Feeling ’22

Feeling cautiously optimistic, that is!

Going into Year 3 of The Pandemic, I’ve been – we’ve all been – around the block a few times now. I know what it’s like to enter a new year full of anticipation for rosier prospects, exciting plans, and a backlog of hopefulness. And I’m just as familiar with once again canceling vacations, delaying Big Milestones, and putting plans on hold at the whim of county health data.

The bright side? I’m flexing quite the “expect the unexpected” muscle; it’s starting to make Michelle Obama’s arms look weak. (Jokes ma’am, I swear!!!) In that spirit, I’m going into 2022 with a “big dreams, loosely held” attitude. There’s a lot that I want to do and see and try, but I’m telling myself that my expectations are going to have to evolve as we go. What does this mean? Well…

Mantras for 2022

I have several. But I feel called to practice all of them deeply this year, so let’s go with it.

Consistency over perfection: I saw this one on Instagram, and it spoke to me immediately. This one for me is about striving for balance and building on top of the healthy habits I started last year. It’s about intuitive eating over intermittent fasting, enjoying the treats that I love without overindulging and then cutting them all out, and getting back on the mat the day after I have to miss a flow.

Creation over consumption: In my personal life, this translates to writing again, even imperfectly > mindlessly scrolling my FYP. In my professional life, this means more time dedicated to producing high quality work, less time tied up in meetings. I’m just hungry for that creative, in-the-zone feeling!

Connection & community: If last year was all about re-visiting old roots, I’m *fingers crossed* planting new ones this year. With a move to New York on the horizon, this mantra is my reminder to cultivate community – to pursue new connections while tending to existing ones too.

Just do the damn thing: Get out of my own head and just respond to the text, answer the email, book the flight, start the workout, handle what needs to get handled. Stop overthinking so much!

Q1 Bucket List

I opted for quarterly bucket lists in 2022, as a year’s worth of goals to check off seems overly ambitious, considering all the potential variants we haven’t met and also since I haven’t the slightest clue where I’ll be living or…

OK, pause.

That brings me to really my #1 goal for the quarter and for the whole year:

1. Make the move to Brooklyn at long last.

If that’s accomplished, I’ll consider 2022 a job well done. But if I’m feeling extra ambitious, here are a few ideas I had for my first bucket list of the year:

2. Go on 3 first dates
3. Take an aerial yoga class
4. Take a Spanish speaking lesson
5. Visit Leah in Asheville
6. Ask for a promotion / raise
7. Book a vacation
8. Start blogging 1x/week
9. Walk 10,000 steps every day

There we have it. These items were to challenge myself in various areas for fun, but my ~ manifestation mind ~ is positively T W I N K L I N G seeing how they align perfectly with my overall mantras.

Manifest or bust,

C