Happy New Year!
This is the time of year most of us set goals and make plans for the new 
year. In addition to planning my goals, I also hit the reset button and make adjustments for the upcoming year, which is here. Last year I had goals, I had plans, and they all went out the window. Last year! I am happy I can now officially say that ?. I am glad that 2020 is behind us, kind of. Let’s be honest, we are still not out of it, yet, but we can adjust.
I recently heard someone describe 2020 as a “dumpster fire”. WOW!! At first I agreed, how could you not? Many of us suffered in many profound ways. But there was also a lot to be grateful for. We formed tighter bonds with family and friends; we accomplished amazing things in science and exploration and the environment improved in many ways. Regardless of who you voted for, you voted; voter turnout was at its highest and people gave voice to their beliefs. We got to wear sweats and tee shirts to work and cut down on our commutes. Despite the plot twists 2020 threw our way, people got creative and adapted, probably the most valuable skill.
The difference between goals and plans is that goals define purpose and what we want to accomplish, while plans provide the roadmap for those goals. Like I said, most of my plans last year went out the window. As spontaneous and carefree as I think I am, I do like to have plans and when those plans goes awry, I sometimes get annoyed. That happened a lot in 2020; my plans kept shifting, but I learned when plans shift I need to adapt.
The issue is that many of us like to plan, because we like structure and sometimes something to look forward to. Last year most of that did not work out, as everything kept shifting. I suspect a lot of the same will happen this year, at least for the first half of it. As for the second half, your guess is as good as mine, we can’t control it.
Not being able to plan, and not having a plan makes every day seem like every other day; there were many times in 2020 when I did not know if it was Sunday or Wednesday! With all this uncertainty, how am I going to plan? Easy, I am going to plan things I can control, no matter how small.
Make a plan, even just a small one this weekend. We might not have control over the big picture this year, but we can set little intentions to make sure our 2021 is bright.
“If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters – 204 if you’re in Japan.” ― Claire Cook, writer and motivational speaker
Have a great weekend,
Vijay
PS: If you need a refresh on some of the positives of 2020, check out this list.