Well… 2020 has been a year, hasn’t it? 1 Subscribers to the newsletter know that I’ve been on hiatus, and if you look at the date of the last essay, that’s plenty clear as well.
The last ‘behind the scenes’ was in March 2019, which seems like both a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time. But that’s 2020 for you.
Reflecting on the past year
My last article was in January entitled How to recognize, prevent, and recover from burnout. As I said in my last newsletter email, I realized over halfway through writing that article that I was writing the words I needed to read. I had been trying to do too much.
It’s one of the blessings of having been through burnout before, I can recognize it sooner and take actions to prevent it from getting to that level… Though of course there’s no guarantee of that. (In a similar vein, I wrote an article called How to use anxiety to improve your life in September of 2019).
So I started 2020 in a place of trying to do too much and nearing burnout. I decided to sacrifice writing essays here in support of the other projects. And then 2020 really started to hit its stride. We all know what happened, though the exact implications of the pandemic varied depending on where you lived.
I was lucky in that I live in a small town, away from major cross-country highways. While we had the same closures as the rest of the province when cases first started appearing, before we really knew what to make of this virus, and I was moved to do screening at our front door. Things are kind of back to normal here (other than wearing masks in stores and avoiding travel – especially to nearby cities who have rising numbers).
In my personal life, I got some amazing news in the midst of all the crazy – I was pregnant! And I still am as of writing this (though not for much longer; my due date is in 3 weeks). This will be #1 for my husband and I. I am extremely excited about this next phase of life and I am taking an extended leave from work (i.e. my day job), which started last week.
Moving forward
What’s next for Foundations for the Good Life? Well, I’m still figuring it all out, to be honest. I miss writing the type of essays I have written here and would like to come back to it. I also have another project on the go2 which I am looking to put more effort into (it also suffered from the crazy of 2020). And I always have other ideas that I want to explore. 🙂
I’ll be doing an annual reflection very soon and that will help me figure out what my plan for 2021 will be. (as I described in the How to set New Year’s Resolutions you’ll actually keep article3) Though if 2020 taught us anything, it is to hold onto our plans loosely so we can adjust and pivot when the world changes underneath our feet.
For now, I would just like to wish everyone well. Depending on where exactly you are, that may be harder than other places. Holidays, vacations, and work are all different than previous years, but we can still work towards building the good life.
And I think it is more important than ever that each one of us understands what it means to live the good life for ourselves.
Until next time, be good.4
-Samantha
You are reading this because you are interested in improving your life. That means we have something in common. I’m still working on what the Foundations for the Good Life is all about, and I’d love for you to join me in this journey. I’d love to build a community with you. With people who are trying to figure out what “the good life” means, and how to set up their life to make it possible for them.
If this interests you, join the newsletter to be the first to know about updates, new articles, and to try out tools as they are developed and improved. I hope to connect with you soon.
- Boy that feels like the understatement of the year.
- It’s over at samanthaholmgren.ca
- My process evolves each year. So I’ll come back around and update that post sometime in the new year when my brain starts working again after baby arrives
- I was a teenager when I first remember my mom saying, “Be good,” when I left the house. When I left for university, and to this day, she ends most of our conversations in the same way.
Yes, she meant, ‘I love you’ and ‘stay out of trouble.’ But she also meant, ‘do what’s right.’ Follow what you know to be true for you. Learn from life and how to do things better.
Now that I’m trying to understand and evolve my philosophy of life; Now that I’m trying to help other people strive toward living the good life; I want to share that phrase, “Be good,” with you. Be good. Live the good life in whatever way you define that for yourself.