What are YOU doing in 2021?

I am not a bit fan of new year resolutions. I feel that they can sometimes be unattainable…so I have moved on to more daily, weekly and monthly goals. After spending a great deal of last year in a funk I would not like to repeat, I have started to move forward to things that bring me joy. I do have a year-long goal I am working on though….I have decided to do a “Read the Bible in a year” program with Fr. Mike Schmitz. It is free…I have done the first 5 days and love it. He actually does the reading for you, says a prayer, and then goes over what was read. It is a podcast on audible, amazon music, spotify…lots of places for free. He is a young priest out of the Diocese of Duluth, MN. He is known for his work with youth and young adults and he is dynamic. If you are interested, it is at the most, 25 minutes a day. Today’s was only 18 minutes long. I am really, really enjoying it. For the past three years or so, I always start my day with the readings for the day and reading about the saint of the day. These are sent as emails to me daily, so it is always how I start my day. But I needed more and this was just the perfect add! What else? Well, I have daily goals. One of them is to tell Lily a joke each day. Another is to sing a song each day. This makes me listen to music….something I did without for a long time this past year. It is amazing how much better I feel after belting out a few songs as I am working….cleaning…or cooking. Yeah, Tallinn gives me some looks, but it is totally worth it as I can honestly feel the stress leaving my body. I am also going to do 25 pushups a day. Gotta get back some of what I have lost. I have signed up for a few virtual exercise and boxing classes that I hope to start up after we get back from Colorado next week. Other daily goals….make someone smile….and tell someone you love them. Lastly, for the daily goals, I have decided to make it a point to contact a friend daily…whether it be through mail, text, email, or phone call. It is as much for me as for them, I assure you. I have been so isolated for the last 15 months that I really need to be interacting with others on a more regular basis. I signed up for an 8 week photography class. I love taking photos and I always have. Now I just want to learn to do it better…learn about camera settings and tricks of the trade. I would love to dabble in some Lightroom and photoshop as well. We shall see! I have taken a few classes before but didn’t really get a lot out of the instructor. I took some online mini-seminars from this lady and she speaks my language somehow and it is finally clicking (see what I did, there? Clicking…) Anyhow, I am excited to get started on that as well.

I have realized that I need things to fill my days…other than work for the store. I need to have more of a purpose and accountability. So what are YOU ALL doing with your 2021? Note to self….choose joy. Chose something that ministers to others while also bringing you joy. My goals this year look so different than 3-4 years ago where I was going to sock away my money, diet everyday, and exercise til I dropped. I look back at that and realize that is what society pushes us towards…and rarely is it successful because it doesn’t bring you joy. I am not saying that you shouldn’t pursue being healthy and being financially stable. Of course you should! Think harder…dig deeper…don’t make it overly difficult…let the Holy Spirit guide you…listen to that voice that tells you to do something for others.