I’ve never been the kind of person who thrives on New Year’s resolutions. The idea of setting rigid goals has often felt more like unnecessary pressure than genuine motivation. But as 2021 dawned, I found myself craving a reset—a moment to pause, breathe, and start again with fresh eyes. This year, the timing felt right to not just set goals, but to create intentions that would guide me both personally and professionally.

The first step? A little digital detox.

After a year where social media became equal parts news feed, lifeline, and noise machine, I realized how much peace I gained when I stepped away. Even a handful of days without the endless scroll—five here, four there—brought back clarity I didn’t even know I’d lost. It doesn’t take a grand gesture; even small breaks are a gift. The quiet creates space to live instead of just consuming, to engage with life beyond the screen.

So, what filled that reclaimed time? Writing. Yoga. Pilates. Meditation. Long stretches of play and laughter with Lucy and Freddie. Most importantly, I reflected on what I wanted to release with 2020, and what I wanted to carry forward into 2021.

My word for this year is MINDFUL.

I’ve always been someone who “goes with the flow,” but I’ve learned that floating without direction doesn’t always serve me well. Instead, I want to move with intention—choosing presence, awareness, and consciousness in every part of my life. Not in perfection, but in practice. And if setting a list of resolutions feels overwhelming to you too, try this: start with a single word. Let that word be your anchor. Let it guide your mornings, your decisions, your energy.

For me, mindfulness also meant reevaluating how I start my days. I’ve noticed that I’m my happiest when I protect my mornings—when I rise early, clear-headed, and free to savor that quiet space before the day rushes in. And I’ve also realized that those mornings slip away if I’ve had wine the night before. That’s why I began my year, for the third time in a row, with Dry January. The clarity it brings makes the trade-off worth it.

Alongside that, I turned to meditation. I downloaded Deepak Chopra’s app and began his 22-day series, Creating Peace from the Inside Out, co-hosted with Oprah. Just a few days in, I could already feel the shift—a calmness, a rootedness I’d been searching for.

Professionally, one of the commitments weighing most on me was consistency with my blog. Motherhood reshaped my time and energy in 2020, and the balance between caring for a newborn and showing up for this community was something I had to relearn. But this year, with mindfulness as my compass, I’ve decided there will be no more excuses and no more cancelations. I sat down and mapped out my Q1 editorial calendar, promising at least one post per week. I want this space to remain not just a creative outlet for me, but a place for connection with all of you who’ve walked alongside me through these seasons of life.

Looking back, 2020 was complicated, to say the least. It will mean different things to different people. For me, it was a year of both immense challenge and profound growth. It was the year I became a mother—a transformation that redefined everything I thought I knew about strength, patience, and love.

Motherhood has taught me that life is rarely within our control, and sometimes the bravest thing we can do is surrender. I used to move quickly, always chasing the next thing, always looking ahead. Gratitude was there, but fleeting—rushed past instead of absorbed. Now, through both the trials of a global pandemic and the gift of raising a child, I’ve been learning to slow down, to let life wash over me fully.

There were moments when isolation felt crushing, when it seemed as though I was watching the world unravel from behind glass. But then I’d look down at my daughter—her wide, curious eyes, her unshakable innocence—and I’d feel hope rise up in me. She reminded me daily that storms make way for mountains, that nothing grows without rain.

The greatest lesson 2020 handed me is this: there is profound beauty in vulnerability. To feel deeply, to admit uncertainty, to lean into the discomfort of not having all the answers—that takes courage. And for anyone who’s carried loneliness, loss, or hardship this past year, I want you to know you’re not alone. For every new mother adjusting to this delicate balance, I see you. For every soul trying to find light in a dark season, I’m with you.

As we step into this new year, my hope for all of us is simple: that we nurture our own souls as carefully as we nurture the lives entrusted to us. That we find magic in the ordinary. That we stay rooted in presence, even when the world feels uncertain.

Because one day, our children, our loved ones, and even our future selves will look back on this time and see our strength. They’ll see the courage it took to keep moving forward, to keep growing, to keep choosing hope.

Here’s to 2021—a year of mindfulness, of clarity, and of breathtakingly beautiful moments.