I am daydreaming again.

The sky is a vivid shade of blue, with clouds that go on for days. They do not portend any rain. They are cotton-ball clouds; clouds like dreams you can’t quite remember. Good dreams that leave you feeling light; comfort food for the soul. The bird’s sing, each one saying: “hear me. Come now. Love me. Fly with me through this beautiful day. I will make you want to reach for life.”

There’s something in the air about having a new year, an entire year to make anything and everything possible.
I used to be one of those people who loved New Year Resolutions. I loved the concept of treating the New Year as an opportunity to start from scratch. It has always been the best time to reflect on my life, start new badass habits and set some new goals. January always has that bright light of possibility.
You’d think I spent my entire December days aggressively scribbling my resolutions list, but I didn’t. Not this year, at least. Life is unpredictable.

One year ago I resolved to write more on Instagram, or read more poetry but somewhere down the line I realised that it wasn’t my cup of tea. However, in the process of that discovery, I found other incredible pieces of literature that I actually enjoyed reading and many marvellous places where I could write.
2020 was a tough year, but excellent for reflection. Being a person who is empowered by words, I decided to centre my year around one simple word, a word of magnitude – progress.

It is in progress where I want to be found. This word has drastically changed my daily habits. I’ve made incredible progress by listening to the roar of my heart and what makes it beat. I am showing up for myself by setting good habits in small increments.

I truly want 2021 to be a year where I make progress. It means building better habits that help me cultivate a meaningful life. It means more opportunities. It means less romanticising of everything and stop chasing perfectionism. It’s more about moving forward. It means getting out of a rut before life gets foggy. It means cultivating a simple writing habit every day, more patience, perseverance, and intentional living. Getting myself off the couch, away from excuses and perfect standards, and doing that thing that I have been putting away for years on end.

And yes, it also means being brave enough to give me the grace that I feel I don’t deserve.

Tell us: Do you believe that it is important to reflect on your life and to see if you are making progress?