Hey. I’m trying something new! Substack has this “thread” feature where you can have discussions in the comments, so I’d love to try it out by hearing from you about your tiny wins in 2020.
2020 was, of course, a hard year for nearly everyone, in many ways. But I think it might be nice to close out the year by thinking about what our small wins were this year — at my job, we talk about our small wins at the end of each week and it’s a nice ritual that I’ve come to enjoy.
Maybe you read some really good books, learned to cook something new, found a new hobby, started that meditation practice, figured out your optimal home workout routine, or made progress on a creative project. Or maybe your win is just making it through the year, which is a win in itself, too!
Let’s share our 2020 wins, no matter how big or small, in the comments! I’d love to hear them.
I'll start: I did figure out an optimal home workout routine for me this year and it was really exciting -- I previously thought I could only force myself to work out with the accountability of classes at a studio or gym, but then I found some trainers I really liked on Youtube this year and now I actually sort of look forward to working out??? I never thought that was possible! I also did finally start meditating -- though I've yet to make it an every day habit, I've been doing it more often than not, so I consider that tiny bit of progress a win!
But my faves on Youtube are: PopSugar Fitness channel, Blogilates, and Kit Rich. (Kit Rich also has a bunch of stuff on the PopSugar channel, which is where I found her, but also on her own channel). CorePower Yoga also has some decent stuff on their channel (love their yoga sculpt, which combines yoga and strength) and also love Yoga with Adriene for more chill yoga.
Also if you have classpass, I like their at-home barre videos a lot!
I finally stopped drinking in July of this year, which I've been wanting to do for years. I used it to mask terrible social anxiety and now I'm learning how to be present and comfortable around friends and strangers. I have a weekly volunteer shift where I pick up extra food and bring it to community kitchens which provides me with a purpose and great community. I'm so happy that I decided to take this difficult year and dig deep into some rooted issues. Once we're all out in the sunshine together, I'm excited to actually BE THERE and content around people again.
While student loans were suspended, I finally dug into my financial health and was able to set up an emergency savings account for the first time in my life, at 32! Money has always given me tremendous anxiety, and it was so empowering to face my financial situation head on and actually hit an achievable goal.
I launched a new organization focused on mapping the ecosystem of youth employment programs across the country. We also sit at the table w/city officials & program leaders to help them pivot & innovate to ensure Youth are developing skills that meet labor market demands. Disconnected Youth are going to be screwed if we don't build better supports for them during the pandemic to insure they don't fall thru the gaps post pandemic. So in the madness of all the pandemics I saw a way I could help and decided to build a new org in a crazy economy. That's normal, right?! ;) bit.ly/youthjobsconnect (3 min video to learn more)
i started running! after never being able to hit more than 2 miles (due to stressful memories of gym class and not going fast enough) i stopped caring about pace and hit my 10k last weekend
and became a runner - I always hated it but it was the best way to get outside and workout safely. now I regularly run 5K and miss it when I don't get to run a few times per week.
The big win was writing and self-publishing a book that sold way more than I expected. The little win was getting some chocolate habaneros from a friend's garden and making a curry paste with them that I used in several dishes including a coconut curry chicken and a creamy potato and tasso soup that were all great.
Yay! I love comments! Reminds me of old blogger days :D My tiny win was getting a dog - something that I wanted for a long time and was trying to pass off as something that is good for our kids but really it was for me. Now that she's here, I don't know why I waited so long.
Had a baby in March days before New York went on lockdown. Then started a new job the next month. Naya’s very cute which helps when I think of all things I haven’t done, haven’t started and definitely haven’t finished.
Amy!! That's a huge win. And both your babies are so adorable. And congrats on your new job!! Sounds to me like you accomplished a whole lot this year!
Me too! Except: I had baby 5 days after lockdown, I live in SF, and started a new job in October. This has really made me get to know my second child so much more than I knew my first in the few months after he was born (I went back to work when my first was 4 months, vs. 8 months with my second). I kind of wonder what I would have learned about my first if I took that extra 4 months back then.
I learned how to get a little bit better at dealing with ambiguity! I'm graduating college this year and everything is really uncertain but I'm doing okay! Also started actually going to therapy and that was really helpful — really proud that I finally took the plunge.
