Happy New Year!

It's probably safe to say that at midnight last night, the world let out a long collective sigh knowing that 2020 was officially over. Over the past few weeks, there has been an underlying hope that at 12:01 AM on New Year’s Day everything would instantly revert to “normal” and all the events of the past year would just seem like a bad dream. It appears we may have all watched Groundhog Day one too many times. Unfortunately Hollywood magic isn't going to make 2021 a better year, that part is up us. Instead of sitting back and hoping that all our problems will vanish in the blink of an eye just because it’s time to pull out your new planner, consider the following lyrics from “My Silver Lining” by First Aid Kit:

“There’s no starting over, no new beginnings, time races on and you’ve just gotta keep on keepin’ on”

Many people fall victim to the “New Year, New Me” mentality... trust us, we’ve been there. These lyrics can remind us that New Year’s should be less about wishing for a brand-new version of yourself and more about promising to make the most of each moment life brings – celebrate and enjoy the good moments, learn from the bad. There is nothing wrong with making plans to improve aspects of life that you are currently unsatisfied with, in fact we should be doing this more than once a year. Just vow to stay true to yourself throughout the process.

A friend recently shared a post on Instagram (link to full post below) that encouraged “setting a theme” for the new year instead of making goals. The post explains how setting specific goals can put us into a state of thinking that is very black and white, success versus failure. If this way of thinking works to your advantage and motivates you, then go for it – set your goals, make your lists, and get after it! However, some may just see that list of goals as a bunch of opportunities to fall short and then give up before they even get going. Ever wonder why most resolutions are tossed aside before we even make it to February? If this has been you in the past, maybe it is time to try something new. Pick your personal theme for 2021 and use it daily to help guide your decisions, actions and overall mindset throughout the year. Rough patches are a given so don’t give up just because you hit one – reflect, learn about yourself, grow and move forward.

Here at Nora, we are setting two themes for ourselves – growth and connection. We plan to grow our brand by growing as individuals; learning new skills, getting outside of our comfort zone, and pushing ourselves to bring our best in all that we take on this coming year. However, our growth won’t mean much if we don’t pair it with connection – connection to the inspiration behind our brand, connection to our wonderful customers, and connection to our community. We wouldn’t be here without you!

We would love to hear all of your plans for making the coming year the best it can be – Do you make resolutions each year? If so, how do you motivate yourself to see them through?