I am a bit late with these show notes, but hey, better late than never. At the end of the year, I like to reflect on the ways I grew over the past twelve months and then think about what I want to do in the new year.
Back in December 2019, when Covid-19 was barely a blip on my radar, I wanted to use my values to steer me through 2020. Despite the dumpster fire that was 2020, I actually did a fairly decent job of living in line with my values. In future episodes, I’d like to dive deeper into my values but for this episode, I focused on ten that were really important to me in 2020.
(1) Being Healthy and Fit: At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of attending 100 hot yoga classes and averaging 10,000 steps/day. By mid-February, however, I was uncomfortable going to my hot yoga studio — it just seemed too high risk — and by mid-March, the studio was closed. I could have attended some Zoom hot yoga classes, but I hate Zoom, so I released my goal to attend 100 classes. Instead, I walked. Walking was fantastic for my health, mental and physical, and instead of 10,000 steps, I averaged more than 11,000 steps/day in 2020! I also started using Noom in February 2020 and lost about net 10 pounds over the year. Not bad for a year where I was tempted by all the stress eating. In the summer, I started strength training at home. I skipped a period, did some hormone testing, learned my testosterone levels are low and started a testosterone supplement. I also meditated a lot with the Calm App and stretched almost every day. Although 2020 had plenty of challenges, I feel like I ended the year healthier than I began it.
(2) Paying Attention and Being Curious: I used journaling to help me pay attention and be curious about my feelings, thoughts and beliefs. Thanks to this value, I tuned into my anxiety and realized I needed to go back on Zoloft in early July. I also decided that reprising my role as as Cookie Chair for Pippa’s Girl Scout troop would destroy my sanity and relinquished that role.
(3) Going Slow: I totally forgot that “going slow” was one of my values until I read through my writings from 2019. But holy hell, 2020 helped me slow down! Between shutdowns and distance learning, I had not choice but to live more slowly and it was lovely.
(4) Being conscious and intentional: At the end of 2019, I wanted to do monthly and quarterly checks as to how I was living in accord with my values. Oops, I totally lost the habit of doing my monthly and quarterly checks. BUT I did start using the Noom app to log my food choices and that made me a lot more conscious and intentional about eating. I’d like to live even more consciously and intentionally in 2021.
(5) Embracing Change and Uncertainty: Again, holy hell, 2020 was boot camp for change and uncertainty. My god, there were so many changes this year and so. much. uncertainty. And it was TOUGH. I cried, I ranted, I went back on Zoloft. But I ended the year more comfortable with change and uncertainty than I have ever been in my life. I would never have chosen a pandemic for 2020, but I did learn a lot from it.
(6) Connecting with People: I value having meaningful connections with family and friends. In many ways, 2020 was isolating. There are so many people who were part of my regular life who I hardly ever see now. And there are even more people I have not seen in nine months thanks to distance learning! But 2020 also helped me connect more deeply with the people I was able to see. All in all, I would say that I kept this value alive and well in my life during the 2020 shit storm.
(7) Answering My Inner Divine Call: I think of the voice inside of me that tells me what to do as my Inner Divine Call. I also sometimes call her my muse. My inner voice prompted me to start this podcast! Then in the fall, she started telling me to create The Distance Learning Activity Book For Parents Just Barely Holding On To Their Last Shred of Sanity. I resisted that idea but finally relented and the book poured out of me in a month and damn, I love my new book. Then I got the idea to write a novel about a preschool room mom and I finished the first draft of that book in early December. I love that new book as well! Thank you, Divine Call. I’m glad I listened to you in 2020.
(8) Doing the Work: I think of this value as all the work I do to become my best self. In 2020, I certainly did my work through therapy, journaling, listening to podcasts, creating podcast episodes, reading books, and writing here on this blog. And thanks to all the challenges of 2020, the work found me this year! I did not have to go looking for it. I ended the year with better boundaries, a stronger sense of self, and a lot less guilt. All in all, I’m proud of the way I kept this value centered in my life in 2020.
(9) Feeling all my Feelings: 2020 was an emotional rollercoaster. I cried and cried and cried some more, but I laughed a lot, too. I went into the darkness of anxiety and despair and felt intoxicated by hope. All in all, I felt the shit out of my feelings.
(10) Seeking And Embracing Spirituality, Mystery and Magic: At the start of the year, I wanted to go on a day-long meditation retreat. That did not happen. #Pandemic. But I did do a lot of work with the enneagram in the early part of the year and by year’s end, I was lighting a candle at the end of the day to center myself and spend some time with my Divine Beloved. I read Tosha Silver’s Change Me Prayers and learned a whole new way to pray. I definitely deepened my connection with my Divine Beloved in 2020.
Okay, that’s enough about 2020. In the second half of the episode, I looked ahead to 2021. This year, I want to keep living my values. On that front, I also want to do more work to refine my understanding of my values. But I also want to focus on MOMENTUM.
I talked about the various projects I am launching in 2021 to increase my momentum. Curious about those projects? Listen to Episode 19 or read this blog post in which I detail my thoughts on momentum and my 2021 projects.
If you read the entirety of these show notes, please give yourself a gold sticker.