20 for 20

If you’re a Gretchen Rubin fan, you’re probably familiar with the goal-setting exercise she and her sister/co-host Liz Craft do on their podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin. This past year it was 19 for 19: 19 things to accomplish in the year 2019. I didn’t make one last year because sometimes goals — even my own — bring out my inner rebel: Don’t tell me what to do.

But this year, 20 for 20, a brand new decade … it seemed too perfect to pass up. Also, I tried to approach the list from a life-enriching perspective rather than: Eat healthier, work out more, lose the same fucking 20 pounds even though I aspire to be more comfortable in my body.

Obviously, before you can go forward, it’s important to look around at where you are — and were. I read this post from 2018 and am grateful my son is now attending college closer to home and I miss my therapist like crazy. For real.

What did I accomplish in 2019? I published my book; at least, it’s in the publishing process. Can that be enough? Definitely. I also let myself buy comfortable clothes and gave up the idea of wearing heels because of arthritis and surgery that rendered my left foot stiff and always in a bit of pain. Full disclosure: I didn’t like heels anyway, but don’t tell me what to do. I got a passport and went on a boat with some of my favorite people to a magical island where we explored historic ruins and snorkeled in the…