2021 GOALS // What I Am Leaving Behind

Well we made it!! 2020 was a wild time and I’m not going to lie I’m happy and sad to see it go already. There were things that brought us so much joy, like having our sweet Birdie. Orvil and I were finally able to move into the same house together (No more long distance, yay!!). It was also a very hard year not just on us as a family but on the world as a whole. So bring on 2021! We are rolling into the new year with 100% positivity and major goals! I want this new year to be the best because I claim it to be the best! I am going to make changes this year! 

First I’m going to list a few things I am comfortable saying I’m going to leave behind in 2020. The first of those is fear, that may seem weird, but fear in general is something that affects me every day. This isn’t specific to one thing that scares me, this is just all around. My fear also causes me to worry about things that really shouldn’t matter. I can’t let fear and worry hold me back from doing the things I love and slowing down my progress any more. I am going to leave that mindset behind, no more hiding behind my fears, time to move on! The last thing is complaining. It’s all too easy to slip into that state of mind where all you do is complain about why this didn’t get done or why that didn’t happen or why someone has something you don’t. Before you know it, you’re losing sight of your goals and replacing them with reasons why you can’t achieve them instead. It can really become toxic and I can’t bring that into 2021 with me, not gonna happen! 

Alright, now let’s get to the actual New Years GOALS. 

Fitness, now I know what you’re thinking, everyone says they’re going to get in shape, right? However, I’m taking this as a personal challenge, I have to start working out every day! No more excuses, I have to hold myself accountable. Along with this, I want to just be healthier all around. That means eating right and making the right choices for my body and mind. It has always been important to me, but I will admit it was hard to stick to a diet in 2020 while I was locked up in my house most of the year. Portion control is something I am working on as well. 

Painting, this used to be more than a hobby for me. Years ago I was so passionate about painting, but after my divorce I stopped all together. I really have a hard time explaining why. Maybe it was adjusting to being a single mom, moving back home or finding a new job. I could literally make a thousand excuses, but I’m almost certain it was fear. In 2020 Orvil helped motivate me and I started to paint again slowly. I had to face those fears! I would stop in the middle of a painting unsure of what to do next. I’d let it sit for a week and pretend it wasn’t right there on the easel. Slowly I became comfortable picking up my brush and mixing my paints again, like getting reacquainted with a long lost friend. I am looking forward to doing more of this in 2021, I can’t wait to share it with y’all!

Screen time, this is a tough one. Considering my job is social media, how the heck am I supposed to control my screen time? Well, I plan to make a detailed schedule and stick to it. This also means I will have to cut out some of the stuff I find myself doing that is unnecessary, like going into the TikTok black hole or falling for the Youtube algorithm that feeds me an endless supply of videos that I can’t help but watch, really have y’all seen that guy make dog houses out of mud?? So I will have to prioritize work first, then maybe I will get some time for the leisure stuff. Also, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and just scrolling my feeds, before I know it its been an hour and I’ve accomplishing nothing, but robbing myself of sleep. It is time to start leaving my phone to charge somewhere else so I can sleep without thinking I need to look at it.

Family time, this relates to the last topic in a way. Family time is so important to me. Birdie, Blake and Harper are all growing so fast. I have to set aside some dedicated time for my family. This is where having that schedule I talked about in the last topic will really help out. I want to capture more moments through my eyes and less through my phone. I want to start having a date night for Orvil and I. If there’s anything I learned this last year its that tomorrow isn’t promised, so I have to use the time I have wisely to enjoy the ones I love.

Join me in claiming 2021 to be your BEST year!! No matter all the crap holding you back from last year, let it go. I know I am. We can do this! If it helps, leave some of the things you are leaving behind in the comments or add some goals! Xx

Lots of love,

Sarah Ray