Resolutions & 2021 — Messiah or Anti-Christ?

🎇🎉Happy New Year readers! 🎆🎊

Congratulations! You made it!! Now that many of us can finally stick our middle fingers out the window, as we try to cruise away from 2020, let us focus on the road ahead of us — 2021, anti-Christ or Messiah?

As I type this post on Friday, I recall a poll on the Jamaica Observer’s website asking readers, whether or not, they would be making New Years Resolutions (NYRs) and most of the answers indicated that they would not, mainly because of how bad last year was. However, the second most selected answer, stated that they would be making NYRs because of last year. To connect all the threads together, I scrolled past many tweets saying “Notice how no-one is saying how “2021 ’bout to be my year”? 😂” I couldn’t stop myself from cackling!

My father also said he would not be making any NYRs because of how bad last year was. 2020 was such a sh!tshow that almost no-one wants to make resolutions, goals, plans or anything, for 2021! It eventually seemed that the only goal we shared like bread at the last supper, was to make it to this year, and that was it. 🤣

Nevertheless, a new year is here, let us be hopeful! But not just hopeful, let us be realistic, tactful and mindful. If you ask me, to not have any outlined goals or plans for a whole 365 days, reminds me stick violently floating in the waves of the Ocean. Now, I am not saying we should have everything planned out to the T. However, what I am saying, is that we should not give up on our goals, aspirations and objectives!

When I was in high school, I used to make NYRs like everyone else. Especially the vague and the usual “I’m going to be a better person” 😂😂. But, that was when I was 13-17. Now, I’ll be 23 this October 25 (yes, this is a Birthday plug 🤭😆) and I have come to understand the concept of making NYRs much more now.

Reflection

This aspect most of us get right. But, I want us to do this thoroughly. I want us to look back on the year that was…What did you accomplish? What kind of person were you? Did you do anything that you’re proud of? These are some of the questions that can get you started. For one of my goals, I finally started learning Japanese!

Like my previous post, I want you to reflect once more. Reflection gives us the sometimes rare opportunity to stop and review. Unfortunately, for many of us, life moves so fast, that we have no time to look back. For those who would like to take this up a notch or two—reflect and compare 2020 and 2019.

Making The Plans

Now that we’ve done our retrospection, what will be our course of action? If you feel as if you are on track with your previous goals, will you continue just the same or will you make any additions, improvements, etc.? For those of us (almost everyone, lets be honest 😂) who’s plans went waay off the rails—what will you correct? What will you re-visit?

Although I started Japanese classes, I’ve fallen off the rails due to laziness (shows off gold medal in procrastination), lol. So, I will be re-visiting my studies and changing my study styles, so that I can maximize my learning.

Once again, I want us to make plans that are realistic, tactful and mindful. Too often do we make plans that are way beyond our current capacity and when we fail, we sometimes feel depressed. So, if we make realistic plans based on our previous experiences and current knowledge, we can better achieve them.

2020 taught many of us that we need to reinvent ourselves. With so many people losing their jobs, they had to get creative so that their bills could be paid and that they and their families could be fed and sustained. So, these plans need to be creative. But not just that, our plans need to be mindful; mindful of the fact that life is unpredictable as hell. 2020, was that stern reminder.

Jamaicans have a saying: any kyaad can play [any card can be played]. Therefore, we must be proactive. However, not only should we set contingencies, but we must be understanding that some of these plans may not be so successful.

Improvise, Adapt & Overcome

Yes, I just made this meme—you’re welcome.

2020 taught us how to improvise, adapt and overcome. For many of the plans we’ll be making for this 2021, we’ll need to live by this mantra so that we can successful.

Jerry and Pit are two squirrels in a forest. They are cute, cuddly and hungry. Both of them find themselves tough and hard-to-crack acorns, to eat. After 30 minutes, Jerry decides to throw in the towel and search for another acorn. Whereas Pit, decides to persevere by trying different methods of getting it open. As such, Pit was successful in cracking his acorn open, and Jerry was still in search of another acorn that was easier to open. While Pit’s stomach is full and he’s ready to catch a snooze, Jerry is left feeling hungry as the acorn he found, wasn’t as filling.

Before we close, I want to take this moment to say that it’s so easy for us to become consumed in negativity, that it blinds our eyes from the world of positivity and possibilities ahead of us. To be fair, negative energy is really bewitching. But we must always find ways to attract positive energies into our space and refocus on the controllable aspects of our lives. In time, everything self-resolves.

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So, what this year be for you? Will it be 2021 or 2020PRO? Whatever cards may play this year, I believe one thing is certain: a new years resolution that is realistic, fair and evolutionary, is one way to prepare you for the trials and tribulations ahead. So, get your notepads, pens/pencils and get to planning!