At the beginning of every year I take time to get away from social media, TV, and all the other things that provide the daily distractions from what’s really important. This year I started a little early, and let me tell you, it was some much needed down time. My wife gave birth to our first son back in September and I wanted to be as much in the moment as I could. So, a couple of days before Christmas I started my yearly fast and it was truly a gift.
If you’re reading this and are an adult, then you know that as you get older Christmas magic seems to fade into the past and it feels like another day. If you’re like me then you want it to be the most special day it can be for everyone around you. With our son not being able to open presents on account that he was only 3 months old at the time, my wife and I decided to buy gifts for him without telling each other what we got and open each others gifts for him. It gave us some much needed Christmas spirit. It was so special and sweet.
Things just felt different this year, as in 2020, for obvious reasons. I think we learned a lot as people. For some, you probably grew as a person and realized some things about yourself that had long been forgotten. Others of us changed our habits and started trying to learn new things. From what I understand, book sales were up, lets be honest there is only so much Netflix and TV you can consume without getting lost and bored. We were stuck inside for some time, and I think we found out what is important and what isn’t
It was a year that feels like we took a huge step backwards in being decent to one another. If you don’t believe the same as someone else you either end up not liking them and vice versa. Division has never been more apparent in our time and it feels like we were thrust back into a time that you read about in the history books. Scrolling social media probably made you anxious, depressed, angry, sick to your stomach, and just plain tired, all at the same time.
But, there feels like a glimmer of hope is on the horizon in the form of a new year. Does this mean that everything that is wrong in the world is going to be over? No. But, it means that we have another chance at changing things for the better. I’ve never been a fan of the term “new year resolutions”, the fact is most people break theirs in the first week (guilty). It seems a silly thing to say, but I think we have a real shot at doing great things this year. Not just talking about it but actually practicing what we preach. It’s not just a moment, it should be a movement.
I want to take a step out and put my goals list on here along with my 2021 reading list. I’ve always loved reading, but in the last couple of years I have really taken a step to make it a priority. I am not the best writer, or even a decent if im being honest with myself. But writing is such an outlet for me and an amazing way to express myself. So, my encouragement to you, if anyone reads this is: Take a step of faith this year. Do something for you. Pursue a dream. Make time for things other than work and do it with joy.
Also, If you want to drop some books from your list, feel free to share with me!
2021 Goals:
- stay in shape all year – go to the gym 4 days minimal a week –
- Maintain a healthy diet
- watch less TV
- Read more – read all books on list and then some –
- Write more – 15 minutes a day minimal –
- Pursue a big dream
- Be present – less screen time –
- Do more manly things.
- Be open to experiences that scare me.
Reading list 2021 – so far –
Currently Reading –
- East of Eden – Steinbeck
- Gentle and Lowly – Ortlund
Reading list –
- The Postman – Brin
- Anna Karenina – Tolstoy
- The Night Circus – Morgenstern
- To Shake the Sleeping Self – Jenkins
- For Whom the Bell Tolls – Hemingway
- Capital Gaines – Gaines
- Tortilla Flat – Steinbeck
- The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich – Shirer
- Mornings on Horseback – McCullough
- Truman – McCullough
- The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt – Morris
- In Cold Blood – Capote
- Collapse – Diamond
- Alexander Hamilton – Chernow
- Camino Winds – Grisham
- How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps – Shapiro
- Greenlights – McConaughey
- The Unwinding Cable Car – Brandt
- Iron Gold – Brown
- Dark Age – Brow
- The Midnight Library – Haig
Nate Melugin 