Intentions for 2022

For a whole variety of reasons, I decided that my new year would start on February 1. So here are some thoughts and intentions for this *new* beginning.

I started 2022 a lot brighter than I started 2021 – surrounded by people I love and appreciating some much-missed family time. Two years is too long to be apart and I hope that it never happens again.

My main resolution for this year is just to start living again. I have spent too much of the last 23 months simply existing, fretting and being overwhelmed. It has not been life as I know it or how I would choose to live it. 

So no matter what the situation is for the next year, I will try to do one thing each day, not one thing that scares me (too much scares me right now), just one thing. Just one thing so that at the end of each day, I can say “today I did that”. So I will go for a walk, talk to a friend, do something creative, play with a puppy (when I have access to one), bake cookies, read a new book and, when it’s possible, travel. I will enjoy the little things until I can do the big things again.

So many of my good habits have fallen by the wayside because of the difficulties of the last two years, even though they would have made things better so I am going to try again. To find the balance in life and to prioritize the things that work for me.

• Yoga

Yoga makes me feel good and helps me sleep but somehow I struggle to make it a priority. My fitness has suffered during the various lockdowns and yoga would be a good way to start building my strength up again so in 2022 I need to establish a yoga routine.

• Journal

When lockdown first began, I was pretty good at journaling. We were living through a once-in-a-century global event and I wanted to document it. Then every day started to look the same and I lost motivation. With my lack of memory skills, I need a written record of my life otherwise I won’t know what happened.

• Walk

Not for an improved step count but just to get out of the house. I’ve spent too much time just staying home and I need to go places and see things. A little bit of nature wouldn’t hurt either.

• Write

Too much of the last two years has been spent staring at the TV so it would be good to unplug a little and be creative instead.

• Read

My to-be-read list is always growing and reading would be another good alternative to the incessant TV watching.

• Cook inventively

I used to enjoy cooking until I had to feed myself for every meal of every day. Now I am stuck in a rut – rotating the same meals, bored with the process. So I need to try some new recipes, liven things up and really pay attention to what I eat.

• Be more sociable

The pandemic with both its forced and voluntary self-isolation has really brought out my hermit tendencies. I need to remember that I do have friends and they are actually pretty awesome to spend time with. Poke me if this applies to you.

• Listen to music

Find some new things to listen to but also enjoy the old favorites. Listening to music always lifts my mood and it’s something else that is beneficial that I just haven’t been doing. Never mind dance like no one is watching, I should just dance or lie in the dark and listen to an album all the way through (I got some things very right as a teenager!).

• Breathe

Just stop, breathe, enjoy the moment. Look at the sky, a tree, a bird and just breathe.

I do have travel plans this year. Starting slowly and reaching a crescendo in the fall. And I still have my rail pass which means I don’t have to go far or spend much money to go somewhere. And I have airline and hotel status that I really should be taking advantage of. So that’s it, hopefully 2022 will be the year I start traveling again.