Greetings Daizies,
At the start of the year, I wrote a blog post about things I was excited about in 2020 and since then I have had some time to reflect on how the excitement actualized as the year went on. If hindsight was 2020 *hehe* I would be looking at that list just a little differently but none of us knew a whole pandemic would be upon us. But still, most things on this list were worth me being excited about. I still was able to explore new things and have joy in different ways than I may have expected.
A list of things I was excited about in 2020
- Creating hair products
- Learning Spanish
- Traveling
- New job
- Reading more books
- Putting positive sticky notes in visible places
- Saving money
- Trying new styles
- Having fun in every possible way
Creating Hair Products
I was pretty close to launching DaibyDai natural hair products when I wrote the initial post and it very much was and still is something I’m excited about. I feel aligned with my mission to help others reach their hair goals step by step and DaibyDai 😉 It is so fun and I am learning a lot through being the sole driver of each step of launching a product from research and development to actually selling it. So yes this was a big one and it was worth the excitement. Learn more about the Hydrating Buttercream and all of its benefits here.
Spanish
Learning Spanish was super fun earlier this year and I was doing very well in the first quarter of my practice. My friends and I even had a weekly Spanish call to practice what we were learning. My routine I outlined included 1 hour of listening to podcasts at work, 1 hour during my commute, 30 minutes of a Spanish show, and 30 minutes during night time chores. Around the 4 month period is when I completely fell off. When I think about it, I didn’t want to do it anymore because it reminded me of the absence of my cat Spencer and it was around May when he passed away. Through grieving and just figuring out what to do with my time, this was one of the things that I lost interest in putting my time towards. Sadly, it’s down to 0 minutes intentionally but I do dabble into my Reggaeton playlist from time to time. I really thought by the end of this year I would be maybe advanced intermediate but yikes I think I have a ways to go! I am interested in easing back into the routine, step by step and day by day. I just have to want it again.
Travel
I’ve looked back through so many of my vlogs with a huge smile on myself because I am so glad I had the opportunity to travel when I did. I mentioned this in my blog about turning 25 but I am so blessed to have those memories and I’m proud I really moved past fear and explored on my own. I, of course, wanted to travel to tons of new countries but this turned into exploring new states instead. In my first road trip at the end of the summer, I visited Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah for the first time. Traveling through the west coast of the United States was nowhere on my list for 2020 but I had so much fun and made memories which is the best part of traveling. It was through the Grand Canyon roadtrip that I learned how to really drive and get comfortable on the roads! So while I did not make it to Bali for my birthday or through Central America, I found other ways to explore and have a change of space.
New job
I did graduate from my marketing rotation and started a new role within the same company. It’s cool and I’m taking the time to get used to doing something new again. I do work from home now, so that is definitely something I didn’t foresee at the beginning of the year. However, it was something that I wished I could do. I am privileged to be able to work from home and I enjoy being in the comfort of my own environment. It has its challenges which I’m dealing with more as it’s winter and dark most of the time. But I am experimenting with new ways to stay energized and motivated throughout the day.
Reading more books
I really did read a lot of books this year. I miss stopping by the library after the gym but I’ve used the Libby app and even bought some books from the Goodwill. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was the most groundbreaking book I read this year or maybe even my life. I want to do a blog post outlining all of the books I read this year so I’ll come back and link it here.
Putting positive sticky notes in visible places
Yes, I really did do that. I had some in my room and it has been helpful lately to put some up around my workspace.
Saving money
Sheltering in place will help you save a lot of money! I started a more aggressive saving plan to sort of catch up with my goal of an emergency savings fund. The money I would’ve spent on traveling went to saving instead.
Trying new styles
Unless you count different styles of joggers, than nope. I didn’t try many new styles this year. I did mentioned buying from black owned brands and I definitely did that this year. My wardrobe wasn’t one that I cultivated much this year though.
Having fun in every possible way
If I could just have one goal, this would be it. This statement was broad enough to fit just about anything positive into it. At the end of the day the moments of fun needed to be savored this year as much as possible. I had to find fun in ways I never expected. Like getting out for a walk WAS my fun. Going on hikes turned out to be a summer past time. Visiting Wyoming, WAS my travel. Fun looked different for me but the fun had the same feeling and gave me the same result. I cherished the lightness, the peace, the smiles, and the relaxed moments of the year and got creative with ways to feel those timeless feelings. So if 2020 taught me anything, it was to do just that – have fun in every possible way.
As always,
