Reflecting On The Big Moments of 2021

Before each new year begins, I enjoy taking some quality quiet time to reflect on what the last 12 months brought. I can already tell you that, for me, 2021 was a big one.

Just last night, I started thinking over what made up my year and the list kept growing. Life changes, big goals, moves… If I didn’t take a second to really appreciate the good that came from the year, I’d easily move into 2022 with a little less gratitude, joy and pride.

It’s easy to feel like you wish you had done more with your year or your goals, but if you sit down and really examine yourself and your accomplishments, you may be surprised at how much there is to be proud of.

Did you hit a personal fitness goal? Did you get promoted at work? Did you teach your kids something valuable? Did you and your partner work on your relationship? Did you pick up a new hobby? Did you save money? Did you learn to stick up for yourself?

Everyone’s goals look different. Goals don’t have to be grand. They just have to matter to you — and only you.

Join me now and reflect on 2021. 

Here’s what 2021 looked like for me.

I paid a designer to revamp my website for The Good Getter

After taking a good look at my website (which first began back in January 2017), I realized it needed a serious refresh — especially knowing I wanted to promote a retreat and more eyeballs would be on it. I decided to convert it from Wordpress to Squarespace after researching and talking with friends about their own professional websites.

After talking with designer Brendan Keohane and explaining my new vision, he quickly got to work and within a week or two, helped me accomplish this major personal/professional goal of mine (which truly, I had put off for far too long). I truly appreciate the work he did.

Planning the retreat really pushed this task into action. I’m so happy with my new site’s look and feel, and its capabilities for signing up for yoga and purchasing items like my retreat (which I really hope to do again soon… you know, after I give birth soon, lol). 

I taught a weekly online yoga class (January-June 2021)

Leading up to 2021, I felt a pull to start teaching yoga. Yoga has always been a huge passion of mine and ever since getting my teaching certification in June 2019, I knew I wanted to get to teaching. I just so happened to give birth to Henry a month after that, followed by a cross country move… so you could say things got derailed a bit. 😉

I started emailing my Good Getter followers to let them know that I’d be teaching a weekly “Slow Flow” class on Thursday nights. (Everything at this point had transitioned to online, so it only seemed fitting to start there. Plus, that meant my west coast friends could join in if they wanted—and they did. 🙌)

It was a great way for me to gain more confidence as a teacher and hold myself accountable for planning, teaching and organizing a weekly class. It actually entailed much more than I thought — making new weekly playlists, emailing the group twice before the weekly class, setting up my Zoom space in our apartment, making sure Henry was asleep before I started, and brushing up on all my learnings to teach class to the best of my ability with a unique theme. I grew really close to my students (yes, even through Zoom) and looked forward to class tons!

However, once I learned I was pregnant, along with my approaching retreat in July, I knew I needed to take a pause to focus on everything else on my plate. (Not to mention, I was working my full-time job.)I felt bad to let the group down (still do at times) but the work/life balance I craved wasn’t happening. I needed to really take a step back and re-evaluate my needs and stress level.

I plan to teach yoga again in the future (maybe even in person), so stay tuned! I feel like our yard would be a lovely backdrop for some group yoga.

I found out I was pregnant (June 2021)

Of course, right before our move, I found out I was pregnant. That’s life, isn’t it? We were planning to grow our family this year and it happened! This time, a girl. ☺️ We’re so excited to get to welcome her soon, like very soon, in February. No name yet! But a long, long list we should probably narrow down. 

This pregnancy has been… different. Not bad, just incredibly different (and a bit more uncomfortable) than when I was pregnant with Henry. I’ve written a piece about it and will share it soon.

We bought our first house (June 18, 2021)

The house hunt was no joke. We started seriously looking in April 2020 and were finally accepted (after many no’s) on June 18, 2021. Sam and I say this all the time, but we really lucked out and got the best house for us. All the things we didn’t think we would need (garage, two full bathrooms, big yard) are now some of our favorite features about the house. We can really see ourselves growing here. Henry loves it, too!

Some of my favorite amenities of the house include the front porch (an unexpected perk!), quiet neighborhood, old character (built in 1910), big flat yard, and overall floor plan. So many houses we saw and put offers in on had funky layouts with the bedrooms split up. Without kids, I’d be all for that but knowing we’d want our children on the same floor as us (hello, middle-of-the-night wake ups), we knew having them all together made the most sense for us. That’s what we got. Yay!

