Okay, I am setting goals. But they will be small goals. Nothing much that is hard to reach. Which, of course, then makes me wonder if it's worth it. Because isn't that the point of goals? To make you stretch? Compared to previous years, totally doable, except one. That one will be a stretch, but it's the one that is probably the most needed so... But compared to what I did this year they will all be a bit stretchy.
So anyway, I'm doing goals for 2021.
And I sort of want to make December part of 2021. I almost talked myself into it this morning. Just make 2021 have a bonus month. But that would screw up my counts for other years when I go back and look at averages and progress. Yes, I put more thought into my numbers than just pulling them out of thin air.
So I settled on December being a practice month, a setting up month. Since we aren't doing a big deal for Christmas it won't be as hard to get a rhythm going as it normally would be. There will be no events or late nights at hockey games. I'm not decorating this year. We aren't exchanging gifts. We will do our smaller traditions, but they will all be slightly changed. Movie in the basement instead of the theater. Christmas eve dinner will be something I make instead of Jake's. I haven't decided on Christmas day dinner just yet. But I might do something more simple than prime rib. So plenty of time to find a new rhythm and hit the ground running in January.
And, of course, time to reconsider it all and change my mind three more times and finally decide that until we have a vaccine there is no getting back to normal, and since we will probably get the vaccine mid-year the second half of 2021 will look nothing like the first half and so all routines will be tossed right out the window so why set myself up for that? and...
And I think that's really why I decided to do goals again.
The uncertainty we've all been living with is really stressful. Everything is different. And it's not going to go back to what it was before even when we get a vaccine. Too many people have gotten ill. Too many people have died. Too many businesses won't make it. What "we used to do" isn't going to be "what we do" anymore.
I think we are all going to have a bit of PTSD about germs and crowds. I mean, I was already there, I have never liked people breathing my air, but now? I'm not sure how I'm going to feel the first time a sweaty stranger bumps into me in a crowd.
And there are things that just shouldn't go back to normal ever. I'm not sure if we really will make the changes to our economic system we need to change, but we really need to. The wealth gap is too large. And it's not just wealth, let's call it the getting by gap. The income disparities have really been laid bare. And they are still going to be there when this ends. So many people are out of work. You've seen the food lines. And it's not just that some of those businesses aren't coming back, you are also seeing more and more automation. Call ahead and order! Touchless delivery! Things that have been really handy during a pandemic will prove to be more profitable when we are out of it.
Where do those people go when their jobs are gone?
And what do they do when the labor market is so strongly tilted in favor of employers? You don't want to take $10 an hour? Well there are 5 people outside who will...
And then we have the uncertainty of a new administration. I mean, don't get me wrong I am SUPER glad we have a new administration coming in but if the Georgia election doesn't go to the democrats McConnell will still be running the Senate and he will be blocking everything he can and hamstringing the Biden administration as much as possible.
Add that to the current situation where Trump has convinced a large part of his voters that the election was fraudulent (proof? who needs proof?) and they will never accept a Biden presidency as being legitimate so we are looking at another four years of constant battles between Ds and Rs. Along with the people who are just chomping at the bit for an all out war. Like, literal war. Terrifying.
So I will set my little goals. I will focus on my small world that I can influence. And I will try not stress out over the rest of it. I mean, I will still scream into the void and say what I feel needs said about the imbalances and injustices and unfairness when I see it, but I'm going to try to make sure that's all balanced with the things that I can change and do.
So goals are back on.
But small ones.
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