel keeps me happy and healthy. It is part of my wellness. After a grueling summer, by August, I ended up driving 11 hours to Kentucky to spend about two weeks with some close friends and family. I needed to physically leave my environment in NJ in order to reset to come back with enough motivation to push through to the end of the year.

This is also why I feel so grateful to be in Kentucky right now. 

The pandemic is not over. But the good news is that vaccinations have begun to be administered across the nation. From what I've read, we might start to get a sense of normalcy back around May or early summer. 

Outside of the pandemic, I continue to work full-time at the Bonner Foundation and participate in a Master's in Higher Education program through Drexel University. Managing a demanding full-time job and part-time master's degree is challenging. But I'm glad to be doing it. My timing was rather lucky actually. As the pandemic forced shifts to online learning, my Master's program was already online, so there was little transition for me. Also, because the pandemic limited, if not entirely eliminated, social activities, I could spend most of my weekends and evenings working on school work without the fear of missing out on other opportunities. 

I moved into a new house in April. It's in Princeton-Junction area. I love the house. It's surrounded by land. It has big windows with natural light. I have my own bathroom attached to my room. My roommates are good. We have good energy in the house. My roommate, Arthur, got a puppy. A golden doodle named Athena. She's sweet as can be but comes with the work of a puppy. 

I's good that I'm reflecting on 2020 but I'm very ready to leave 2020 behind. I don't like remembering the stress, exhaustion, fear, and anxieties. 2020 held perhaps my worst summer to-date. I had a full-fledge mental/emotional/physical breakdown one evening. My first in many years. I struggled to set work-life boundaries while working from home. I struggled not seeing my people at our Bonner conferences. I struggled to find a new normal. 

As I look forward to 2021, I am ready to leave my unhealthy habits, fears, and worries of 2020 in the past. I want to recognize the impact 2020 had on my life but no longer use it as an excuse for not living my best and healthiest life. I am ready to no longer live in the day-to-day survival mode. I am ready to look forward to the goodness in life again. For me, that means making plans and setting goals. 

Let's start with health.

Health

I definitely used the pandemic as an excuse to order out, do lots of baking and eating of baked goods, and lots of cooking and eating of comfort foods. I also stopped doing regular exercise other than daily walks around my neighborhood. For 2021, I'm ready to:

• Re-incorporate regular exercise into my routine. With the pandemic still at play, this is somewhat tricky. But I intended to look into a few options including, a personal trainer, a gym membership, at-home workouts, or I have a friend who does health coaching. 

• Even though I'll still be working from home, I intend to meal prep again. Especially for healthier lunches, instead of eating fast and easy lunches.

• Be more mindful of not just what I'm eating but how much and to cut down on portion sizes. 

Professional & Educational

My next goal category is professional/educational. 

• This year I will develop and produce a capstone project for my Master's in Higher Education program. My intention is to integrate my capstone project with my work at the Bonner Foundation. At the end of spring 2021, I will finish my Master's degree. 

• I intend to set the stage for after my Master's degree, working on projects that advance my professional development. What projects at work excite me? What can I lean into? What skills do I want to develop? What opportunities do I want to have? 

• As part of my professional development action plan, I intend to 

• Join professional associations

• Get involved in local orgs, boards, committees, etc. 

• Longer term, I've been exploring my options for a doctorate degree. Ed.D. or PHD? Full-time student or part-time student and full-time work? I'm glad I have time to discern my path. 

Financial
My next goal category I'm breaking into two sections. 2021 goals and longer-term goals. 

2021 goals:

• Research and write proposal to ask for a raise after obtaining my Master's degree. 

• Refigure finances and savings after (hopefully) getting raise. 

• Set up accounts (bank or Vanguard) to save for specific purposes rather than save just to save (house downpayment, paying off student loans, etc.)

• Set up Vanguard Roth IRA account for regular contributions & actual investing to be occurring 

Longer-term goals:

• Buy a house.  Lately I've been looking at houses for sale in Louisville and New Jersey. Considering this step is a few years away, Louisville at this point is just for curiosity sake with the goal of one day living in Louisville again. New Jersey is probably not financially feasible at the moment but I'm exploring. 

• Retirement. I have a 401k through work that I contribute to each paycheck. This is set. However, I have a Roth IRA I want to start contributing to regularly. I also need to set up the account to make purchases/investments. 

• Investing. My financial strategy in life thus far has always centered around saving. However, I want to shift into investing. I want to grow my money not just save it.

• Paying down student loans. I know paying off my student loans is a long-term goal but I'd like to figure out a relative plan for making this happen. Given the Biden win and conversations around student debt cancelation is at play, I'm not in a big rush on this. 

Relational & Personal
My next goal category is relational/personal. It's fitting that this category is last. I don't prioritize this enough. This category encompasses friendships, family, and love life. 

• As the vaccinations allow for safe travel again, I intend to do lots of traveling in 2021. On the list (some tentatively) is:

• Hawaii to visit Madison (late spring or early summer). This is set. I have the travel credits from when I had to cancel the trip last March. 

• I'd love to do a summer hiking trip out west with Jacob (Montana, Wyoming, national parks, etc.)

• Sister's trip with Nicole, particularly somewhere she'd really enjoy (New Orleans, Colorado?) This could be maybe summer or fall. 

• I'll attend Chelsea Neal's wedding in September in Kentucky