A year has gone by in the blink of an eye, and I’ve taken the first few days of 2022 to really digest everything that happened in 2021. I have to be totally honest and say that the last year wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Covid forcing me to reflect on the trajectory of my life when we were on lockdown in 2020.
Had I not had the time to stop and think about what I wanted and where I was headed, I 100% would not be where I am today. That’s just a fact.
2020 shaped how I lived 2021, and 2021 shaped how I’ll navigate 2022. I saw a picture the other day (posted below), and I thought, “Oh my God. That’s it.”
I spent most of 2020 prepping myself mentally for the changes I was going to make in the future. I didn’t know how I was going to make them or what they were going to look like, or really, anything. I just knew I needed to change my reality. So, I planted seeds. A lot of them.
Then, in 2021, I gave myself the time and space to let go of the old, make room for the new, and fully feel the growing pains I was enduring. In all its beauty and ugly, I kept going, knowing that in due time, I would look back and say, “It was all worth it.”
In 2022, I will watch my flowers bloom. I feel so strongly about that.
But let’s go back to 2021. What did I do? How did I spend my twelve months?
Put simply, I:
Lived in Utah for the first half of the year
Quit my data analyst job
Traveled to Alaska and saw the Northern Lights with my best friends
Hiked in beautiful National Parks
Learned how to ski
Moved home
Volunteered for a couple nonprofit organizations
Landed my first paid writing gig
Published a poetry book
Started working as a Content Writer for a startup
Visited two more new states
Read 17 books
Wrote 80 blog posts
Turned the big 2-5
And became the strongest, most aligned version of myself that I’ve ever been
Yes, there were downfalls. Yes, there were hardships, days of complete and utter confusion about what I was doing. It wasn’t perfect at all. It was so far from it. But that doesn’t matter. Perfection is nonexistent, and tough times aren’t avoidable. I’m choosing not to highlight the “ugly” moments, not to glorify my year by any means, but to shed light on the fact that despite the shit storms we work through, rainbows appear for those who choose to notice them.
I am thankful for 2021. For all its peaks and valleys. For everything it took from me and for all it gave. I planted my seeds in 2020, and I knew that things would take a while to blossom. So, I waited. Because you can’t rush beauty. You can’t rush what’s meant for you. You just have to trust and believe and hold onto hope. So, I did. I am.
If I’m being realistic, though, you probably don’t really care what I, Taylor Gilliatt, accomplished in 2021. That has nothing to do with you, and I get it. I understand.
So, I made a list of everything I learned. The pieces of information I picked up throughout the last 365 days. You might not be able to relate to how many blog posts I wrote, but at the very least, you can take away what I learned and use it in your own life, when it applies.
Without further ado, what I learned in 2021 is:
Anyone who doubts you, doesn’t truly believe in themselves either, so don’t take it personally
Things can grow in the winter months, too
Don’t say “maybe” when you want to say “no”
The weekends are not justification enough to hate your life Monday-Friday
Hiding what you love is a disservice to you and everyone else
The guy will come. Take care of yourself first (I mean this in all senses)
If you can think it, you can do it
Just because no one can see your progress, doesn’t mean you’re not making progress
Following the crowd means you’re just a number
Your intuition has your back. Listen to it.
Please, please, please know that your dreams will never settle well into the minds of people who are rooted in the ever-constant environment of what they know. Don’t let that deter you. Don’t let those people knock you off.
When you’re patient and open, the universe works its magic for you. It singles you out, applauds your relentless commitment, and then it rewards you.
You just have to keep going.
Lastly, I want to add that in 2021, I started constantly thinking about my life in review, at the end of my journey when I’m, God willing, 80+ years old, and I always think about two things:
How true to myself I was willing to be
How much I gave
Please honor the seeds you plant. Water them. Care for them. Look after them. You would never know how beautiful a flower can bloom if you judged it by its seed.
I pray that you have a year for the books (in my case, the blog). That health and happiness free you and hardship strengthens you. You are bound to have both. You will conquer both, too.
2022, show me whatcha got. I’m ready.
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