Maybe this is a bit ambitious, like how I bought a new planner for 2021, but I have resolutions for the new year. I don’t think I’ll have as many as last year because I don’t really know what 2021 will look like. I feel like the first half of the year will be similar to what we’re doing now, but maybe by this time next year we can maybe do a few fun things? I don’t know. Regardless folks, wear a mask!

Read 75 books

My goal for this year was to read 65 books, and I’m currently in the low 80s. I’m knocking off a few books for next year because quarantine this year definitely helped with me getting to 80 books. I feel like 75 is attainable for a continued quarantine/maybe leaving the house later in the year.

Run the first in-person race when it’s available and safe to

All of my in-person road races got cancelled this year, and I doubt there will be any in the early part of next year. I’m holding out hope that maybe in the fall there could be one, so I want to sign up for one when we’re able to safely be in groups and, you know, have fun again.

Run a sub-30 5K

I had this as a resolution for last year, and I came really close this year. I did a virtual 5K and my time was 30:56. So I do think it’s possible to me to run a 5K distance in under 30 minutes. I don’t care whether it’s during a race or just running for fun; it’ll count either way.

Write two blog posts a week

This resolution will be pretty easy for me to accomplish but I’m putting it in here to make sure in my resolution check-ins I’m actually doing it. I’m hoping next year once we can start doing more fun things, I’ll have more interesting posts.

Finish the story I’m currently working on

I started writing a possible novel in October and so far I’ve written over 12,000 words. The idea for the story just came to me—it wasn’t forced—and I find myself thinking about it in my downtime; when I do that, the story is a bit easier to write and I feel more passionate about it. I’ve been doing research and working on a Pinterest board and Spotify playlist to go along with it.

I’m keeping the resolution sort of vague so I don’t put too much pressure on myself. There are some days when I can sit down and write but other days when I spend more time doing research or working on the Pinterest board. I think it’s possible to finish a first draft of the story by the end of next year. I also have to keep myself accountable for my progress; I’ll be adding a “Writing” section to my monthly recaps in 2021, and I’d appreciate random story update messages from you guys!

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Here’s a quick check in to see how my 2020 resolutions went:

• Run 10 races: Nope. I did run a few virtual races, so maybe those count?
• Run a 10K: I didn’t run this officially in a race but I did run a 10K distance multiple times during my regular runs.
• Run a sub-30 5K: I came close, so that’s why it’s getting bumped to 2021.
• Read 65 books (including the Harry Potter series): This was a success! I read my 65th book of the year in October and I’m on track to finish in the 80s for the year.
• Make more plans with friends: Uh, yeah, no. I met a friend for drinks in January and another friend for dinner in February before COVID hit. I did see a co-worker on Halloween when we went to a brewery for a dog fundraiser; we sat outside and I felt completely safe there.
• Use positive talk with myself more: I think I did good with this. I’ve cut myself some slack and realized that just doing my best is good enough. And especially with COVID, I had to re-evaluate how I measure my progress/ability to accomplish things.

Do you believe in resolutions? If so, what are some of them? Do you stick with your resolutions?