this is the beginning of anything you want.

This is always a day of reflection. A time to look back and look ahead. As I reflect on the year that has passed...it is all too clear that 2020 can essentially be summed up as, "Man plans. God laughs." Needless to say, 2020 didn't quite meet my expectations. I decided to look back at my New Years post from last year and I had waxed poetic about living with passion and purpose. About spending time on the projects and tasks that made me excited. Well, I suppose that happened. Though it certainly didn't happen the way I anticipated. At the start of last year, my vision was this: keep working at the same job as always and make more time to fit passion projects into my life. What 2020 delivered was drastically different. 

Everything was happening as expected. From January to mid-March, life was life. I was making time to go to the gym and working long hours. But I was also focusing on my blog, YouTube channel, writing career, and planning out a cozy mystery novel. Bam! Everything changed. My work shut down at the end of March due to COVID-19. At first, we thought it would be for two weeks. I was excited to have two weeks off to get caught up on life. Like a lot of people, I assumed that life would return to normal fairly quickly. (It seems funny to write that now, knowing everything we know.) Those two weeks were spent cleaning and organizing my home from top to bottom. I wanted everything to be as perfect as possible. Any extra time would be spent blogging, filming, and writing. Two weeks turned into four and then before I knew it....three months had passed. 

I never went back to that job. The idea of heading back out into the world was scary. Especially after being safe at home for so many months. Plus, I had been in the midst of a creative renaissance. I was working out every day, writing up a storm, and feeling better than I ever had. I thrived at home. Though I missed my family like crazy, there were a lot of  benefits to staying home. Thankfully, I was able to get a new job in the field of transcription. It allowed me to work within the writing genre and stay at home. Talk about a huge blessing. Though I don't know what the future holds (hence the quote about making plans)…I am grateful for the positive changes that have come out of this year. 

2020 didn't go as planned. There have been a lot of challenges, a lot of unknowns, and a lot of disappointments. There were cancelled concerts and cancelled vacations. There were holidays spent away from loved ones. There were scary statistics. This year certainly changed a lot for all of us. But looking back at the past year, I am grateful that there were some positive changes tucked away in there as well. Like a new job, good health, and a richer appreciation for all aspects of life. 

Normally, the first part of my year is spent endlessly planning. What do I want to do? What goals should I set? How did my goals from last year turn out? There are journal prompts and to do lists galore. Though there is certainly a need to plan and prepare as much as possible....it is also important to recognize that plans may fall through and things may change, but we will always find a way to adapt and soldier on. Here is to a New Year that is sure to be filled with both victories and challenges. My hope is that we find a way to keep going no matter what 2021 brings. 

Happy New Year! Wishing you and your loved ones the very best today and always.