It's definitely a tough year to graduate college and enter the job market, I really feel for this year's graduating class. That's awesome that you did something to take care of yourself by going to therapy!
I made a wedding cake for my brother! It was before lockdowns so it was a proper two-tier, eight layer cake with four different flavours. I make cakes all the time so when I offered, I thought I was just making a really big one. I was wrong. It was kind of stressful, I almost dropped the top tier but in the end I did it! My friend at work described it as a wonderful drama, which it was. Seeing my brother and his wife cut into it was so very nice and meant a lot to all of us. And I had the funniest most reassuring friends who’d done it before helping me out at any hour in Whatsapp :)
I finally began (and stuck to) writing in a gratitude journal. Some days I just write “coffee” other entries are more reflective. But I found that it kept me grounded and grateful even during one of the most difficult years of my life.
I bought a house for myself in June, which was a huge win. But the small win that really has made my life better in 2020 is learning to cook. I am loving the process and it's so much more fun cooking for myself now that I have the space to try and fail without criticism!
If you don't have a copy of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, I recommend it! It isn't for super beginners, but it provides well researched and written concepts around food and taste that are incredibly helpful as you progress. Congratulations on the house!!
I fractured my foot in Feb. I was able to extend my recovery exercise routine into a regular workout routine and stick to it. By mid-year, I was strong enough to do some moderately challenging hikes! That's my big tiny win this year.
It was a long process and I had to be so patient. At first, it was just simple foot flexing and rotating. And then I used resistance bands to bring strength into my leg. I moved on to standing on my toes and back, side stepping and doing some other calf-strengthening exercises. When I was finally fully moving, I started climbing stairs and doing lunges with weights in my hand and squats. Slowly I was also able to incorporate yoga and then move on to regular exercises like planks!
I ended up getting to know a die-hard test knitting crowd. We're doing a gift swap for Christmas and planning a post-pandemic knitting retreat. A bunch of them bought Indian-ish on my recommendation!
I did get laid off due to the pandemic...but I'd been thinking about leaving my industry and doing something I enjoy more for over a year, so it actually worked out. I'm now taking these few months as a break and enjoy my leisure time, before going back into the job search.
I've been a knitter for a long time, but with a trail of unfinished sweaters I'm not proud of (I still have knit 300 projects, so it was just something with sweaters). Anyway, this year I signed up to test knit sweater patterns for designers before they are released, and that came with deadlines. I've knit 4 sweaters these last few months and now on my 5th! I have realized that I need some accountability even in my hobbies.
I tried a CSA box for the first time this summer and had to figure out what to do with weird squashes, amaranth etc. We made amaranth parathas, something I had never eaten.
I've also made a lot of inroads into clearing clutter in my home where I have lived for 20 years and progressively acquired more stuff (kids=so much stuff). Definitely a win though I have a long way to go.
Seriously! I couldn't believe the number of old toys and junk I found in the basement. I even found a box of diaper wipes! (My younger one just turned 12). And, embarrassed as I am to hew to stereotypes, with a son and a daughter there was little reuse of anything.
I got into the habit of taking my dog for a 30 minute walk twice a day, mostly as a transition to and from the WFH part of my day. It's been a really nice ritual and made me appreciate my neighborhood and notice all the little changes that happen over the course of a year. (I also leave my phone at home during these walks, which was a game-changer.)
I don't think there is an universal recipe . But what I did (and still doing) was to discover myself ... For example I tried different sports, some of which I was even afraid of.. and in most cases I defeated my fears and this automatically inspired self appreciation
Hey! What a lovely idea! I had a few tiny wins this year...I read three of the best books I have EVER read, which was amazing and made me so happy, thinking that there is still so much art out there that is going to make me feel big emotions and very alive...the three books were Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, the Light and the Mirror by Hilary Mantel and Apeirogon by Cormac McCann. I also started knitting and knitted some cute hats for all of my family members, including little baby James who turned one month old today!
And I have found lots of awesome newsletters to read, including your one which I love, so thanks!
Not a new one, but working full time this whole year. Still not sure how I did it. I've also been reading a lot, organized my place, and learned how to make some of my favorite foods (BAKLAVA!) as well as crochet. But one of my biggest accomplishments has been getting more comfortable driving. I've had my license for years but didn't drive at all in college (yay big city living and public transportation!) and ended up getting panic attacks whenever I tried to drive. I took advantage of the early pandemic empty roads and am now able to drive myself around (mostly, I'm still nervous on highways).
