When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2021, I felt a sense of optimism but also the weight of 2020. Many of us feel like that. While some choose to bulldoze forward, others are more cautious. Whatever you’ve chosen for your resolutions for 2021, you’re doing what is best for you. If you’re like many of the people I’ve spoken to in the last couple of weeks, there are a few schools of thought.

• Focus solely on your personal life. Turn off the news and social media.
• Forget your resolutions for 2021 and focus on politics and social media.
• Find a delicate balance of understanding current events while focusing on positives like family and friends, health, wealth, and happiness.

I highly recommend the third option as it keeps you informed while not consumed. If you’re not sure what to do for your resolutions in 2021 or have gotten off track, let’s discuss ways to stay grounded in a crazy world.

1. Name three areas of your life where you’d like to focus. Faith, family, business, health, and wealth are among the most popular. Of course, these can be further broken down if you’d like. Business, for example, can be broken down into business development, accounting, marketing, etc., as can the other areas, keeping in mind that the goals should be attainable.
2. Keep it simple. Choose a 12-week planning option and set reasonable and attainable goals for yourself and your business. Exercise every other day; that can mean a walk or a full workout, that’s your choice. Eat more vegetables or less takeout. Watch a movie with your family once a week. Whatever your goals, keep them simple. The world is pretty complicated right now so give yourself a break.
3. Forgive those who have hurt you. Author and wellness coach Sweta Vikram suggests that forgiveness is quite freeing for your own soul in her article The Key Ingredient for Emotional Healing, and that by forgiving others, we can move on. 2020 was rough on many levels and it’s time to forgive. Forgiving others doesn’t mean you need to engage with them again, only that you’ve dealt with the hurt and moved on.
4. Take action. If you’re focused on political change, write letters, and call your politicians. Give back to your community by volunteering. Rewrite your resume. Publish an article a month. Connect with networking contacts you haven’t seen in a while. Take one simple action each day or week toward your goals.
5. Set 30 minutes a week to assess where you are in relation to your big goals.
6. Make adjustments to your goals as needed. This is where I love the idea of 12-week goals because it means smaller building blocks toward a big goal rather than the daunting task of meeting a big goal. It also affords you the opportunity to assess and make adjustments throughout the year.

In other words, eat the elephant one bite at a time. 2021 isn’t a separate year from 2020. In a lot of ways, it feels like 2020 has a hangover so take your time and give yourself the grace to make changes as you walk through this year. If you’re struggling, find people and resources to help you. You’re not alone and we wish you all the best for the new year!