It was January in Minnesota. It didn’t get above 20 below zero that entire month. I was 16 years old and driving home from my waitressing job when I felt the car jerk slightly, followed by a rhythmic “thunk.” My tire was blown. As I pulled to the side of the deserted highway, I was suddenly very thankful that my dad insisted that I knew how to change a tire before getting my license. Thirty minutes later, I crawled back in the car, frozen to the core but feeling very proud of myself for the spare tire that was now securely in place. Ready to defrost on the way home as I thought about what a great adventure I had just had, I turned the key to start the car, and nothing happened. The car was dead. It turns out that using the car lights to help me see as I changed the tire drained the battery.
Isn’t that a bit of where we are all right now? We were driving along in life as usual, and then something hits us out of nowhere – a flat tire in the middle of Minnesota or a global pandemic in 2020. We dig deep, muster strength, and do what we need to do to make it through, and in doing so, we drained our battery.
If this is you, I want you to know you are not alone. Everyone is tired and worn out. About 53% of the US’s adult population says their mental health has been impacted by stress and worry. Approximately 47% of women and 34% of men are experiencing depression and/or anxiety symptoms, and 67% of parents are worried their kids are falling behind in school academically or socially.
The beautiful thing, though, is that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with my car as I sat along the side of the road. The engine was fine. The transmission was fine. The exhaust system was rusted and worn, but it worked fine as well. It just needed a jumpstart. Sometimes that’s all we need as well – a bit of rest and a jumpstart to get back into life.
As we shift from 2020 and into what 2021 holds, I believe that 2021 can be a really purposeful, meaningful, hope-filled year for you.
There are three steps to get a Jumpstart back into life in 2021:
- Reflect
- Reconnect
- Reset
- Reflect
“Anything that is mentionable can be more manageable” – Mr. Rogers
The first step is to reflect on the past year. Recognize and acknowledge the impact it had on you. We were all so busy pivoting and rolling with the punches that few of us have stopped long enough to realize the toll it took.
I recommend taking some time and looking at how 2020 impact the core areas of life: family, work, emotional, spiritual, financial, social, physical, and personal. I would also encourage you to talk about your thoughts and feelings with someone else.
As Mr. Rogers suggested, we can deal with things much better once we name them, and by sharing it with others, we feel less alone.
2. Reconnect
“All great changes are preceded by chaos” – Depok Chopra
Most of the world was in survival mode last year. We did what we had to do to roll with the punches, but we became disconnected from ourselves in the process. To make 2021 a purposeful, meaningful year, we need to step out of survival mode by reconnecting with who we are and who we want to be.
One way to do this is to write down 10 things that are important to you. Perhaps that is family, adventure, stability, faith, fitness, to name a few. Then narrow the list down to five. Then narrow it down to your top three. When you identify the three you most connect with, hold on to those. Put them in a place you remember, write them on your mirror or sticky notes. Keep them visible.
3. Reset
Once we’ve reflected on the impact of the last year and reconnected with the core of who we are and who we want to but, then we can reset for the future. This is not about setting goals but about recognizing the areas of life that we need to course-correct to make sure we are headed in the right direction. Here are a few questions to guide you:
1. What area(s) of life do you need to make some changes in?
2. Why is this important to you?
3. What will happen if you don’t make changes in that area of life?
Once you have identified the area of life that needs a reset, it’s helpful to start with the end in mind and determine what success looks like. Then work backward to see what changes need to be made to get there. Remember, you don’t need to do every step at once. Just take one step at a time.
In 2021, I believe you can get going again. Your engine is good, and these three steps with help get you rolling again. 2021 can be a year, a purpose of hope of direction for you!
