January 2021 musings


It’s January 2021! How did that happen? This year I will get a double digit daughter and a legal to drink oldest son. I would really like to know who is letting this all happen! I have talked about how I chose the word Uncomfortable for 2020, and man did the year deliver. Not in the way I had imagined, but I have been able to reframe a lot of good into some things that did occur last year.

A couple weeks ago, I sat with a good friend and we talked and planned for 2021. I usually pick my next word sometime in November. With great conviction on how things are continuing to grow and evolve through the current year. I really had to sit with my word for 2021. I didn’t want to feel challenged with planning for the unknown. I wanted to focus on what I can control, and so much of my 2020 plans went away out of my control. The word that I settled out is Reach. Reaching out for connection, reaching out for support, reaching out for seemingly out of range goals.

Over all my years of planning and goal setting, I have really come to terms with not setting too many goals at any one time. I am sure you all have heard me say that a goal without any action steps is just a dream. Often times, those action steps create new habits. Those habits add up to a better, fuller life, even if the goal is never attained.

My first goal of the year that I have set for myself is to run 750 miles. Last year, I ran 456.6 miles, according to Strava. I know that a handful of runs weren’t recorded due to a dead/dying watch, but the total isn’t far off. I am setting my goal 300 miles more than I accomplished last year, which sounds like a great reach for me. As I mentioned above, we need to set action steps to achieve our goals. There are 52 weeks in a year, but 50 is such a nice round numbers. And it allows for me to take 2 weeks off of running. If I run 15 miles a week, for 50 weeks, I can hit my 750 mile goal. If I run 5 days a week, each run needs to average 3 miles.

As of January 17, I have already ran 43.85 miles, which puts me ahead of target for the year. I am not going to take that goal and make any adjustments just yet. Last year showed the importance of being prepared for the unknown. I am hopeful that I get back to dance rehearsals this year, which could potentially affect my time available to run. I do plan to evaluate at the end of quarter one my goal, and how I’d like to Reach even further.

I am well on my way of creating the habit in which I run a minimum of 3 miles, 5 days a week. Once that habit is created, adjusting my mileage is one possible adjustment to my goal. I can also choose to keep the goal and add a complimentary running goal to my list. Maybe in person racing will be a thing, and I can set a time to beat in a 5K, 10K, or Half. Maybe I will just follow a training plan and run a virtual race myself to beat the goal time. Maybe once running is my habit, I will focus a goal on dancing or lifting weights. Stretching my personal fitness best across multiple facets is always a Reach.

I have shared previously lists of words to help you find a word. I recently had a conversation with someone who was trying to pick a word from the list I had shared. I was trying to find a way to articulate that there isn’t a right or wrong list of words to pick from. I wish I had read Elizabeth Rider’s post on how to pick a word. It really does come down to the reflection and what you need to focus on in order to continue heading in the direction of your choosing.

When I pick my word, I sometimes have it added onto jewelry or a key chain. I reset some passwords to incorporate my word, so every day I log into my computer, I am reminded of my direction. I also like to pick quotes to remind me of my goal and direction for the year. This year I have 4 quotes and 1 Bible verse.

Do you have a word for the year? I’d love to hear your word, and even your quote in the comments. Remember, there is no right or wrong word. We are not comparing where you are on your journey to where I am on mine. Your word should be able to relate to all aspects of your life for the year. I mentioned reaching for connection and support, in addition to the fitness goal I shared.