Tuesday Morning Tidy: 21 for 21

If you've been reading And She Writes for awhile, you've heard about my "20 for 20," one of the ways I establish goals for the year. Read more about all of the lists I keep in my Bullet Journal here.

The idea for a "20 for 20" or a "21 for 21" comes from Gretchen Rubin, a bestselling author and podcast host. You can learn more about her list and process on her blog and podcast. I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan. I've read most of her books and I find that most of the suggestions she offers are incredibly helpful for finding more happiness in life.

I use this list as an alternative approach to a single New Year's Resolution or Word for the Year. However, I do recommend putting some concrete parameters around your goals. For example, rather than listing "less screen time," give yourself some boundaries, like "no screens after 9 p.m." This really helps with measuring achievement. The first year I did this, I was not specific, and therefore had no way to evaluate whether or not I'd really achieved my goals.

I started this concept back in 2019, and I'm ready to share some of my 2021 list here. I tend to take a while to develop these, and I do have several repeats from 2020 (as Rubin does). COVID rendered some of my 2020 goals (like going to Disney World) simply impossible to achieve, so I've moved a few of them to my 2021 list. Here it goes:

21 for 21

• Put down my phone after 9 p.m. (So far, this has been wildly unsuccessful--I must try harder).

• Develop more of a Mediterranean diet, with lots of veggies.

• Drink less alcohol, reserving it for weekends and special occasions.

• Exercise at least every day the kids have school.

• "Order" - This mostly applies to home upkeep, such as putting in a load of laundry every morning.

• Three date nights with my husband (repeat). We started off well in 2020, but then COVID hit. Not sure how COVID will impact this one for 2021, but I'm hopeful.

• Have fun decorating. Most of our major home projects are complete for now, so it's just editing and adding accessories.

• Make family celebrations more meaningful (food, decorations, special gifts).

• Read two books/month (Repeat, but successful in 2020).

• Grow the And She Writes Instagram community to 500.

• Purchase a new car.

• Shop small businesses first, as opposed to always going straight to Target or Amazon.

• Be a tourist once per month in our own city. We already visited the zoo this January, and the animals were so active.

• Improve meal planning by looking at 2-3 weeks at a time.

• Wake up with consistency between 6 and 7 a.m. each day. With COVID, I've found myself getting up at 5 a.m. some days, and 9 a.m. on the weekends, and it is not conducive to productivity!

• Go on a vacation (maybe Disney, but maybe not).

If you're counting, that is not a complete 21. As I mentioned, it takes me some time to fully develop the list and some of my ideas are still a little abstract. However, I hope this helps you develop goals for your 2021, whether you prefer a single resolution, a word for the year or a "21 for 21" list. Self-improvement is always a worthwhile goal, with happiness for you and those you love as a wonderful consequence of achievement!

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