‘Happy New Year’ they said.
‘Thank goodness 2020 is over‘ they went on.
‘2021 can only get better‘ they proclaimed.
Well, we all know how that went!
It wasn’t all bad though. Despite some real challenges there were wins as well. Most of the wins wouldn’t have been classed as wins in any ‘normal’ year, but one of the pluses to living through a second year of a global pandemic is that you start to appreciate things you took for granted before.
When I look back over 2021 a few things really stand out. So here are my biggest challenges and best wins of the past year.
Challenges
1. Losing my dad
The biggest, hardest and worst challenge has to be losing my dad. Not made any easier by having to plan a funeral during a pandemic, especially as our local rates were really high at the time. I think it went well though and we were able to give him a send-off I think he would have appreciated. I was on Covid risk assessment high alert all day, but it paid off and I managed to keep all the elderly and vulnerable mourners safe.
2. Another year of Covid 19
Another year of not travelling and not seeing my family and friends for the majority of it. Another year of lockdowns. Another year of getting more and more frustrated with the government. Another year of not knowing when (if) things will get back to normal.
3. Frustrations with sorting out my dad’s affairs
I had so much in order already that it should have been simple. But of course nothing ever is. So I’ve spent hours and hours ringing the same banks and companies, scanning and sending the same documents, having the same conversations. Finally, with days to go before the end of the year I think I got the last thing sorted out. I’m going into 2022 with my fingers crossed and hoping nothing else is going to crop up.
4. My Facebook account getting hacked
I use Facebook as a way of keeping in touch with friends around the world as well friends here. It’s been more important than ever during the pandemic so I was pretty miffed when it got hacked and I had no way of recovering it. I kept trying but the recovery procedures are so frustrating and useless. Every time I tried to use my back up recovery email it said the FB account didn’t exist or my recovery email wasn’t recognised. Then it would say there was already an account with those details. I basically went round and round in circles until I realised I’d have to give up. I’ve since set up a new account and am slowly trying to re-add my friends to it.
Wins
1.Seeing my nieces
Getting to see my nieces after not having seen them for nearly 2 years. They were able to come to England for a week in August when restrictions were lessened and they were both vaccinated.
2. Catching up with friends
Finally getting to catch up with friends towards the end of the year. I still haven’t got caught up with everyone but it feels good to have made a start.
3. A trip to London
Getting away to London for a few days in October. I’ve missed London. Usually I stay with friends but this time, being Covid minded, I booked myself into a Premier Inn in the King’s Cross area. I loved exploring this area and couldn’t believe how different it is now to how I remember it from when I lived in London.
4. Almost paying my mortgage off
I could have paid it all off, but I’ve decided to keep it open with a minimal amount still owing on it in case I need to borrow on it in the next few years to pay off the buy-to-let property I own. I want to keep my options open and be able to go with whichever is the cheapest option if I need to remortgage. It’s amazing what you can achieve with your finances when a pandemic stops you from travelling or going out for couple of years!
5. Paying off my student loans
The final payment was made in December.
6. Getting my house sorted out
Another plus to a pandemic and not being able to go out to do stuff means I’ve had plenty of time to do stuff in the house instead. I’ve sorted out so many cupboards, gone through all my paperwork, culled books. I feel so much more organised now. I still have stuff to do but I know exactly what it is and how I’m going to tackle it.
7. Getting vaccinated x 3
I got my first vaccine in March, the second in June and I got the booster in December. I’m very grateful.
8. Reading 100 books
Yet another plus to not being able to go 0ut and ‘do stuff’ is that I’ve had plenty of time for reading. Years ago I used to read around 2 books a week. I could read when on the bus or tube commuting and most of my spare time was spent reading. Now I work from home or drive and use a lot of my spare time on social media or watching Netflix. Then I get frustrated because I’m not getting through my massive tbr pile which is full of books I really want to read. I feel great that I’ve been able to get back to my former reading levels this year and make a serious dent in that tbr pile.
9. Managing to not finish the year having written zero blog posts
It’s been over a year and a half since I felt motivated to write a post but I finally got one published on 31st December – talk about cutting it fine! As I wrote it I remembered how much I enjoy writing and putting posts together and really hope I’ll get back into a routine of posting regularly.
And that was my year. Despite some pretty big challenges I still seem to have finished with a lot more wins than challenges. What are your 2021 wins and challenges? Share in the comments below.
Like this? Read this next:
- Evaluating the Books I Read in 2019 for Diversity
- Goodbye 2018: Hello 2019
- Getting organised – January 2019 Review
Pin it for later
Share this:
