In January, I created my #21for2021, inspired by Gretchen Rubin, whose podcast I listen to weekly. https://seasidesparkles.net/2021/01/30/21for21

In January I felt that my theme should be about fun after the difficult 2020 we had all lived through. However, I never imagined the impact the pandemic would have on our lives for a second year and many of the activities were just not possible. Below is my review, and time to tot up how many I achieved.

1. Graduate from my Uni course. Achieved, I passed with merit and now have a few more letters after my name. Sadly with the pandemic, there was no graduation ceremony, just the certificate in the post!
2. Have a doorstep plant. Achieved. As I write this my doorstep Christmas tree is twinkling and looking pretty. Over the year, I have had a rose and lavender plant also on the doorstep. I love this idea and want to continue more next year.
3. Wear stylish jewellery. Partially achieved. I have bought some lovely, new pieces this year, but I prefer to wear dangly earrings which get very easily caught up in masks (so 2021) thus I haven’t worn as mush as I would have liked to. I do try and wear a necklace or simple studs but would love to do more next year too.
4. Organise my boxes of decorations. Achieved. There was a lot of lockdown time at home and I got organised!
5. Spark joy with my clothes. Not achieved. I’m not really sure why this didn’t happen, I think there was too much happening elsewhere in life and with shops closed for months and then the prospect of shopping with no fitting rooms etc.. the joy disappeared. I’m definitely adding this to #22for22 with perhaps a focus on preloved, vintage clothes.
6. Listen to an audiobook. Achieved. This year, I started to walk to work everyday (its only taken 15 years for me to start this) and had lots of time for listening to books and podcasts. BBC Sounds is brilliant for new books and I’ve enjoyed lots of audio books this year. A real bonus for me.
7. Take the children to KFC. Achieved. We’ve been once! It was in the summer holidays on a trip to my parents. The lime and watermelon cooler was great, as a vegetarian I can’t comment on the food!
8. Run the virtual challenge of Lands End to John O’Groats, 874 miles. Nearly achieved. Oh I was so close and on target until my operation. I have contacted the organisers and the challenge has been extended to cover the 8 weeks I couldn’t run post foot operation. So with 9 weeks still to go I am happy with my 770 miles done and to complete the final 100 miles in 9 weeks is easily doable barring injury.
9. Do something creative everyday. Umm.. I don’t know how to record this, everyday was a bit of a high order, but I have been creative this year.
10. Burn more candles. Achieved. I treated myself to a candle subscription and since then have enjoyed the simple pleasure of burning a seasonal candle, from the light florals of spring to the warm, gingerbread aromas of Christmas. I have tried to use small, indie companies too and discovered some lovely makers.
11. Display more seasonal decorations. Achieved, although it was difficult to display more as I’m pretty good at decorating for most special events. I prefer to think it was higher quality decorations rather than quantity.
12. Grow something. Achieved. An avocado plant from seed and my indoor succulents are thriving! Another to continue next year,
13. Find the perfect summer straw bag. Achieved and I love my bag I wish I could use it all year.
14. Watch a Christmas film or two. Achieved, its only December 22nd but I think its now standing at 6 Christmas films so far and more ringed in the Radio Times for the coming days.
15. Visit beautiful gardens. Sadly not achieved. We were under Covid restrictions ’til June and then were trying to make up for lost time on other events. However, I did walk a lot through wild flower fields and forests, another to make up in 2022
16. Do a flower arranging course. Not achieved. The class I had been hoping to take did not run this year due to Covid,
17. Get my red parkrun t-shirt. Not achieved. Covid again, parkrun did not restart until the end of July and with alternating between parkrun and my daughter’s farm sessions and an 8 week operation recovery period it wasn’t possible to do the number required. However its on the list for 2022 and I’m hoping to achieve this in the spring.
18. Finally visit the Fashion museum. Not achieved and its been on my list for at least 3 years ..
19. See a show / live music. Not achieved. This didn’t sit well with Covid, however I have tickets for a concert (originally for 2020) and show rearranged to see next year.
20. Get lost in art. Achieved. On the first weekend of shops and museums reopening, my daughter went shopping with friends and I as taxi driver went to the art gallery and just sat and appreciated the different perspectives.
21. Try something new. I’m going to write achieved as there were lots of new things we tried this year, LFT tests, Covid vaccinations etc.. Whilst it wasn’t the big things I had imagined trying, I will be forever grateful to our scientists for developing the medicines and resources to help us all through the pandemic.

I am happy with 12 goals achieved and three partially as Covid had such an impact on my plans and many were not possible. I still enjoy this challenge and look forward to another year of new ideas to complete, time to start thinking …