I finally set up a home office (ie not my kitchen table) and got some plant friends to warm up the space. I love them so much. The greenery brings me so much joy. I also grew an avocado plant from the pit. Took me 3 tries but now I've got a cute little tree that sits next to my laptop on my desk.
I spent most of 2020 in Rome and I'm pretty pleased that, in lockdown, I mastered cooking all four of the so-called pillars of Roman pasta: amatriciana, cacio e pepe, carbonara and gricia. The first two came out as good or better than what I've eaten at restaurants so I was pretty happy with myself.
This guy is generally super reliable for the Roman pastas as he takes the effort to make them completely authentically and stick to tradition. I found Mark Bittman's versions to all have funny little changes that would make a Roman cry and that, for me, resulted in a less tasty result.
I was always intimidated by Indian cooking but through YouTube and lots of online recipe reading, finally figured out how to make so many of my favorite dishes this year - including some complicated Rajasthani food like dal bati and South Indian dishes like dosa. It’s been so fulfilling to finally recreate so many of the delicious foods I grew up eating.
My 98-year-old grandmother had a stroke last week. The biggest crisis I have ever had to manage on my own. I'm exhausted but I'd do it again - especially now that I know I can.
I participated in the 100-day project and did 100 tiny collages. I started a weekly writing practice group online. And with the advent of Zoom, and being home (alone) all the time, I have been attending two Zoom accountability hours per day (since April). Six days a week, I've worked either on my memoir or on poems. I'm about half-way through a solid draft of my memoir, and recently sent out a batch of poems to a handful of lit magazines (first time in awhile). Also been taking a weekly ekphrastic poetry class for the past 4 months so have a huge stack of potential poems on deck. Before this, my desire to write had faded to a grey wash. Of course it was PEOPLE and CONNECTION that made the difference for me. Important to say too, that being able to receive pandemic relief unemployment is what made all of this possible—I feel incredibly lucky and grateful.
Published my second book, The New Chardonnay (Crown Currency); taught myself audio editing software for my podcast; kept two teens mostly happy and healthy while they can’t hang w/ their friends; took care of my MIL who lives with us now; volunteered a lot with my kids; learned to give our beloved dog Midnight fluids through an IV 😔 at home; returned to reading for pleasure every day; learned how to grow herbs & vegetables in our garden + cooked with them🥒🫑🌱🍅
I started painting again, which I haven't done since I was a kid. Just animals and little silly things, nothing magical, but it makes me really happy to have a hobby where I can just play around.
Started playing golf regularly with my husband. I had always promised that I would try it when the kids were grown - and though we have been empty-nesters for a couple of years, this was the year that we finally made the time. TBH, still not very good but it's been so nice to be outside together in this strange year.
Honestly, 2020 was a big one for me, it was difficult to get through but with all the free time I had it helped me plan and start a new adventure https://shareholderperks.co.uk/
I'll start: I did figure out an optimal home workout routine for me this year and it was really exciting -- I previously thought I could only force myself to work out with the accountability of classes at a studio or gym, but then I found some trainers I really liked on Youtube this year and now I actually sort of look forward to working out??? I never thought that was possible! I also did finally start meditating -- though I've yet to make it an every day habit, I've been doing it more often than not, so I consider that tiny bit of progress a win!
Ha! I had the exact same experience. For me, I became (and remain) obsessed with Heather Robertson's YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/heatherrobertsoncom/videos
Thanks for sharing! Excited to check her out!
pls share! my home workout routines are getting stale
Mentioned a few in this newsletter: https://nishachittal.substack.com/p/who-will-go-back-to-gyms
But my faves on Youtube are: PopSugar Fitness channel, Blogilates, and Kit Rich. (Kit Rich also has a bunch of stuff on the PopSugar channel, which is where I found her, but also on her own channel). CorePower Yoga also has some decent stuff on their channel (love their yoga sculpt, which combines yoga and strength) and also love Yoga with Adriene for more chill yoga.
Also if you have classpass, I like their at-home barre videos a lot!
