2022: Keep Your Expectations Nice & Low

On January 1st I asked how everyone was feeling going into the new year.

You shared that you were everything from sad, depressed, and lonely to hopeful, optimistic, and resolute. You shared that you were feeling anxious about your upcoming grief dates and also feeling determined to make this year better than the last.

You shared about the full pendulum of emotions and I’m feeling it all right along with you.

Towards the end of the year, I was feeling extremely motivated. I was excited to spend my break not just getting caught up, but actually getting ahead of the game. My expectations for accomplishment were high.

But then the holidays hit and I found myself stressed and short-fused. I got super sick (don’t worry, not the “vid”), and have been exhausted ever since.

The only thing I accomplished was ordering takeout from every restaurant within a 10-mile radius and binge-watching Netflix. Best laid plans, right?

All that early energy and motivation was completely drained.

And it reminded me of something Brad jokingly said before a friend came to visit:

“Keep your expectations nice and low and we’ll have an epic time.”

So that, my friends, is my new 2022 motto.

We are entering year 3 of a global pandemic. We are burnt out, worn out, and dealing with more collective (and personal) grief than ever before.

It’s ok that I didn’t write all the blog posts and prep the book outline and create a full editorial calendar for the year. It’s ok that I didn’t figure out how to scale up my business and make more money. It’s ok that I didn’t figure out the workout plan or the meal plan or the life plan.

All that will come. Or it won’t.

Either way, this year, let’s all keep our expectations nice and low and have an epic fucking time in the process.