I've never really been one for waiting for the calendar to flip - if there's something I want to commit to doing, I usually just jump right in no matter what month it is. But obviously 2020 was the strangest/most challenging/worst year ever so while we're all still facing the same daily hurdles that we have since March, January 1st, for me at least, certainly felt symbolically like more of an opportunity to reset and look forward than it ever has before. Here are 10 things I'm looking forward to in 2021. Let's have a great year, everyone!
1. Stretch everyday. (I just turned 40 and want to be able to throw batting practice - and beat my High School and College summer camp coaches in the Homerun Derby - for another 40 years!).
2. Do pushups and sit-ups everyday. (When the gyms closed in March, I fell out of my workout routine and I've got to get back into it.)
3. Meditate for 10 minutes everyday. (You know how it is with kids; finding a few minutes of peace and quiet at home is really hard to do but no excuses this year!)
4. Put my phone away 1 hour before I fall sleep. (No explanation needed - there's absolutely nothing happening on my phone at midnight that's worth staying awake for.)
5. Wake up earlier. (Maddux and Sloane are up at 6am every morning but I'd like to get an hour to myself before that so I'm setting my alarm - for the first time since Maddux was born - for 5am.)
6. Play more golf. (Before kids, I used to play a lot of morning golf before heading to the field to coach. I think I played 2 full rounds in 2020. I'm aiming for 10 rounds this year!)
7. Teach myself how to play the piano. (I've been playing guitar since I was 10 years old and have always wanted to learn another instrument.)
8. Take a hike every weekend. (Now that the kids can handle longer hikes, I really want to explore more of LA's parks and trails.)
9. Take a family vacation. (Obviously travel is really tough right now, but as soon as Covid is behind us, I want to reward my kids for being troopers while their lives got turned upside, and Marissa definitely deserves it after finding herself stuck on Zoom 10 hours a day for work).
10. Continue to appreciate the little things. (With so many creature comforts taken away this year, I learned to be more appreciative of the simple things like playing a thousand straight games of Crazy 8's with the kids or taking my dogs for a walk in the neighborhood. I'm looking forward to getting some fun life luxuries back in 2021, but while remaining thankful for life's simple pleasures.)