Retaining The Lessons Learned From 2020 And Building Resolutions For 2021

If the 2020 pandemic has taught me anything, besides how to use Zoom, FaceTime and order online from my favorite establishments in an effort to keep their business going, it’s how to make peace with humility and gratitude.

I detest being constrained, tactful and patient. These are not my strengths. I’m a Sagittarius an extrovert, mutable, energetic and curious and today (Thursday) is my day.

I know some of you, perhaps many are tired of hearing about humility and gratitude. You may be thinking they’ve become overused and are cliché. But for someone born a fire sign who thrives in change, with a need to travel and be in touch with the world to experience as much as possible, coming to terms with these admirable qualities in a year filled with constraints has been especially difficult. Even my given name—Wanda alludes to my nature. Polish in origin it is said to be derived from the autonomous Wends tribe of northeastern Europe. The name translated means to wander. 

The saving grace for a Sagittarius is possessing a great sense of humor. What could be more paradoxically amusing than to quarantine an individual whose core desires are freedom, being outdoors, having an intense curiosity for new experiences, enthusiasm, optimism, while searching for the meaning of life within the confines of restrictive mandates? 

More than ever, I’ve had to squelch my innate ADHD tendencies. Courtesy of the 2020 lockdown, I’ve had to temper the impulse to be abrupt and tactless in conversation, more tolerant of needy, precarious people, accepting of some of those outlandish, quirky ideas and pay greater attention to detail. Fortunately, born with a drive to transform thoughts into concrete actions, a Sagittarius will do most anything to achieve their goals provided a key weakness of promising more than they can deliver doesn’t obstruct the way.

In many ways, the Coronavirus has turned me into my son’s beloved Beagle who’s been living with me for a while. I aimlessly roam the kitchen counter-surfing, sniffing out whatever food I can devour. I wear a barrier over my face in case I do something inappropriate with my nose or mouth while in public. Signs are posted everywhere telling me NO, when I get too close to strangers or I’m not allowed to enter at all. I’m basically on a leash wherever I go in order to protect the greater population from what I might carry. But going for a walk in the woods or anywhere I can be me and a simple drive in the country or to the grocery store becomes—ah, a euphoric experience. 

I may not have lost my job, my home or a close friend or family member to the Coronavirus, but I have neglected something very important to me. Personality traits like enthusiasm and inquisitive nature have been replaced by ambiguity and fear. My innate desire to explore new places are sidelined because I don’t want to be that person, showing indifference for other’s health and wellbeing. I’ve become less optimistic, less ambitious. I am grappling to complete my third book, a project I’d hoped to release in April. I miss regular, natural interaction with my family. I’ve lost sight of what is important—me and my goals. My 2021 resolutions are clear. 

Start With The Basic Resolutions

Self-preservation or self-care should be a natural process that comes instinctually to all of us yet, for some unknown reason humans seem to require permission and/or an instruction manual on how to do it. The adage you can’t draw water from an empty well is not meant to be intemperate, whimsical indulgences. Dispel the myth that self-care requires time you don’t have or need to steal from something else important, but it does take commitment.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to self-care. What to do and how to do it is highly individualized. An experience that helped me formulate a self-care practice was in a former job as a telecommuter working half the time from a home office. I needed to be able to separate my work life from my personal life and it had to be simple resolutions I could incorporate in my day.

Hygiene

I’m not a Phys Ed teacher or work at a fitness center, so it’s important that I get out of those sweatpants and dress for work. I change into scrubs as soon as I arrive, but I still wear business casual as if I would be greeting patients as soon as I walk in the door. I start my day with a morning shower. Without it, I may as well stay in my P. J.’s and go back to bed.

Good Nutrition

Like many I have gained back some hard-fought weight I’d lost and I don’t like the way I feel. Yes, I’ve learned a long ago what to eliminate from my diet to stay healthy, I just need to do it. Eating is something most people do every day. Try to make your meals purposeful with food that’s right for you. Don’t forget to drink an ounce per pound of body weight of each day.

Meditation

It’s difficult for someone with ADHD tendencies to quiet their mind and be contemplative so I combine this with another basic self-care need. 

Adequate Rest

Disengaging from the computer and cell phone an hour before I go to bed is imperative in shutting down my brain. Once my pre-bedtime ritual is done, I find guided meditation like “So Hum” meditation or HeartMath meditation™ helpful techniques. It gets me out of my head, into my heart just by focusing on rhythmic breathing. I like it because I can make do it for as short or as long as I want all while doing something so innate, I don’t even have to think about it— just breathe.

Physical Activity

An invigorating walk, preferably in the woods is my favorite way to nurture the trifecta mind, body and spirit. On cold days I follow a yoga video on YouTube and summers I bike to work. Do what works for you. 

Mental Stimulation

Learning new things—anything is an invigorating challenge. In 2020 I learned how to make a braided rag-rug in 2021, the skies the limit. Learning doesn’t have to come from an academic text book or an expensive lecture, it simply needs to be meaningful to you.

Wrapping Up Building Resolutions

With my basics resolutions covered, I can’t wait for changes 2021 will bring. Happy New Year to you all and may you find purpose and joy in the challenges that await.