I finally stopped drinking in July of this year, which I've been wanting to do for years. I used it to mask terrible social anxiety and now I'm learning how to be present and comfortable around friends and strangers. I have a weekly volunteer shift where I pick up extra food and bring it to community kitchens which provides me with a purpose and great community. I'm so happy that I decided to take this difficult year and dig deep into some rooted issues. Once we're all out in the sunshine together, I'm excited to actually BE THERE and content around people again.
While student loans were suspended, I finally dug into my financial health and was able to set up an emergency savings account for the first time in my life, at 32! Money has always given me tremendous anxiety, and it was so empowering to face my financial situation head on and actually hit an achievable goal.
That's huge, congrats!
I launched a new organization focused on mapping the ecosystem of youth employment programs across the country. We also sit at the table w/city officials & program leaders to help them pivot & innovate to ensure Youth are developing skills that meet labor market demands. Disconnected Youth are going to be screwed if we don't build better supports for them during the pandemic to insure they don't fall thru the gaps post pandemic. So in the madness of all the pandemics I saw a way I could help and decided to build a new org in a crazy economy. That's normal, right?! ;) bit.ly/youthjobsconnect (3 min video to learn more)
That's huge! Congratulations -- sounds like a great org, and so necessary in this economy
i started running! after never being able to hit more than 2 miles (due to stressful memories of gym class and not going fast enough) i stopped caring about pace and hit my 10k last weekend
I got a promotion!
Congratulations!
bought an apartment!
and became a runner - I always hated it but it was the best way to get outside and workout safely. now I regularly run 5K and miss it when I don't get to run a few times per week.
Congrats on being a homeowner, that's amazing! And the running too -- I still can't get into running, ha.
this is my dream - to become someone who likes running haha
The big win was writing and self-publishing a book that sold way more than I expected. The little win was getting some chocolate habaneros from a friend's garden and making a curry paste with them that I used in several dishes including a coconut curry chicken and a creamy potato and tasso soup that were all great.
Congrats on publishing a book! And those recipes sound delicious.
Way to go! What's the book called?
Yay! I love comments! Reminds me of old blogger days :D My tiny win was getting a dog - something that I wanted for a long time and was trying to pass off as something that is good for our kids but really it was for me. Now that she's here, I don't know why I waited so long.
Same! I kept saying it wasn’t the right time to get a dog, but finally got one this year and it has been such a good decision!
Yes!! What kind of dog did you get? Mine is a tiny shihtzu/yorkie mix
Oh cute! Also a tiny dog, a chihuahua mix.. tiny dogs are wonderful snugglers!
The best!
That's awesome! Dogs are such good quarantine companions!
Had a baby in March days before New York went on lockdown. Then started a new job the next month. Naya’s very cute which helps when I think of all things I haven’t done, haven’t started and definitely haven’t finished.
Amy!! That's a huge win. And both your babies are so adorable. And congrats on your new job!! Sounds to me like you accomplished a whole lot this year!
Me too! Except: I had baby 5 days after lockdown, I live in SF, and started a new job in October. This has really made me get to know my second child so much more than I knew my first in the few months after he was born (I went back to work when my first was 4 months, vs. 8 months with my second). I kind of wonder what I would have learned about my first if I took that extra 4 months back then.
Solidarity, sister. I have a toddler, too. We should compare notes 😅
I learned how to get a little bit better at dealing with ambiguity! I'm graduating college this year and everything is really uncertain but I'm doing okay! Also started actually going to therapy and that was really helpful — really proud that I finally took the plunge.
It's definitely a tough year to graduate college and enter the job market, I really feel for this year's graduating class. That's awesome that you did something to take care of yourself by going to therapy!
I made a wedding cake for my brother! It was before lockdowns so it was a proper two-tier, eight layer cake with four different flavours. I make cakes all the time so when I offered, I thought I was just making a really big one. I was wrong. It was kind of stressful, I almost dropped the top tier but in the end I did it! My friend at work described it as a wonderful drama, which it was. Seeing my brother and his wife cut into it was so very nice and meant a lot to all of us. And I had the funniest most reassuring friends who’d done it before helping me out at any hour in Whatsapp :)
Moved into a new, sunnier apartment that made quarantine a hundred times more bearable!
I finally began (and stuck to) writing in a gratitude journal. Some days I just write “coffee” other entries are more reflective. But I found that it kept me grounded and grateful even during one of the most difficult years of my life.
This is something I've always felt like I should do but haven't been able to stick with it and make it a habit - maybe I will try again in 2021!
Also Lori congrats on your amazing new job!! I'd say that's a pretty big win!
Thank you, Nisha!
I bought a house for myself in June, which was a huge win. But the small win that really has made my life better in 2020 is learning to cook. I am loving the process and it's so much more fun cooking for myself now that I have the space to try and fail without criticism!
If you don't have a copy of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, I recommend it! It isn't for super beginners, but it provides well researched and written concepts around food and taste that are incredibly helpful as you progress. Congratulations on the house!!
Thank you!!!! I will check it out!!!
Love it - both great wins!
I fractured my foot in Feb. I was able to extend my recovery exercise routine into a regular workout routine and stick to it. By mid-year, I was strong enough to do some moderately challenging hikes! That's my big tiny win this year.
That’s wonderful! Exercise was my win this year as well, but I just broke my toe! What did your recovery routine look like?
It was a long process and I had to be so patient. At first, it was just simple foot flexing and rotating. And then I used resistance bands to bring strength into my leg. I moved on to standing on my toes and back, side stepping and doing some other calf-strengthening exercises. When I was finally fully moving, I started climbing stairs and doing lunges with weights in my hand and squats. Slowly I was also able to incorporate yoga and then move on to regular exercises like planks!
Thank you for taking the time to detail your recovery. I’m working on the patience part!
I camped alone for the first time. It was a big tiny thing!
I learned how to do cryptic crosswords (sorta) and even made an internet friend to do them with about once a week.
Unexpected pandemic friendships! Someone should write about that...
I ended up getting to know a die-hard test knitting crowd. We're doing a gift swap for Christmas and planning a post-pandemic knitting retreat. A bunch of them bought Indian-ish on my recommendation!
I did get laid off due to the pandemic...but I'd been thinking about leaving my industry and doing something I enjoy more for over a year, so it actually worked out. I'm now taking these few months as a break and enjoy my leisure time, before going back into the job search.
I've been a knitter for a long time, but with a trail of unfinished sweaters I'm not proud of (I still have knit 300 projects, so it was just something with sweaters). Anyway, this year I signed up to test knit sweater patterns for designers before they are released, and that came with deadlines. I've knit 4 sweaters these last few months and now on my 5th! I have realized that I need some accountability even in my hobbies.
I tried a CSA box for the first time this summer and had to figure out what to do with weird squashes, amaranth etc. We made amaranth parathas, something I had never eaten.
I've also made a lot of inroads into clearing clutter in my home where I have lived for 20 years and progressively acquired more stuff (kids=so much stuff). Definitely a win though I have a long way to go.
It’s unreal how much stuff one accumulates with kids.
Seriously! I couldn't believe the number of old toys and junk I found in the basement. I even found a box of diaper wipes! (My younger one just turned 12). And, embarrassed as I am to hew to stereotypes, with a son and a daughter there was little reuse of anything.
I got into the habit of taking my dog for a 30 minute walk twice a day, mostly as a transition to and from the WFH part of my day. It's been a really nice ritual and made me appreciate my neighborhood and notice all the little changes that happen over the course of a year. (I also leave my phone at home during these walks, which was a game-changer.)
I started a new, wonderful and difficult journey: learning to love myself :)
Ooh, how?? I really, really need that.
I don't think there is an universal recipe . But what I did (and still doing) was to discover myself ... For example I tried different sports, some of which I was even afraid of.. and in most cases I defeated my fears and this automatically inspired self appreciation
Hey! What a lovely idea! I had a few tiny wins this year...I read three of the best books I have EVER read, which was amazing and made me so happy, thinking that there is still so much art out there that is going to make me feel big emotions and very alive...the three books were Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, the Light and the Mirror by Hilary Mantel and Apeirogon by Cormac McCann. I also started knitting and knitted some cute hats for all of my family members, including little baby James who turned one month old today!
And I have found lots of awesome newsletters to read, including your one which I love, so thanks!
Isi
Knitting is an awesome activity! Though occasionally frustrating when the yarn tangles in odd ways : )
I read Apeirogon, too, and was BLOWN away.
