(NOTE: This is the post I did not post on Sunday.)
I was going to pass up #OneWord for 2021 but Sheila sucked me into it. I still like the concept of the one-word resolution. But I didn’t have one in 2020, and odds are it wouldn’t have survived if I had (because…2020).
But having thought about it some more, I think I can embrace this #OneWord for 2021. I think we’re all going to need some.
If you’re just a bit more ambitious about New Year’s Resolutions than I am, here are some suggestions about scaling them to something achievable. (Sorry about the NYT paywall, but I think they still offer a few free articles a month if you’re not a subscriber.)
I am not committing to any sort of regularly-scheduled programming for this space right now. I am hoping I’ll have the energy and inspiration to post weekly, but I’ve gotten no further than that. There’s a part of me that resists goal-setting and step-by-step planning; I’m too aware of how easily those can be blown up by things I don’t control. In that respect, 2020 really validated my worldview.
And this 2020 Bingo card is a good illustration of the utter disruption and abnormal “new normal” of the year we just closed To be honest, I’m perfectly fine with not having done these signature activities of The Year of Our Coronavirus, 2020:
- Become a home-school teacher. (All respect to you parents who have had to take this on, but I’m grateful to have grown children)
- Cut my own hair
- Binge-watched Tiger King (although it did get added to the Netflix queue)
How would you score on 2020 Bingo? (Really, we all lost at it.)
I wish my child were grown, but no such luck on that. It’s been the worst part of 2020 for me because I work full time and can’t just quit my job (not that I’d want to) to be a homeschool teacher. Those parents who could do that and be successful, I applaud them. I always knew that teachers worked hard- my best friend’s mom was a teacher. These are things I never took for granted, but honestly they are working even harder now to reach kids and getting flack for it that they do not deserve.
I have a coworker (also full-time) who has been in the same boat with her fourth-grader and she had been exhausted. My nephews are in high school and college, so that’s been a little easier on my sister.
I can understand that. my daughter is also in 4th grade, which has a far harder curriculum than I did as a child
I gather that fourth grade has become a very transitional year. (Also – yikes, Serena, your daughter’s a fourth-grader?!)
Hard to believe, isn’t it? Anna’s daughter is in her junior year of college
Time marches on, no matter what we do!
I had quite a low score on the bingo. Sigh. Patience is a wonderful word for 2021. Patience for others, but also for ourselves. I chose connection. 🙂
I think this was actually a Bingo game that you really don’t want to win ?. And “connections” is a good choice – hopefully the opportunities for it will increase as the year unfolds.
Patience could never be my word. LOL.
I am not doing One Word this year. I chose GATHER for 2020 and I am all bitter about it.
I figure “patience” is a world I’ll at least remember six weeks later…and get lots of opportunities to practice ?.
Oh…”gather” for 2020? Oof, bad timing–sorry that one did not work out for you!
I had two Bingo’s on the 2020 card, but only because my husband went nuts with the tp early on. I was so embarrassed! I was equally glad to have grown children – the year was hard enough without having to figure out how to work from home while teaching your children.
OK, I will admit I chuckled at your husband being a TP hoarder…but I bet it was months before it was on your shopping list again ?!