New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. The changing of the calendar year is a perfect time to reflect on what has been and set my sights on what could be.

I don’t know about you, but 2021 was a tough year for me. It feels like a blur, or a continuation of the weird time-warp that began in March 2020. I spent much of this year just doing my best to make it through one day at a time. But looking back at the year in the aggregate, here are some of the things I accomplished in 2021:

1. I kept a baby/toddler and a 3-year-old alive, healthy, and entertained. I think that deserves acknowledging, because boy, was it a lot of work.
2. I took several concrete steps toward setting up my law business. I formed my legal entity, got my previously inactive Tennessee law license reinstated, set up my operating and trust accounts, purchased my domain name, set up a business phone number, got my headshots taken, and more. It feels good to be taking action toward my goal.
3. I spent three months working with a coach to improve my mindset and better manage my thoughts, time, energy, and relationships. I’ve been working daily to be happier, more productive, more effective, a better communicator, and to have the life and be the person I want. I’ve made huge progress, and I’m proud of myself for doing this work.
4. I managed not to get COVID.
5. I revamped my style.
6. I flew to Nebraska with a 13-month-old to visit a friend.
7. I celebrated my birthday and my husband’s birthday with a family beach trip to Charleston, SC. (We also visited Athens, GA; Pennsylvania; central Virginia; and a few other more local spots.)
8. I visited some friends and family I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic began.
9. I finally sorted through about 4 years’ worth of family photos and printed and hung a bunch of them in my house.
10. I wrote a few blog posts and a bunch of stuff for work.

Not bad, all in all. I made it through the year, I had some fun along the way, and I took some positive steps forward.

Looking ahead to 2022, here’s what I plan to do:

1. Launch my law practice on March 8, 2022. (I have some more specific goals regarding marketing efforts, revenue, etc., but I’m not going to get into all those here. I’d love for you to follow my progress, though!)
2. Exercise more. Yes, this is a cliche New Year’s resolution, but it’s a sincere one. I have not been moving my body enough lately, and I can feel it. For now, I’ll continue/recommit myself to my daily(ish) lunchtime walks and weekly(ish) yoga classes. Come March, when I have more control over how I spend my days, I’ll rejoin a gym (COVID-permitting) and will build workouts into my weekly schedule. I’ll attend classes with definite start times and put them on my calendar to ensure that I actually go. I benefit greatly from the accountability factor of working out with others and from having someone else tell me what to do. I look forward to taking better care of my body and mind through exercise, and maybe making some new friends while I’m at it.
3. I will carve out more time for rest. There are times lately when I feel like I’m on the cusp of burnout. I have not been great about making time for myself and giving myself opportunities to relax. I spend most of my free time caring for my family or doing housework or working on my business. Rarely do I give myself permission to do things just because I enjoy them. I vow to take better care of my needs in 2022 so that I can show up as my best self for my loved ones and my clients, and so that I can experience peace and joy more frequently. I realize that there is often a strong temptation for business owners to work all the time, but I also understand that working non-stop is counterproductive. I am unwilling to be constantly exhausted in order to have the life and career I want (and the life I want includes health and well-being), so I am going to schedule time for me.
4. On a related note, I will continue to be selective about where I spend my time and energy, and I will get even better at saying no. I frequently used to do things because I felt obligated rather than because I wanted or needed to do them. I spent time with people I didn’t want to spend time with and allowed others to set priorities for me. I’m not doing that anymore. My time and energy are simply too precious. I only get one life, and I’m probably more than a third of the way through it now. I’m going to be more intentional about how I live it.

If I had to choose a theme word for 2022, I think it would be “building.” Building my business, building the life I want, building on past experiences and skills to get to where I want to go in my career and in my life. Building on all the personal work I’ve done in 2021.

2022 is going to be my year!

Over to you: What did you accomplish in 2021? What are your resolutions for the coming year? What’s your word for 2022? Tell me in the comments.

Happy New Year!