2021 is Here!

We made it to another year. Another January 1st. Barely. With so much uncertainty in the air still, many are asking “What’s next?”. I can’t lie, I’m feeling the same way. They say it gets worse before it gets better, but I’m still unsure whether we are past the “worse” in order to get to the better. Where are we in this pandemic. Is it really getting better?

Whichever way we look at it, the one thing remains constant—we’re here today. With so many losses last year, it’s amazing to be the one to live to tell the story. And that is...it SUCKED! From quarantine to wearing masks, I give 2020 on a scale of 1-10 a big fat ZERO.

However, I am hoping 2021 will bring about a brighter light over the world and we can see it at the end of this very dark tunnel we’re in. I wrote down a short list of goals I wish to accomplish this year. If you’ve made it this far in reading, thank you. So let’s get started.

#1: Business Plan— Creating a business plan is hard work. Well, for me it is. I can get around talking about my business, my goals and what I wish to achieve, but when it comes down to the statistics, I’m lost. I’m not a big researcher type person so that’s a challenge. My goal is to have my own candle boutique by 2023. I began making candles and other home fragrance options while we were on the pandemic shutdown and absolutely fell in love with it. I found my “thing” and it is not the only thing I think about. Is that bad? Like literally, I can be at work and in a moment’s notice, I’ll pull out my notebook to write because an idea just popped in my head. So, this year I am going to reach out to the SBA to get help on writing my business plan and take that leap to fulfill one of my dreams.

#2: Finish Degree— Now this one is already in effect, but I put it on the list because there were times I felt like giving up. Plenty times to be honest with you. Being in school, working, parenting, AND figuring out a new business is hard work to say the least, but it is most definitely worth it. So, finishing strong is my only option. C/o 2022!

#3: Dress Up— There was a time you couldn’t catch me without heels and makeup on. This was pre-children of course but still. One day, I sat down and thought to myself, “You need to stop looking like a foot”. Yes. A foot. Messy hair, sweat pants, business casual at work just barely, and no makeup in sight. Yes, this is me currently. After having my son back in 2017, I went through postpartum depression. It was rough, and I was mostly in the house except the times of going to work, but I fell into such a dark place that I never cared about what I wore or how I looked. I just knew I felt bad. My son is three now and I feel better, but the funk of dressing like a paraprofessional bum is still a challenge. Last year, I made a few efforts to return to my former glory and they were successful. I felt beautiful again. I felt revived. Then I went back to bum. This year, I am vowing to myself to put in effort every day and get back to the me I was in my early 20s. The “foot” will disappear!

After writing these few goals down, the light seemed to shine a little bit more in my life. I saw a way through the tunnel. Will it be easy? Of course not, but it is doable. Accomplishable one step at a time. Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!