Instead of counting your achievements and failures, as you usually do at the end of the year, be grateful that you got to this point. Be grateful to be able to look back on the past year.
2021 was unlike any other, so it shouldn't be treated the same as any other. Everything you have done should not be compared to years in the past. You shouldn't feel guilty about all the things on last year's list of resolutions that didn't happen.
As you look back on 2021, you need to be gentle with yourself. Instead of regretting all the things you didn't get to do, be thankful that you have the opportunity to do them in 2022. Be thankful that you have a beautiful future ahead of you where you can make up for it.
You probably haven't finished the year without thinking about what if. But you're not the only one. We are all in the same boat. You're not the only one who feels like you could do more. You could work more, you could exercise more, you could study more, you could earn more money, you could talk more with your loved ones.
But you have to remember that it wasn't all that easy, it hasn't been for two years. It was about staying sane. It was about survival. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get through each day. The goal is to survive.
There's nothing wrong with being upset about all your untapped potential. Maybe you were hoping that this year would be the year you land your dream job or meet your soulmate, get married or travel the world. Maybe your expectations were high and then due to the resurgence of the virus, they fell again.
Like any other year, you probably regret it. You probably have some unpleasant memories that you never want to relive. Moments when you could have responded better and been a better friend/partner/brother/sister/child/parent.
It was not an easy year for many. You don't have to act like everything is fine when it isn't. It's okay if it isn't.
Just know that you did your best in 2021. You shouldn't be disappointed in yourself. You shouldn't feel like you wasted your time or energy when you did everything you could to get through this year in one piece.
It's okay if you don't have the energy to come up with a shiny new list of resolutions for 2022. You're allowed to be angry, bitter, or upset about the time you've lost—and the people you've lost.
The good thing about 2021 is that it is officially over and it will be 2022 happy, healthy and a year of good changes!
