21 Simple but Monumental Goals for 2021
Introduction
To start off this new year right, I thought I would share my achievable goals for 2021 and how I made them. Usually my New Year’s Resolutions are vague and uninspired. This year I’d like for them to be specific, straight forward, realistic, and inspired. What I mean by inspired is that I’m actually taking the time to think and pray about them. The first thing we’re gonna go over is my process for creating these goals, so you can use it, too. I’m not saying it’s perfect or anything, but it’s what worked to come up wit my goals for 2021.
My Process for Setting Goals for 2021
- Write down your list of ideas as you come up with them
Do not just think about your New Year’s Resolutions in your head. I personally used Evernote, but you can use whatever notebook or notes app that you like. If you have more than 21 ideas, make sure to narrow down that list. - Take those ideas and turn them into goals that make sense to you.
Some people like setting SMART goals and others like turning their ideas into simple statements. An example of a goal that is less likely to be accomplished is: I am going to work out more. The reasons why it is harder to accomplish this goal is because it is vague, isn’t measurable, and isn’t habit forming. One better way to write this would be to say I am going to work out at the gym every Wednesday for thirty minutes. If you’re going from zero exercise to once a week, this is an achievable, simple, and measurable goal. Every few months or every year, you can add a little bit more to this goal until you are living and enjoying an active lifestyle. - Ask yourself what you want and need to accomplish
If you find that you’re looking at goals that you aren’t excited about or genuinely need to complete, then don’t include that goal. Another way to think about this is that if you feel like your goal is written for someone else, it’s not the goal for you. - If faith is important to you, pray over the list that you’ve created and choose a verse or quote that ties everything together.
Are these goals ones that produce good and healthy fruit? If not, switch it up. The second part to this is to choose a bible verse (or quote for all you secular folks) that you feel like relates to your goals, focus, or that will help you to accomplish them.
Academic Goals for 2021
Stay Eligible for my Scholarships and on the Dean’s List
To keep my scholarships, I must maintain a certain GPA and take classes as a full time student. The reason why this is one of my goals for 2021 is because it can be very difficult to do during a pandemic and with a disability. Some days, taking the bare minimum of 12 credit hours a semester just feels so impossible. The reason why I included the Dean’s List as part of this is because I did it without knowing it was a thing last semester and I, personally, just want to keep that up in the future.
Get to an A2 or B1 Level in Spanish
As most of you probably know, I live in Miami. The specific area I live in has way more Spanish speakers than even other areas in Miami do. This is to the point that one of my books last semester was in Spanglish. It would be really helpful in everyday life if I were able to speak Spanish at the grocery store or pharmacy because some employees only speak Spanish/barely speak English. Also, half of my family is from Mexico and speaks Spanish as their first language.
Be Involved in Two Clubs/Organizations at My University
Last semester I struggled to stay involved in any clubs. I would go to individual events but never went to one specific club long enough to have continual attendance. One of my goals for 2021 is to get more involved because not only is it helpful for resume building and graduate school applications, but it also improves one’s overall college experience. Even though my classes are extremely exhausting and CFS/ME doesn’t stop for anyone, I still think it would be beneficial.
Blog/Etsy Goals for 2021
Return to Social Media by March, Posting at Least Once a Week on Instagram
I’ve been sort of active on Pinterest but not as much as I used to be. Interacting on social media has felt so much like a chore in recent months even though I used to enjoy it. I think a lot of this has to do with the pandemic, college, disability, and general life stuff. I’m still working on changing my relationship with social media and technology in general, but I already have ideas for future posts on limitations.
Make at Least One Sale per Month on Etsy
I haven’t talked about it as much as I’d like to on my blog, but I do have an Etsy store. I noticed that having the store on my website was really slowing everything down and not helpful in any way. I started out by only selling digital products. I quickly realized I also wanted to sell stickers and shirts and other things like that.
However, I’ve really struggled to find eco-friendly and ethical options. I eventually decided that what I wanted to sell was way more important to me than it needing to be eco-friendly. Right now, only stickers and pins are available. At this point in time, I am able to promise that all shirts and sweatshirts will be made ethically and more environmentally friendly than many others.
Anyway, I eventually want my store to provide me with a part time income of sorts and am slowly starting to sell things. I know one sale per month isn’t a lot. However, doing that consistently is the hard part. So far, I’ve made two sales and I can’t wait for more.
Finish Designing my Mental Health Workbook
When I was living in Austria, I began designing a workbook to help people like me better manage their mental health in an affordable way. Once I’m finished, I plan on having it reviewed by a medical professional for accuracy and helpfulness. Of course, this resource would be best used if there are no other options/in addition to being seen by mental health professionals. It’s just that, sometimes, therapy or psychiatrist appointments are too expensive to do as often as you’d like. That’s where this workbook comes in.
It will include lists of resources like helpful books for all kinds of mental health conditions and crisis lines for emergencies. There will also be worksheets and exercises to help you get through a panic attack by yourself in a healthier way, symptom trackers, coloring pages, and more for you to heal and work through at your own pace. A lot of it is information that I wish I had known earlier along in the process of experiencing mental illness, but what’s happened happened.
Environmental Goals for 2021
Start Drinking Plant Based Milk Instead of Cow Milk
Because cows are generally terrible for the environment (although this could still change), I would like to start reducing my consumption of cow products unless I know that it has been ethically and responsibly produced. I won’t get into it too much here because the way the animals we eat are taken care of is so graphic that I think it’s better for us to learn about it in our own time. But that’s the other reason I’m making it one of my goals for 2021.
Actively Participate in Meatless Monday Two Days a Week
This goal also relates to the last, but in general the way animals are treated before we eat them is absolutely horrific and unacceptable. Instead of just not eating meat because it’s expensive or difficult to cook, I want to make a conscious choice to think about what I am eating and go vegetarian two days a week.