I bought a nice couch (I can’t imagine quarantining all year with no couch, our previous setup) and published in an outlet that was on my dream list!
I have definitely spent 90% of quarantine on my couch, ha! And congrats on publishing your piece -- please share a link!
Traveling from the comfy couch to a comfy bed counts as travel in 2020! Here's the piece in McSweeney's, a site I read daily https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-worked-in-trumps-white-house-and-i-want-a-book-deal-to-share-the-horrors-i-did-nothing-to-stop
McSweeney's, that's awesome! Congrats!
Not a new one, but working full time this whole year. Still not sure how I did it. I've also been reading a lot, organized my place, and learned how to make some of my favorite foods (BAKLAVA!) as well as crochet. But one of my biggest accomplishments has been getting more comfortable driving. I've had my license for years but didn't drive at all in college (yay big city living and public transportation!) and ended up getting panic attacks whenever I tried to drive. I took advantage of the early pandemic empty roads and am now able to drive myself around (mostly, I'm still nervous on highways).
I finally set up a home office (ie not my kitchen table) and got some plant friends to warm up the space. I love them so much. The greenery brings me so much joy. I also grew an avocado plant from the pit. Took me 3 tries but now I've got a cute little tree that sits next to my laptop on my desk.
you grew avocados! i'm so impressed!
Oh, I suspect I'm years away from actual avocados. But the tree is adorable.
I spent most of 2020 in Rome and I'm pretty pleased that, in lockdown, I mastered cooking all four of the so-called pillars of Roman pasta: amatriciana, cacio e pepe, carbonara and gricia. The first two came out as good or better than what I've eaten at restaurants so I was pretty happy with myself.
Please send me your fave recipes!!
https://www.notanothercookingshow.tv/post/pasta-amatriciana
This guy is generally super reliable for the Roman pastas as he takes the effort to make them completely authentically and stick to tradition. I found Mark Bittman's versions to all have funny little changes that would make a Roman cry and that, for me, resulted in a less tasty result.
I'm gonna try making this tonight!!
I was always intimidated by Indian cooking but through YouTube and lots of online recipe reading, finally figured out how to make so many of my favorite dishes this year - including some complicated Rajasthani food like dal bati and South Indian dishes like dosa. It’s been so fulfilling to finally recreate so many of the delicious foods I grew up eating.
My 98-year-old grandmother had a stroke last week. The biggest crisis I have ever had to manage on my own. I'm exhausted but I'd do it again - especially now that I know I can.
I hope your grandmother is doing okay -- sending positive vibes
I participated in the 100-day project and did 100 tiny collages. I started a weekly writing practice group online. And with the advent of Zoom, and being home (alone) all the time, I have been attending two Zoom accountability hours per day (since April). Six days a week, I've worked either on my memoir or on poems. I'm about half-way through a solid draft of my memoir, and recently sent out a batch of poems to a handful of lit magazines (first time in awhile). Also been taking a weekly ekphrastic poetry class for the past 4 months so have a huge stack of potential poems on deck. Before this, my desire to write had faded to a grey wash. Of course it was PEOPLE and CONNECTION that made the difference for me. Important to say too, that being able to receive pandemic relief unemployment is what made all of this possible—I feel incredibly lucky and grateful.
Published my second book, The New Chardonnay (Crown Currency); taught myself audio editing software for my podcast; kept two teens mostly happy and healthy while they can’t hang w/ their friends; took care of my MIL who lives with us now; volunteered a lot with my kids; learned to give our beloved dog Midnight fluids through an IV 😔 at home; returned to reading for pleasure every day; learned how to grow herbs & vegetables in our garden + cooked with them🥒🫑🌱🍅
weaned myself off anti-depressants after too many years to mention....
❤️❤️
I started painting again, which I haven't done since I was a kid. Just animals and little silly things, nothing magical, but it makes me really happy to have a hobby where I can just play around.
Started playing golf regularly with my husband. I had always promised that I would try it when the kids were grown - and though we have been empty-nesters for a couple of years, this was the year that we finally made the time. TBH, still not very good but it's been so nice to be outside together in this strange year.
Honestly, 2020 was a big one for me, it was difficult to get through but with all the free time I had it helped me plan and start a new adventure https://shareholderperks.co.uk/