It is hard to know where to start as I reflect on the year that was 2021. It was full of many challenges, but it was still rewarding in so many ways. 2021 is filled with memories of lockdown, home-schooling, working from home and zoom parities… which when all thrown together wasn’t a great mix!
I started the year with the intention to have courage, to lean into challenges and to take risks to step outside of my comfort zone. I can safely say that I achieved that intention wholeheartedly and the rewards were immense and, in the process, I have expanded my comfort zone to make space for new and exciting opportunities that lay ahead. Starting 11:11 and leaving the public service after a very long time to pursue a new career opportunity are just two examples, which took a lot of courage to make the decision and jump. Interestingly, once I made my courageous decisions I felt at peace, there was no longer the turmoil of options running through my mind, and I haven’t looked back!
As our business expanded and our community started to grow, the personal feeling of fulfilment and excitement has also grown as we see our vision coming to life. While lockdown may have slowed us down a little, it has also allowed us time to be purposeful and focussed on our vision and values as we build our business. We loved supporting our community through a very challenging year, in particular offering online classes during lockdown when self-care was even more important. The momentum has continued to build, and we are very excited to see where 2022 will take us.
As we entered lockdown in August I vowed to give myself a break, to be kind to myself, and to understand that not everything would get done. Some days this was easy for me, I was able to was able to go with the flow of the home-schooling roller coaster and enjoyed eating lunch as a family in the winter sunshine, watching the birds and lizards in our garden. But some days were really difficult, I couldn’t let go of wanting to get everything done, which was impossible to achieve.
While in lockdown, there was so much more time in each day, saved from missed activities and less time commuting, however I have never been so busy. No matter how much time you have, it can be easily filled, and it is your choice how you use it. You can use in pursuit to your priorities and goals, or you can spend it on what is the most ‘urgent’ or vocal on your to-do list. As everything stripped away during lockdown it became easier for me to see that I was spending my time on busy tasks, however I also needed to carve out time for the less urgent activities that have the bigger long-term payoffs. This is something that I am still working on as we move into 2022.
I learned the hard way not to ignore my body’s warning signs. At the start of the year I pushed too hard, I ignored pain and failed to make time for rest and relaxation. As a result, my health took a hit and I was forced to take a break. Sitting doing ‘nothing’ is something that I am not comfortable with and having to allow others to help me was even harder. I now know better, if I don’t respect my body and listen to what it is telling me, then I will miss out on even more than I miss out on having to take a break.
My daily gratitude journaling helped to keep me focussed on what is most important, before bed I write down 4-5 things that I am grateful for from the day (I started this habit during the first lockdown of 2019 and this has stayed with me). Some nights it was easy and the gratitude flowed, other nights were harder and in those moments I use the exercise to remind myself that I have a lot to be grateful for, such as for my health and for the health of my family, for having access to good healthcare and for being able to provide for my family. Making time to for journaling beyond gratitude is something that I will take froward into 2022, I find it calming and helpful to gather my thoughts when they feel jumbled.
As the year is coming to an end the uncertainty over the ongoing pandemic is following us into 2022. While we cannot know what the coming year has for us, we won’t forget 2021 in a hurry, and I hope we will take away learnings from the year. For me it is the importance to listen to my body and make time for rest, to continue to live courageously, to journal more and to be mindful how I spend my time.
I hope you all can look back over 2021, to appreciate the challenges, the lessons learnt and remember with gratitude the good moments it gave you.
Xo
Jo
Each element is crucial for a balanced life, and your tips make it easier to incorporate them into daily routines. Grateful for the valuable guidance and motivation to pursue holistic wellness!