2021: The Year To Level Up

Hey internet.

Last year has been one for the books! Rather than being cooped up and waiting for this pandemic to end, I ended up taking tons of road trips, setting new personal bests in my fitness journey, and having one of the best years lived in my lifetime. That's a trend I want to keep moving towards. Never settle, stay curious, and keep growing. So I've decided to relist some of my goals and intentions for the year.

Travel

Last year, I went to over 15+ national parks throughout the United States and have hiked some of the most amazing places I never knew was on this earth. I intend to check out even more national parks this year with visits to Carlsbad Caverns, Pinnacles, Lassen, Guadalupe Mountains, and much more.

If the world goes back to normal, I would love to take an international trip out to the United Kingdom and explore Europe. I've had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people from the UK last year. It has grown from basic friendship, to hiking adventures, to meteor watching, to amazing road trips. I learned a lot about the UK culture and definitely would like to check it out this year. Then do an epic train or flight out to the surrounding areas in Europe.

And if the world doesn't go back to normal right away, there will be plenty of opportunity to explore my own community. I've been checking out an app called Fotospot which shows some pretty cool areas around my community that is photo worthy. On top of that app, Depalo is another favorite of mine that shows some Instagram-worthy shots around major cities. And when I feel like getting lost in my city or while I'm hiking, there's that option too.

Fitness

My fitness game is on a whole new level since the last time I spoke about my personal goals. Last year, I started it off by participating in a challenge called 75 Hard which prepared me physically and mentally that I can do anything I set my mind to. After achieving 75 days of consistency, I found myself a different person than I first started. Working out twice a day for at least 45 minutes, maintaining a healthy diet, and participating in meditation while reading books did wonders for me. It instilled in me several habits that positively reinforce a better lifestyle.

This year, I plan to work out every single day. I know there will be some days where it is impossible to workout. But the idea is that I plan to workout regardless of circumstances. I'm going to continue running, hiking, and cycling and will consider it successful if I break a sweat (which isn't that hard for me to do). I'm going to keep exploring and pushing the limits of my body while having fun doing it. This year, I want to really try trail running and possibly mountain biking. Want to check my progress? I am on Strava!

Self-Care

One of the biggest changes I made to myself is promoting a better self-image and mental state. Being fat shamed during my upbringing (even with good intentions) did not do me any favors for how I felt about myself. Even when I physically lost all the weight, I still had the mental image that I was still fat. Last year, I saw major changes in my mental state. I was able to take off my shirt in front of people comfortably, get naked in public, and date while being comfortable in my own skin. I still had some downfalls here and there, but I did recover from it. I just had to remind myself who I am today and who I was before.

This year, I plan to continue promoting a positive self image. I am going to try and be consistent with journaling my thoughts and promoting it through action. I'm going to continue reading books that provide mental insight, perform meditation, and reaffirm every day to be positive and be kind to my self.

Mini-Goals

And of course, I have misfit goals that don't really fit in any of the major headings above. For your amusement, I also have them below.

• Perform a hand stand.
• Blog about hikes, mental lessons, and life updates via my website.
• Date, date some more, and then date again.
• Cook and bake till I belong in a real kitchen.
• Play an instrument well.
• Have a party when normality sets back in.

The list will be updated when I think about other serious goals I want to achieve.

I am excited for 2021. Even with 2020 being a generally terrible year, I choose to see it as the year of growth physically and mentally all while having some of the best adventures with the most amazing people. 2021 will be the year I leveled up from 2020 and take everything to the next step.