Buy a Lightweight Bike that Fits to Use on Campus
The last of my environmental goals for 2021, is to start biking around campus and the places near where I live. Not only is it a healthier option, but it is also much better for the environment than driving. Because of my PoTS and CFS/ME, this is not always going to be an option. When that’s the case, I’m able to ride one of the free electric vehicles for short distances instead.
Health Related Goals for 2021
Get my Ultra-Lightweight, Folding Wheelchair Before the End of the Year
I started trying to get a wheelchair through insurance in November. It has been the slowest, most frustrating process of all time. I’ve talked to the insurance company, a matching service, two durable medical equipment providers, and called and messaged my doctor’s office countless times. I was originally matched with a company that was unable to get the kind of wheelchair on my prescription so I am still in the process of restarting everything. Fingers crossed it’ll happen sooner rather than later.
Use Sayana Once a Day to Better Manage My Mental Health
I’ve been using an app, Sayana, sporadically throughout the last few months. It’s a paid AI program that helps you connect with others who are going through similar things, gives helpful self-care/mental illness management advice, and makes you keep a sort of diary/track your mood. I’ve found it really beneficial for keeping myself from overreacting and having a more focused attitude of gratitude.
Find a Physical Therapist who Doesn’t Make My Subluxations Worse
I started physical therapy through my university in September. While some of it has been really helpful, because my conditions are so specific and not something many healthcare providers are familiar with. I’ve been noticing that my subluxations (partial dislocations) are becoming more and more frequent and that my general pain is getting worse. While I definitely cannot contribute all of this to the physical therapy, I also cannot ignore the fact that the two things I’ve been working on are a major part of what’s getting worse.
Begin Aqua Therapy as Soon as it is Safe to Do so
Since the very beginning of my chronic illness journey, doctors have suggested I do aqua therapy as it’s less hard on your joints and tissues than physical therapy. I was planning on doing this after I got home from Austria, but my plans were interrupted by a little thing called COVID-19. I’m also grossed out by public pools, so I really want to wait until more people in my area have the vaccine before I start.
Find a Chiropractor in Miami
Just like with physical therapy, going to a chiropractor who has no knowledge or willingness to learn about hypermobility can cause immense harm to my body. My health goals for 2021 may seem relatively limited, but these are things that are just so not fun that I need to write a post about it to convince myself to do it.
Have One Sabbath/Rest Day per Week
I have one of those personalities that cannot take a break so setting apart one day a week feels nearly impossible. However, I know it would be extremely beneficial to my mental and physical health as far as mental illness and chronic fatigue are concerned.
Self-Care & Personal Goals for 2021
Regularly Volunteer Remotely Every Two Weeks
I either want to start volunteering with a crisis line or do some sort of volunteering ever other week in order get more involved in my local community while still respecting lockdown. I never realized how important volunteering was to me until I accidentally took a break from it. It really does have an impact on my overall mental health.
In the beginning of December, I volunteered as a facilitator/scribe for a racial and ethnic equity summit to help record what are local people’s biggest concerns when it comes to racism in their city as well as their ideas for fighting it. All I did was ask a question and listen to what the people in my group had to say. Then I wrote it down to be submitted to a committee. Not only was it something I enjoyed, but I left knowing that I actually helped to make a difference in one city in South Florida.
If COVID Improves, Travel Out of the Country to Somewhere New
My first international trip will probably be visiting friends and family in Austria. Maybe I’ll go to Finland or Germany or another new country while I’m there. Or maybe I’ll travel somewhere in to a Caribbean Island nearby. I don’t really know, yet. I just can’t wait to travel again!
Write Miltia (my compassion child) Once a Week
Recently, I’ve been really bad about writing people in general but especially my adopted sister. Even though there’s been so much going on, I need to make consistent time for her because she is just the sweetest and best international pen pal you could ever ask for.
Read 75 Books Throughout the Year (this year I did 50)
My list of goals for 2021 would not be complete if I didn’t add to my reading list. I was literally reading until the last minute yesterday to finish my last book of 2020, but I did it. I read 50 books in 2020 even if I do feel like I cheated at the end by purposefully reading shorter books. Don’t get me wrong, they were still really good. Because of how much I enjoyed getting back into regularly reading, I’ve decided to up the ante
Finish my Read the Bible in a Year Plan on Time in March
Last year I started a read the bible in a year plan and, surprisingly, I’ve done a pretty good job keeping up with it. The reason why I decided to do it was so I could read it for myself and get a better idea of the whole picture when people use bible verses to disagree with me. Maybe that’s a little selfish but when I start it felt necessary and reasonable. Why would I want to support something I’ve only heard repeated by others?
Unpack/Clean/Organize/Get Rid of Unused Stuff in My New Room
This is a process I already started before the new year. But there is still so much to day after moving three times last year and also wanting to become more environmentally friendly in as many ways as possible. The first thing I did was organize my new book shelves with all of the books that aren’t in my dorm. Because this was my job at the library, it’s something I’m really good at and also enjoy. I now have shelves organized by author or title, genre, and age (some of them are my favorite picture books from when I was really little).
Other things I need to do, though, are unpacking boxes, deciding where everything goes, getting rid of the stuff I no longer need, and decorating my room. I’ve also been researching eco-friendly ways to get rid of stuff. I’ve sold books at a consignment shop and plan on doing that with some of my other clothes. I think I may give the rest I can’t sell to local homeless groups since giving it to Goodwill does risk the possibility that it will enter the landfill.
Conclusion
With that I’ve finished sharing my goals for 2021. If you have some of the same goals I do or one you’re really excited for, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Happy new year and I wish you all the best in everything you do!
