2020 Recap and 2021 Goals

So I know I am about 2 weeks late on this post, but better late than never! 2020 was a weird year to say the least, but I cannot say it was a bad year at all. I was extremely fortunate to have had a pretty amazing year; yes, it wasn’t what I expected, but I made the best of it.

One of my big goals for 2020 was to travel abroad at least twice, and clearly that did not happen. However, I still managed to make the most of being stuck in the US. I took weekend trips to South Carolina, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee. I also got to take an amazing vacation to Glacier National Park in Montana. It was the perfect socially distanced adventure, and it has inspired me to go to more national parks in the future!

Probably the biggest milestone in 2020 was the purchase and renovation of my house! Buying my house in February was the biggest blessing because it kept me occupied during the long months of quarantine that followed. My best friend was also able to move in with me, and we managed to make staying home almost as fun as going out on the town every weekend.

Although I’m hoping that 2021 looks different than 2020, I don’t want to get my hopes up. I have made goals for 2021 that I can achieve even if we are still in a quarantine/social distanced mindset.

I don’t really think that New Years resolutions work well for me, but I think setting goals that can be worked on throughout the year is more attainable. I want to make 2021 a year where I better myself physically and mentally and also do more for the environment and my community.

My 2021 Goals

• Focus on buying secondhand furniture or saving up to buy investment pieces I truly love. I have a habit of buying cheap furniture as a “placeholder” and then getting rid of it later on. This isn’t a great habit for the environment or my wallet. I recently discovered some vintage shops in Raleigh that I have been loving, and my roommate and I are currently addicted to Facebook Marketplace. I just bought a new piece this week I can’t wait to show y’all!
• Cook from one of my cookbooks at least once a week. This is actually a goal I started at the end of last year, but I have truly fell in love with cooking and want to continue the trend.
• Do not pay for food delivery! Uber Eats was a bad habit that I developed during quarantine, and I spent way too much money on delivery fees. I deleted the apps off my phone, so hopefully this will be an easy one to stick to!
• Try to buy from local businesses before going to Amazon, Target, Starbucks, etc. 2020 probably hit small businesses harder than anyone, so I want to make an effort to support my local neighborhood shops as much as possible. I know it may be a little more expensive, but I can’t imagine how sad Raleigh will be if all of these businesses were to close.
• Make my bed everyday. I am usually good about doing this, but I fell off the wagon in November and December. But I am proud to say that it is January 19th and I have made my bed everyday this year!
• Finish the Gym Shed. I haven’t shared this project on the blog yet, but I am documenting it on Instagram. The first and maybe biggest project of 2021 is converting my garden shed into a gym. My dad is so helpful and has already started the process! After the gyms closed in NC for months, I realized how valuable having a full at home gym setup could be! I am also very excited to get my treadmill and bike out of my office!
• Get back into blogging more regularly! I have made this goal before, but something has always gotten in the way. I don’t want to put pressure on myself to blog every week or on any set schedule, but I would like to do it more this year than I did last. I have lots of spaces in my house I haven’t shared with y’all yet, so I have plenty to write about!

I hope everyone has a great 2021! I would love to hear what some of your goals are in the comments, and as always follow me on Instagram for more consistent updates on house projects and life!