I’ve decided to create a New Year’s post in two segments. Part one will be looking back and reflecting on 2019, while Part two will be looking ahead to all that lies ahead in 2020.
I love New Year’s. I think it might actually be one of my favorite holidays. I love the idea of a new year, a fresh start. I am all in on making resolutions, setting goals, and taking the time to reflect back on the previous year. I love to think about where I was on New Years Day the year prior and where I find myself today. What has happened in the last 12 months that has led me here? Did I accomplish what I set out to accomplish? What surprises were in store? How did I grow? Taking the time to reflect back can help us forge a new path forward into a new year with a clear conscience and peace of mind.
Here are a few things that 2019 brought me:
- Being a finalist for District Teacher of the Year
- Getting my dream job teaching high school
- Traveling to Hawaii with my entire extended family
- Seeing multiple friends get married and start new journeys together
- Losing my uncle unexpectedly
- Traveling to Spain and Portugal
- Adopting a new puppy who has made our lives way more interesting
- Taking over a speech and debate program knowing quite a lot about speech, but very little about debate
- Running two half marathons
- And countless memories made
My overall 2019 resolution was to “be intentional.” I wanted to be intentional about everything I did – in work, in relationships, in daily life. I wanted everything I did to have purpose and meaning behind it. I can’t say I was perfect at it, but I tried. It did help me keep my focus on what is important. It is so easy for us to get side-tracked in our day-to-day lives. We get bogged down with daily obstacles that seem important at the time, but in the grand scheme of things probably don’t matter all that much. Having the goal of intentionality helped me prioritize what I spent my time and energy on. As stated already, I wasn’t perfect at it. I still stressed over things I probably shouldn’t have stressed over, I could have been better in my relationships with friends and family, and there was probably quite a bit of time wasted. But having a goal is better than not trying at all.
Overall, I don’t have many complaints about 2019. I grew a lot in the last year. I feel myself becoming more…”adult,” I guess you’d say? I’m building a life with Griffin and our fur babies. I’m focused on being the best I can be at my job, at my friendships, at life in general. I’m doing the best I can – and that’s enough for me for now.
I encourage you to take the time to reflect back on 2019. What good came from it? What obstacles did you have to face? How did you grow in 2019, and what will you do to cultivate growth in the coming year?
While we are all focused on what lies ahead in the new year, don’t forget the importance of taking the time to reflect back on the previous year. I hope taking time to look back will give you peace of mind as you look ahead.
Cheers to 2019, and cheers to all that is to come in 2020.
