2022 Goals & Resolutions
Happy New Year!
I'm ringing in 2022 tonight with our little family feeling truly grateful. Sharing some photos of the girls and myself celebrating together, along with some reflections from 2021 and intentions for 2022. The last couple of years have taught us just how fleeting life is so we've spent much of 2021 in pursuit of what truly brings us joy. And while this year came with its fair share of low moments in addition to highs, I can honestly say that overall, it was one of our happiest ever.
Looking Back: 2021
In 2021, our family spent SO much extra time together thanks to Phil and I being able to continue working from home during these Pandemic times. It continues to blow my mind that we're going on two years of COVID but our family keeps looking for the silver linings. These Pandemic times have allowed us to be truly present for the kids and for each other without long commutes.The Pandemic has also allowed us to find a family routine that truly works for us. We struggled with locking in a routine throughout Sadie's first year--juggling lockdown, working from home, nursing, and everything in between.
But 2021 was a big turning point!In 2021, we moved out of our townhouse and bought our first single-family house. Despite a fire at the house the night before we moved in (more here), everything ended up working out and this house has truly become our dream home (more here, here and here).
We spent the summer visiting family in D.C. and upstate New York while the smoke damage throughout our house was fixed. This allowed us to spend time with friends and family that we never would have had. Of course Naiya also broke her leg at a trampoline park our first day on the east coast but that's a different story! She was so resilient and was quickly back to owning the monkey bars at school.
In 2021, Naiya turned four, Sadie turned two, and Phil turned 40. Phil and I celebrated his milestone birthday with a dream trip to Bora Bora over Thanksgiving (more here). I was nervous to detach from work zoom calls for a few days but in the end, this trip was truly the highlight of our entire year. It reminded me how important it is to unplug and to see the world.
It reminded me who I used to be before the Pandemic and before kids. I can't wait for our next trip.The lowest point of 2021 was losing my Grandma Marilyn who fought a challenging battle with cancer throughout the Pandemic. She was diagnosed during lockdown and our family was beyond devastated. The hardest part was that we weren't sure if we'd be let into her nursing home to see her in person since it was too dangerous to enter with COVID.
We FaceTimed multiple times a day in the meantime. For my family members on the east coast, they would do daily window visits at her nursing home but all anyone wanted to do was give her the biggest hugs. We were ultimately able to see my Grandma twice before she passed. I flew out with the kids and I'm so very grateful. She was such a huge part of my life and she'll be forever missed.
Looking Ahead: Intentions for 2022
In 2022, first and foremost, I am manifesting health and happiness. Looking back at intentions and goals from years past (more here and here), this year, I'm keeping it much more simple. After all, as most of us have seen throughout 2020 and 2021 firsthand, our health is truly everything.This year, I want to continue to pair down my life so that I can focus on what is truly important. I want to purge of any excess clothes in my closet, accessories, beauty products, toys, or other clutter throughout our home. I'm such a happier, less anxious person when I feel organized and know where everything is. I've spent a lot of time doing this throughout the holidays and am excited to continue.
This year, I want to continue to find the best balance I can between work and mom life. I am going to do my best to start silencing the voice in my head that I'm always letting someone down because there isn't enough time in the day. I would like to continue to grow professionally--both at work and entrepreneurially. I've realized over the past couple of years that I need to fill both cups in order to feel creatively fulfilled. This requires A LOT of time management--especially since I work so late and then put the kids to bed before I can focus on anything else. That said, I'm always up for the challenge.I truly hope this inner drive will rub off on my kids and inspire them someday. After all. they've become my reason for everything I do. I can't wait to see who they continue to grow to be in 2022 and beyond.As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you the happiest, healthiest 2022 full of endless possibilities. Cheers!
Photography: Azusa Takano
