Goodbye 2020 Hello 2021 by Selina Barker and Vicki Pavitt
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Reviews
4 Stars
Best for:
Anyone looking for a little focus going into 2021, but who wants to avoid the pitfalls of setting New Year’s Resolutions.
In a nutshell:
Coaches Barker and Pavitt of Project Love have put together questions to explore to look at how the past years has gone and what you’d like to have in the coming year.
Worth quoting:
Never choose a focus for your year because you think you should or because you think it sounds good.
Why I chose it:
It was part of a book subscription box, though if I’d seen it in a book shop (remember those? Ugh, I miss browsing) I’d probably have picked it up.
Review:
I enjoyed this one a lot. I’ve had some book/journal hybrids before, and sometimes struggled with the questions. But the way this one is laid out made it easy to reflect on 2020 (mostly but not a total dumpster fire) before then moving on to look forward. It asks the reader to think about the things that we are grateful for, the things that have made us happy, the things that are important to us. It then asks the reader to think a bit about what they hope for five years from now. That can be a challenge and I think isn’t always effective, but I found it helpful.
Then, the reader is asked to think about 2021 and to set a focus for it. Instead of listing five or 10 resolutions, the reader is to think about an overall focus, and live intentionally within that focus. Basically, one is looking to make a year something. It can be something one wants more of in their life, or an intention, or a big change, or maybe something else. From there, the reader is asked to explore things that one could do to make the year fit that focus. Then, as an added bit, we are asked to pick three things we can do in the first quarter of the year that we will commit to doing by the end of March. The book includes check-ins and space to do that with each quarter of the year, so the reader can re-focus on what they want their year to be.
For me, I’ve decided 2021 will be my year of authenticity. Not in a jackass ‘take me or leave me’ sort of way, but more about doing things perhaps I’ve shied away from because of how others might think of me, or pursuing the interests I have and speaking up more on the values I hold. One of my first actions is to try to build an authentic yoga practice, one that is culturally appreciative, not appropriative; another is doing something to support the social justice issues that matter to me every single day.
2020 was rough. 2021 isn’t going to be much different, at least at the start. But there’s some hope to be had, and I’m taking what I’ve learned this year into 2021.
Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it
