Live 2021 more richly with some thoughtful goals for the New Year
New Year’s resolutions are the goals we set for ourselves in the interest of living life at our best. They’re what we come up with after reflecting on a year gone by and, more often than not, read like a list of good intentions that may or may not actually get accomplished.
Exercise more, pick up a new hobby, master a language beyond the high school level … you know the drill. Some lists are more specific than others, but to compare one’s own to that of five friends is to discover that we’re all hoping to achieve pretty similar things. We want to be healthy, we want to be happy, and we want to look good while achieving it all.
So, with a fresh new year in a sight, we here at 1792 Style started to think about what our resolutions would look like for 2021. To help us along, we asked five bourbon loving guys who — in spite of the dumpster fire of a year we’re leaving behind — seem to have it all pretty well pulled together.
Below, you won’t find a bulleted list of gym goals, diet plans, or Spanish classes, but you will find stories from the five guys we spoke with and why mindfulness is the thing they’re thinking about when it comes to the year ahead.
This year, I want to create the space I need to actually “chill out.” Make time for a bourbon if you know what I mean … or just watching a good movie. I’ve been working from home pretty much full-time since March and I found I was putting in more hours at home than when I had an office to go to. It seems like every day I’d say I’d shut down my computer and turn off my phone by a certain time, but that’s not at all what I did. Up late. Scrolling screens. I guess it was a pretty good year all things considered, but next year I definitely need to make relaxing more of a priority. I didn’t burn out in 2020, but came pretty close to it. — Gregory S.
In 2020 I spent a lot more time on the phone than I ever have before. Most days I’d come home, finish work, pour myself a drink and then spend a while facetiming people. And yeah, I’m on the apps, and yeah I did go on a couple socially distant dates. Got me thinking about how I’ve never made the effort to keep in touch with people, you know, just call them up and see how they’re doing … but I think this year changed that. — Charlie P.
I’ve never been much of a reader, but I’ve got a list of books I’m going to do my best to get through for 2021. Actual books. I’m so sick of binging on Netflix and giving myself headline-induced anxiety. It sounds so ridiculously simple, but I’m curious what’ll happen if I just commit to reading a few chapters in bed at night. — John A.
I bought a house last year and I’ve been saving up for a renovation for about the last ten. I decided that February is when I’ll start breaking down some walls. I guess I could’ve started the process earlier, but I wanted to be absolutely sure that whatever work I did would be worth it in the long run. I took a lot of time thinking about what I needed in a home … and yes, I’m planning on building a home bar. But a fresh coat of white paint is what I’m most excited about, to tell you the truth. — Rishi P.
My wife and I got into the habit of taking weekend trips this past year. We’d rent a house, hop in the car, and just go. She likes to cook so she’d pre-plan meals and pack it all up in a Yeti cooler, which we’ve used more than anything else we own. I guess what I’m saying is … we got it all down to a science. What to pack to wear, what to pack to eat, how to pack it all. What to unpack and what to leave in the duffle bags. We had a system so that whenever we got to where we were going we could just start to enjoy ourselves instead of stressing out over little things like what we were going to make for dinner. These trips have been a good thing for us and I look forward to doing more. — Paul B.
Now that you’ve seen some inspiration, what are your plans for an improvement or change for 2021? Perhaps you want to upgrade your wardrobe. Or maybe its time to teach yourself to make more elaborate cocktails for yourself or friends. We certainly wouldn’t blame you if finding and adding some of the 1792 Bourbon limited expressions to your home bar is on the list.
But do tell us your resolution in the comments or by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram.
Whatever your goals for 2021. We raise a glass to your New Year. Here’s to a brilliant trip around the sun.
Editor’s Note: Top photo by Riley Bartel on Unsplash