In many respects I found looking back at my 2020 resolutions and making them for 2021 to be very hard. You can find out how I succeeded (or failed) on my 2020 goals here.
However it was also quite good to reminisce and admit to myself that this year I accomplished more than I expected. There were still elements that I followed through on. There are a lot of goals that I need to move on from 2020 to 2021 – goals that will remain the same due to not being able to do them in the unusual situation we find ourselves in.
Setting plans for 2021 has been tough. There’s an element of not knowing whether to plan at all in the ongoing uncertainty. But I’ve decided the best thing to do is have some direction. I’ll also be adapting and setting myself monthly goals as the year goes on, should the need arise. I think this flexibility in 2021 will be key.
So take these as a firm desire for the year, but maybe not set in stone. It’s particularly helpful for our emotional and mental wellbeing to give yourself a little grace, even as we pursue our wildest dreams.
If you’re struggling for methods to set 2021 goals, I list three here with some advice on tools to help you follow through.
However, without further ado, here are my 2021 resolutions and plans.
2021 - Ideal World Situation
In an ideal world, this is how my 2021 would look. This would be if there was no limitations and everything went far too smoothly.
January – Work on my website, and my health goals in the UK
February –Ski guiding in the Alps (I have a confirmed job pending how the world will look in just 5 weeks time!)
March – Ski holiday with Friends
March / April – Paddleboard South to North of Britain (This is the first time voicing this goal and it scares me – more below). Alternatively, a trip to walk the 214 Wainwrights in one go.
May / June – Climbing the highest point in North America, Denali in Alaska.
June / July / August – Festival working, starting with Glastonbury. Potentially a week off to paddle and walk the 3 Peaks and Lakes.
September – Climbing Elbrus, the highest point in Europe
October – Some small trips, potentially to Eastern Europe, to see some new countries.
November – Climbing Puncak Jaya, the highest point in Oceania.
December – Probably back in the UK, but not entirely sure.
Even on a good year, I’m trying to fit in too much for my 2021 Resolutions. But this is a rough plan – things will change depending on how the world changes over the next 12 months.
2021 Travel Resolutions
– Climb Denali. This hasn’t changed from 2020. Mount Denali is the highest peak on the North American continent. It sits at the top of Denali National Park in Alaska, at 6190 metres high. Originally due for May/June 2020, the expedition is now set for May 2021. Fingers crossed it happens and I can get to the top.
– Climb Elbrus. Elbrus is booked for September already. It lies in Russia, the highest point of the European continent. If all goes to plan, I’ll be putting in the last parts of the logistics a few months before including a Russian Visa and flights.
– Climb Puncak Jaya. Otherwise known as the Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, this is provisionally set for November 2021. Nothing is booked but I’ll be using a local operator so will be seeing how the situation develops over the year. If it becomes an actuality, I’m hoping to spend some much needed relaxation time before and after on the beaches of Bali.
– Visit 5 New Countries If I can make Elbrus and Puncak, this will already add a couple of new countries to my list, the 49th and 50th respectively! I’m also thinking about some city breaks to see parts of Europe I haven’t seen, like Scandinavia, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania.
– Complete the 3 Peaks/3 Lakes. The 3 Peaks are the highest points of England, Wales, and Scotland, usually hiked in 48hrs as a challenge and quite often for charity. Recently, kayakers have paddled the 3 Lakes, the longest lake in England, Wales and Scotland. I don’t think It has ever been done, but I have a crazy idea to do both in 48 hours.
– 214 Wainwrights. Alfred Wainwright famously wrote about 214 peaks in the Lake District over a series of 7 books. Many people spend their life trying to complete all the Wainwrights. I would like to hike them in a month, potentially much less than that.
– SUP LEJOG. A paddleboard journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The mere thought of saying this out loud scares me. This is the sort of ambition many people keep hidden in case they are ridiculed. And, truth be told, I would struggle with the finances and the time in 2021. I also don’t have the experience paddling in all conditions (a small hurdle!) But I feel if I don’t mention it, it will never happen. So I’ve said it and it’s in the goals. To date, two kickass ladies have made it happen so it is possible. No man has made it. This year Jordan Wylie, on his attempt to SUP the whole coastline of Britain, made it just 23km shy of John O’Groats before being stopped by Corona Restrictions.
2021 Health Resolutions
– Lose weight to 11 Stone and then tone This almost happened in 2020. I managed to get to 11.5 stone and then lost it. Christmas, a new Relationship and feeling the burden of continued lockdowns and tiers sent me spiralling. I aim to pick this right back up from the 1st Jan. Healthier eating, less calories, more gentle exercise. I may even join a gym or get a personal trainer at some point.
– Yoga 5 times a week. Yoga has grounded me this year, physically and mentally. The practice has helped my hips and energised my days. Whilst it’s a delight to do – and that’s why paddleboarding and hiking aren’t on this list – consistency is key with yoga. I found that unlike other sports that I notice if it is only completed weekly. Hence the goal is to be doing yoga enough each week to create lasting change.
