An Opportunity to review and reset.
New year, new..... well, so far it seems that there is nothing new. If anything, we are repeating the story of early 2020. There are people really struggling and having to deal with so much. Because of this, I have held back on the 2021 New Years’ email with the big plans and resolutions for 2021. Instead, I have decided to reflect on the past year rather than a look forward to this year. It is easy to look at the negatives and the struggles of the past year but to pull the positives is very important.
What has been good? What has changed and what can we learn from.
Obviously, time has been plentiful during the lockdown periods, so consumption of entertainment has jumped. This includes books, podcasts, and tv series.
The books I have enjoyed this year have been Elmet by Fiona Mosley, A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Blackman. I have also dipped into the political narrative coming from the other side of the pond (as it has been quite the rollercoaster). Too Much of Never Enough is a fascinating look at the early years of the Trump creation, focusing on the Trump family and dynamics, as told by Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump. I also enjoyed, actually more fascinated by the goings-on within the Trump Empire captured in Michael Cohen's book Disloyal.
There have been some really great Podcasts that I have been listening to. - Hunting Ghislaine by John Sweeny has a very dark subject matter attached to it with the Jeffery Epstein connection but this podcast deals more with the Maxwell family and the path Ghislaine took. Making Sense by Sam Harris explores some of the big questions faced today. The podcast style has both Sam interviewing experts on their field and occasionally giving a commentary on current events.
A useful tip that I have discovered is to pop any podcasts or audiobooks into x1.5 or even x2 speed. This way I found that I was consuming more in less time. It doesn't take too long to get used and when you ever listen to a podcast at normal speed after you will think it drags on too long.
Our health has been the focus of many discussions with what the world is facing and it has been so important to take care of yourself. With gyms closing and the limited outdoor time available, we have been working out more at home. Unfortunately, this has meant the introduction of an exercise bike into our home. It just reminds me of the mid-eighties where nearly every household had one of these contraptions that predominantly ended up being used as a clothes dryer and they also take up so much space. I was against getting an exercise bike for this very reason. In the end, we bought one. But this was no ordinary exercise bike, this was a spin bike. Never having done any spinning before I was oblivious to what this entailed. Needless to say, I love it. The spin bike coupled with online classes (I favour Apple's Fitness+, my wife prefers Les Mills) makes for a serious workout. The other positive introduction in our home is the Mila air purifier. This was initially a Kickstarter that I had backed pre-COVID has made a huge difference to the air quality in our home. We have ours tucked away in the corner of our kitchen/dining room. It kicks in whenever it senses a change in the air quality and can also be controlled by the Mila app. Very smart.
We became proud owners of a camper van, which we love. Obviously, the journeys we had planned have been restricted but the few time we have gone on adventures in it it has been magical. This is a big goal for 2021 - More adventures in our Camper Van.
This brings me on to gadgets and I have to say the big winner for 2020 on the gadget front is my Sony noise cancelation headphones. These are just awesome. What a difference they make from losing yourself in a movie that is playing on the iPad to a heightened focus when listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I have never realised just how noisy some places are until I got these. I have also been enjoying music more and I think these headphones have a lot to do with this. I have been playing with the idea of creating a quarterly review and capturing similar topics to the above - Books that I have enjoyed, podcasts that have opened my mind, and also music that I have discovered. I might check out the possibility of curating a short 10 song playlist so you can hopefully discover some musical treats as well.
With the various stages of lockdown happening over the past year, and currently, I have still managed to get outside when rules were softened and take some photos and create some YouTube content. More than what I was expecting to on reflection. I reached 1k followers on Instagram and uploaded 19 vlogs. I have also put more focus on blogging my photography trips. Just short little pieces that I find are a healthy way to reflect - There are too many variables to contend with when putting together a video - but writing about it is a nice way to remind yourself of the trip. This will hopefully be something I take into 2021.
A few goals for 2021 I have thought about whilst writing this blog
# Travel abroad — if and when allowed. India has been calling
# Read more
# Don’t feel guilty when not doing anything
# Shop more ethically and support more thoughtful brands
# Continue to carry my camera with me when out and about
# A more frequent vlog that is less restricted about being photography based
# More camper van adventures. We have friends dotted around Europe who we are missing and would love to catch up with again
So there it is. A bit of reflection and some thoughts about 2021. If last year has taught us anything it is to manage our expectations and our time and be thankful for the little things that make up our lives.
I hope you all have dreams and goals to focus on in 2021 and the year allows us to achieve them.
Stu
