I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 2022. (Yes, I know everyone has already made this connection, but Spencer sang-said it a few days ago, and I felt a surge of pride knowing I’ve finally earwormed Taylor Swift into his heart.)
In many ways, 2021 felt like a Groundhog Day-esque continuation of 2020. I spent the entire year working remotely, bringing the grand total to 21.5 blessed months. I still carried a mask everywhere I went, and we continued to stay pretty close to home. Mostly, though, it was that feeling I couldn’t quite shake. A part “everything could change at any moment,” part “this is life as we know it now,” part “what the hell?” tickle on the back of my neck that began on January 6 and didn’t go away. You know what I mean.
In other ways, 2021 was a life-giving breath of fresh air. Spencer and I both turned 30 and took the proverbial leap into a new period of our lives. We each got two vaccine jabs and then a booster. The Bee was back, and we named one pretty cool champion. For the first time in forever, I flew on an airplane (!) and stayed in an Airbnb (!!). We attended four weddings (and thankfully no funerals), reconnecting with friends who we hadn’t seen in years. We spent the holiday season in Vermont with my fully-vaccinated family.
2021 was a year of change, and to be honest, I’m still not great with change. You’d think thirty years would be long enough to get used to it, but it continues to affect me in new and surprising ways. That’s not to say that I won’t keep trying, though.
On my thirtieth birthday, a friend gave me a mug with the opening lyric from the first song on folklore, “the 1.” A few hours later, when Spencer and I visited 20° Brix for an appropriately celebratory dinner, that song was the first to play when we sat down. And that felt like too much kismet for me to ignore.
So, “I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit” is the energy that I’m bringing into my thirties and, therefore, 2022. I hope you’ve found an equally bad ass mantra to manifest all the best things for you in the new year.
My Resolutions for 2022
Now for some resolutions. While I’m admittedly bad at keeping up with them throughout the year, I do enjoy setting some best-case aspirations for bringing joy to my life!
In 2022, these are the goals and practices I plan to prioritize:
- Read 50 books
- Keep buying all my clothing secondhand
- Send more snail mail
- Write 1,000 words each week in my current fiction project
- Practice yoga regularly*
- Get back into daily meditation
- Bake something new every month
- Prioritize walking during my lunch breaks
I know that’s an extensive list, but we’re going to consider them more guidelines than hard and fast resolutions.
*I’m kicking off my yoga practice for the year by taking part in Yoga With Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga. It’s a free, at home yoga practice that runs throughout January. I’ve done it for years and would 100% recommend it for yogis of all ages and experience levels. Check out her website to learn more.
Now, let’s jump into a little recap of the year on An Aspiring Heroine!
Year in Review: Blogging
Posts Published This Year: 9
Most Viewed Lifestyle Post: The Seasons as Taylor Swift Albums
I’m not going to lie to you. The fact that this post got the most eyes on it in 2021 has me absolutely tickled. Not only was it fun as hell to write, but it helped nudge me back toward the “blogging what I want” mentality instead of the “blogging for Pinterest hits” trap that I’ve tended to fall into. Not to mention Taylor Swift is a queen and the gifter that keeps on giving in this pandemic life we’re all living.
Most Viewed Writing Post: Four Weeks to Your Best NaNoWriMo Preptober Workbook
This one did not surprise me. Every week, I get new sign ups for my Preptober workbook, and each notification makes me smile! Whether they’re prepping for National Novel Writing Month or just looking to organize their first draft, writers from all over use my free workbook to help guide them through characters, plot, and setting. I feel humbled and blessed to get to play a small part in their journey to writing a novel.
Most Viewed Travel Post: Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Perhaps the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries opened up before anything else in the post-vaccine days? Maybe that’s why this post from 2016 shot up to the top of my viewed posts this year. I’m honestly not sure, but it has motivated me to do an update of this post and my “best of” post about all my favorite parts of the trail. It’s a fun, fairly inexpensive travel idea, and we even made it down to Maker’s Mark this year as part of their ambassador program. Feels like perfect timing for a refresh, no?
My Favorite Post from 2021: Quarantine Habits I’m Keeping When the World Goes Back to Normal
I didn’t write a ton of new content in 2021, but this post about the remote working habits I’m taking into the new normal was by far my favorite. It’s also something I’ll no doubt refer to as I prepare to enter a hybrid working situation later this year. Because we know I want to keep the healthy, mindful, fulfilling pieces of remote work life that I’ve carved out for myself.
In 2022, I’d like to post more consistently.
Yes, it’s simple, but I really fell off my plans for this space in 2021. This year, I’d like to jump back in with consistency and intention. I also plan to work on being intentional with writing about the things that bring me joy. Instead of buying into the disenchanting grind of writing for Pinterest or what the various algorithms think I should, I want to explore the topics that make me feel things. I’m hoping these topics will also be interesting and engaging for you, my dear reader. (If you have something in mind, feel free to pop it into a comment at the bottom of this post!)
What’s one intention, resolution, or guideline that you’re taking into 2022 with you?
P.S. Check out my yearly recaps and goals from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 to see where I began with this little blog!