– Fruit and veg Daily. When I eat fruit or veg, I remember how much I like it. Then promptly forget! This year I want to consistently be bringing my diet more towards natural foods and aware from processed ones.
– 100 Days of Meat. This was a success for me in 2020 and I intend to carry it on for my 2021 Resolutions. Two days a week I will eat meat, the rest of the time I will abstain.
– 100 Days of Alcohol. Another success for me in 2020 was cutting down alcohol, however I didn’t track it. I really don’t know how many days I had alcohol, but it was definitely a lot less. Moreover, I tried to keep alcohol for social and special occasions. This year I’ll be tracking and keeping it to two days a week.
2021 Blog/Business Resolutions
– Increase Domain Authority (DA) to 30. I end 2020 on a domain authority of 17. The plan is to get that to 30 by the end of the year. This will predominantly be fuelled by generating content for the site, and collaborating on posts with fellow bloggers.
– Have 100 Posts by the end of the year. A goal originally for 2020, the total now sits at 21. I have so many ideas yet very rarely write.
– Make 3 figures per month ($) It might not seem like a lot of money, but many bloggers make no money. It’s an uphill struggle. If by the end of 2021 I want to be making some money. This started as a passion project, but it’s time to step it up.
– Write a Mountain Series of Books I’d like to write books this year on my Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro trips, as well as a couple of other smaller trips I’ve done for my 2021 Resolutions.
– 5000 Unique Visitors per month I’m aiming for content and social media marketing to increase the number of viewers I have to the website.
– Write a Newsletter Monthly. I promise my email list that I will deliver monthly newsletters. Not a big feat I thought. In 2020 I delivered exactly zero and mean to change this in 2021. I also want to focus on driving traffic to my email list.
– Pinterest and Tiktok. This year I want to explore both social media platforms, which I haven’t utilised so far. Well, I endlessly scroll on Tiktok but I don’t create.
– ASMR Channel. I’ve been toying with the idea of an ASMR Channel for some time. I’m finally going to give it a go and see where it will take me. It will be predominantly driven by Youtube, with a Tiktok and Instagram account too.
2021 Lifestyle Resolutions
– Read 50 Books in 2020 One to put on the list for another year. 2020 saw me go through 25 books, and although the books are piling up faster than I can read them, I still want to make this happen.
– Gratitude. I’m currently following a 28 day challenge from Rhonda Byrne’s book The Magic. I really want to make gratitude a bigger part of my life after that. I feel like at these times we should all be hyper aware of all the good things we still have in this lifetime.
– The Miracle Morning. I’m also doing a 30 day challenge at the moment based around Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning. I’ve been trying to wake up at 6:30am daily and follow his 6 step process, known as SAVERS (Silence aka Meditation, Affirmations, Visualisations, Exercise, Reading and Scribing aka Writing). He believes these 6 things set us up not just for the day, but also for long term success in all areas of our life.
– Random Acts of Kindness. One pulled from 2020 as well. I’d like to continue and develop this practice over the coming year.
– Learn Italian. I keep learning Italian here and there, but would like to speak it better.
– Learn Guitar. Years ago I learnt to play a song or two, and then gave up. It’s time to give it another go.
2021 Micro Resolutions
As mentioned, I’m thinking about adapting goals across the year. Some may come into fruition, others will disappear. To this end it will be the first fluid year of goals I have ever done. At times, I may put in Monthly goals depending on how the world changes in 2021.
I have quite a few micro resolutions as well that may come into play. Some of them are as follows:-
– Mobile Phone Detox (Cutting out mobile use for a month solid)
– Keeping the Phone out of the Bedroom (Especially to aid a good night’s sleep)
– Single Tasking (these days we sometimes try to do too many things rather than focusing on one thing at hand)
– No Phone While Watching TV (I feel like we ruin films and good TV by being on our phone – see single tasking too!)
– Limit TV Watching (We consume too much and though I’ve never eradicated TV from my life, I may set limits if I’m not staying productive)
– Learn the Splits
– Learn to do a Handstand
– Complete a TEFL course
– Walk 350kms a month (this goal will surface if we go back to lockdown situations through summer)
– Walk the Camino (I’ve been thinking at some point to head back to Spain to walk the Camino and clear my head)
– Cut down books / CDs / DVDs (I still have around 10 bookcases of these and I keep meaning to minimalise)
– Water Diet or Juice Diet (I’ve always wanted to try a Water Diet but I never can last more than half a day!)
In Conclusion
I believe 2021 will be another interesting year, and I don’t think life will look normal again.
I also believe that goals and direction become more important than ever. They will be fluid, they will change, and there will be disappointments. But to have no goals at all, risk slipping into a dark place.
I hope we all look back in 12 months with a fresh perspective and a happy heart.
2 comments
These are great goals!!! I fully support. Your organized list is nudging me to finish my list
I look forward to seeing them if you’re sharing them!