Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

FROM STAFF REPORTS / Editorial

It happens every year. Jan. 1 rolls around and we become determined that this year will be different. “This will be the year I finally follow through on my new year’s resolution.”

Then, two weeks later, we crash back to reality. Our goals of eating healthier, exercising, giving up social media and so on go by the wayside.

After that first full week of work in the new year, we end up sitting on the couch in our sweat pants and a T-shirt with a bag of potato chips in our lap, a soda in one hand and our crumb-crusted other hand scrolling through social media.

It happens every year.

But 2021 isn’t every year. This year, we are still trying to get through one of the worst worldwide pandemics in our lifetime and beyond. We’ve seen a lot during the last nine months that has changed a lot about the way we live life.

Some of us have had our eyes opened and have been forced to think differently and challenge ourselves by getting out of our comfort zones.

2020 was a year that none of us wanted experience and brought much heartache to so many people. Many lost loved ones, many lost jobs and many struggled to cope with the new norm of masks and social distancing.

But as a society, we are so strong at bouncing back.

We are taught to compete from a young age. Nothing is given to us, nothing is easy. Everything we accomplish in life takes hard work.

Now, we’re facing a pandemic and one of the toughest challenges we’ve been pitted against, bringing our competitive nature out once more.

That has led to adaptation and finding a way to get through this difficult time.

Over the last year, you could argue that we have been forced to live out new year’s resolutions by how drastically our lives have changed because we haven’t had a choice.

We’ve taken advantage of time with our family, we’ve gotten outside and taken advantage of parks, we’ve started exercising, and we’ve done things to try to take our mind off stressful situations.

Now, as we enter the new year, we are more prepared than ever to hold true to our new year’s resolutions.

No matter what they are, you’ve likely been through more difficult situations this year and found a way to get through it.

During these first few weeks of 2021, commit to something and follow through. It will pave the way for this year to be special and for you to quickly put a stressful 2020 behind you.