We ended up moving into the house in August after taking time to paint rooms, order furniture, pack up and of course, after my retreat, so we could focus on one thing at a time. This summer was a WHIRLWIND. We had a ton going on at the exact same time. I’m exhausted just thinking about it again, haha. 🙃 

I ran my first Good Getter wellness retreat and hit my goal of 20 participants (July 24, 2021)

On May 8 (after MUCH planning and building nerves), I launched my very first wellness retreat through my site/blog The Good Getter. The experience included a full day of movement, self-reflection, community, great food, outdoor fun and workshops. I hired three workshop leaders, rented out an incredible space in Bolton, MA (The Phineas Wright House), and now had to fill spots! My goal was 20, which yes, seemed lofty, but I knew in order to make it worth it (financially and to complete my vision for it), I had to aim that high.

The first week, a few sign-ups came through! I remember getting so excited and telling Sam “Oh my god, another sign-up, yay!” each time my email revealed a new purchase. Over the next month and half, more and more friends (and people I had never met before) signed up. Before I knew it, I hit my goal — 20 participants. I used social media to build up to the big day. I ran Instagram Lives with my workshop leaders and venue owner. I sent out email reminders. I created video and photo promotions. You name it.

Just like a wedding, things got quiet for a bit, but then the week or so leading up things really ramped up with trips to the venue, calls and emails, and making sure all the details were perfected for the big day.

The day came and went, and what a feeling! The feedback was great and I truly look forward to getting to run another retreat soon. 

I completed an 8-week personal fitness challenge by hitting 32 workouts (November-December 2021)

In November, Kate’s Powerhouse—a local mom-and-daughter run fitness center—put out a call for those interested in an end-of-year personal fitness challenge that would run the last eight weeks of the year.

After feeling a bit unmotivated and under-exercised (is that a word? hah), I knew I wanted in on this. Plus, Kate and Jaime are amazing people and supporting them always gets a yes from me. I signed up and got ready to crush my goal — 32 workouts in 8 weeks, aiming for 4/week. I filled my time with workouts like yoga, lunch walks, mat pilates and prenatal exercises. It felt so good to move more, and I could literally feel the pep back in my step. Sure, I couldn’t move as fast or in ways that I used to (thanks pregnant bod!), but a little went a long way. 

Happy to report that I met my goal (I actually surpassed it!) and am feeling rather energetic in my seventh month of pregnancy. 

I continued writing monthly articles for Central Mass Mom (All year)

One of my favorite things to do is write. Having a creative outlet, outside of my own blog here, has been awesome for me personally. That’s why I continue writing blogs for Central Mass Mom (CMM) each month around topics of motherhood, toddlers and parenting advice. It gives me something different to focus on other than work, running around after my toddler and house things to get done. Just a little moment of time to escape to my room, write, and reflect. (Much like this, right now!)

In 2022, I look forward to getting to know more women writers at CMM and possibly meeting up. It’s a great community to be a part of.

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Ahhh… it feels good to reflect. To write it all down and see what this year delivered. What I envisioned and what I manifested.

Somehow, while working as a social media manager, being a wife and mom, I made the time for myself to accomplish some really important and meaningful work. Goal setting will do that. It takes hard work and discipline, too, to get stuff done. And a support system. I also credit list making, lol. I love a good check list. ✔️

There were certainly many smaller, special moments tucked in between these bigger ones. Like weekends in Maine, making our new house a home, creating memories with Henry, decorating the house for holidays, enjoying our new yard, and reconnecting with friends and family. The side list of “small” moments (but let’s be real, these are just as good as the “big” ones) goes on and on…

I know 2021 wasn’t easy — for anyone — but I feel like it was still a really profound year. It’ll stand out for me when I look back at my life in years to come.

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What were some 2021 highlights for you? How did you hit the big moments of your year? Did you hold yourself accountable, rely on family and friends for motivation, and give yourself a much-deserved pat on the back? Hope so.

Even if your year felt shitty, felt dull, and looked boring — there’s bound to be some sort of shimmer to it if you really look. (I know I tend to be really positive, and to some that can be a huge eye roll 🙄, but it really helps me to see things in a certain light.)

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2022 has the potential to be all you want it to be.

I hope you go for it.

If not now, really… when?