Sarahritchie17 Can you believe that it’s already July?! I feel like May and June flew by in the blink of an eye. Like what happened to Spring? It feels like we went straight from Mardi Gras season to the heat of Summer.
That being said, I feel like there’s a mindset out there that we need to just make it through 2020. 2021 will be the year we do all the things, and we can just sweep 2020 under the rug…what?!
Even though it might feel like everything in 2020 has been cancelled, the year itself has not. Time is still going by, and it is your choice how you take advantage of the time you’ve gained back from cancelled plans. You get to decide how you shift and adapt this year. You get to decide how you grow in this year and from this year.
- Are you learning about social movements?
- Are you researching politics so you can place an educated vote later this year?
- Are you taking initiative to lift others up?
- Are you taking time to focus on your health?
- Are you reconnecting with loved ones?
- Are you pausing to reflect?
- Are you chasing your dreams despite the obstacles?
- Are you still showing up for life?
I wanted to take today’s post to do some reflecting of my own—to see where I’m at for the year and what I need to work on in the coming months to meet the goals I set at the beginning of 2020 (and/or set new goals).
I’m starting with my vision board.
My top priorities for the year were keeping in touch and creating & sharing. This year, I’ve made efforts to do more video calls, having virtual Happy Hours with friends once every few weeks. I was great about this in April and May, but I could be doing more now. My excuse has been ‘I’m too busy,’ which I know is not a valid excuse. You make time for what matters. For my creating & sharing, I’ve been keeping up with this blog. With the exception of last week, I’ve done a post per week this year, and I’m letting myself be proud of that.
As for my 12 resolutions:
January did not go great, to be honest. I slept in more days than I should have. February, I successfully trained for a half marathon, sticking to my training plan, and in March I ran it! April, I did more keeping in touch with video calls than I ever have. My grandpa passed on Easter Sunday, so it was a time that my family really came together and checked in on one another too. In May, I flossed every night, though I didn’t stop cracking my knuckles. In June, I perfected my nighttime routine, flossing included. By July, I have read 3 books and am working on number 4. A little behind schedule, but I just might be able to catch up by the end of the year. I am definitely not on track to volunteer 100 hours this year (my August resolution), so I might have to change that, but I want to make an effort, even if it’s virtual volunteering.
I have made it to two places on my travel plan, which I’ll take as a win, all things considered. I also now have plenty of money saved for future travel plans, so I’m choosing to focus on that positive note.
Going through my planner to see how I’ve spent my time so far this year, I can see that:
Professionally:
- I had 17 days of telework.
- I had 9 days of duty for pollution response and 42 days of watch for COVID-19 reporting. I studied for and passed part 1 of 2 of my pollution responder board.
- I had 15 days of school or training away from home. I did one day of Court Martial Jury Duty in Texas.
- I spent lots of time working on my flight school application requirements. I had my eyes checked 4 times and have 2 more scheduled. I studied for and aced my ASTB.
Personally:
- I had 12 days off between holidays and leave.
- I had 5 virtual Happy Hours with friends, attended a bridal shower Zoom brunch, and two real-life Happy Hours.
- I did two 5K races and one half marathon. I ran a lot, bought new running shoes, and ran some more. I also bought roller blades.
- I traveled to St. Petersburg, FL and Hope Falls, NY, hosted three friends for Mardi Gras, and went to the beach twice.
- I watched Air Force and Blue Angels flyovers.
- I attended a virtual personal growth conference.
- I had one hair appointment and zero nail appointments.
- I published 24 blogs, and this one will make 25.
- I increased my net worth (by saving or earning through investments) by over $20K.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the things I’ve accomplished this year and how I’ve maintained balance, but there is always room for improvement. And with that, here’s what I want to do the rest of this year:
Less:
- Accepting duty when its only because no one else wants to stand it.
- Studying in my off-time.
- Social Media and Netflix.
More:
- Learning about current social movements and researching for the upcoming election.
- Time for self-care.
- Connecting with family and friends.
I challenge you to do a similar reflection of how you’ve spent your time so far this year. Keep in mind that if you want to do more of something, you have to do less of something else. There will always be only 24 hours in a day. It’s up to you to decide how you spend them and what you prioritize.
I hope this post serves you as a guide in your reflection of 2020 so far and helps you decide what to focus on in the 6 months to come.
If you like what you read here, follow @genuinesunshineblog on Instagram and look for new posts here at genuinesunshineblog.com every Sunday to start your week with sunshine!
Cheers!
Sarah
