The Year of Enough

I like to look back at the year that was and set my intentions for the new year. This year however, I’m looking at things with a new perspective gleaned from the year we stayed inside.

It’s no secret that 2020 was a crazy year for the globe which has so far continued unabated into 2021. Despite, or maybe because of the large expanse of time spent in lockdown, the loss of jobs and time of change for my industry, I have really begun to appreciate the concept of ‘enough’.

Having enough

Our old house provided a safe space with room for us to work and school from home for weeks on end. We had enough outdoor space so although we couldn’t move freely around the city, we could sit in our ramshackle backyard garden and feel the sun on our faces. We had enough to eat, enough bandwidth, enough books and games, and enough interactions with each other to amuse ourselves. Enough of the essentials to sustain our temporary life in retreat.

All of that has made me reflect on not only how lucky we are, but also to deeply appreciate having enough. Understanding you have enough gives you permission to appreciate the here and now — lets you live in the moment. Enough means you’re not looking outwards and planning for more, you are celebrating what you have right now. Turns out enough is actually enough.

Doing enough

Lockdown taught me that doing enough is a good thing. Not being over-stretched, over-worked and over-baked in general was a life lesson in itself. As Mums, carers and career women, we’re used to going hell for leather and ‘doing’ things relentlessly. Unfortunately, this also means most of us come a dreadful dead last on the list of things to look after in our worlds. I don’t want to rejoin that cult of too busy, leading a life out of whack with no work/life balance – it’s simply too much.

With uncertainty lingering around careers, jobs, the economy and everything in between I’m moving into 2021 gratefully. To have enough is to be incredibly fortunate and it’s something I don’t want to lose sight of when the world returns to some sort of new normal.

Here’s to having enough in 2021 friends!