2020 is going to be the year that most of us will never forget, and unfortunately it won’t be for good reasons. Each and every one of us has been affected in different ways, but I would like to start reviewing 2020 by saying that I am well aware that when everything is put into context I have definitely been lucky. I live with my parents, we all stayed well and relatively healthy (for us anyway) and I managed to avoid losing my job.

However 2020 has definitely been a year full of struggles. I have spent most of it filled with dread that I was going to be made redundant, I have found it almost impossible to actually do my job from home and I found myself completely lacking in any form of creativity, inspiration and motivation.

Reviewing 2020: The Year That Never Was

I wrote a post back in January called 20 Things I Want to Do in 2020, I reread it the other day and couldn’t help but laugh when I realised that absolutely nothing on the list had been achieved, so I thought I’d review it in this post and see how wrong I was about the year.

Explore Oxfordshire

I‘m a firm believer that you don’t have to go far to be a traveller, explore your own backyard, take a walk or hop on a bus and see where you can go within a few miles of your own home. For me, exploring Oxfordshire is an ongoing project that I plan on working on for a long time to come.

I know that many people continued travelling locally over the last nine months, but I only really like going out and exploring places if I have the opportunity to discover local shops, cafes etc. and have a particular destination in mind. The thought of having to wear face-coverings for non-vital bus journeys to places where most businesses would be closed seemed pointless and unnecessary.

Visit 5 Brand New Cities 

I love a city break and so it seemed obvious that I would want to take more over the course of 2020. I’ve therefore randomly decided that I would like to visit five new cities for the first time, and I should point out that I am perfectly happy for them to be in the UK.

Honestly, if I wasn’t going to be visiting local areas I wasn’t really going to be travelling across the country, with confusing travel restrictions and tiers for various areas, it honestly felt that the best thing to do was to simply stay home.

Visit 1 Brand New Country

Alongside cities I would also like to visit at least one new country a year. I still have no intention of leaping into the world of long-term travel, so seeing the world one trip at a time means that I choose to travel slower and more thoughtfully.

Why anyone has travelled abroad since March for any reason other than returning home is beyond me. The thing that has probably infuriated me the most throughout this entire period is that the UK government refused to close the borders and failed to implement a proper quarantine procedure. This alone meant that I personally felt that travel for non-emergency reasons was irresponsible and unnecessary.

Take a Day Trip Every Month

This could help with the Exploring Oxfordshire aspect but a simple day trip is a great way of getting out of the house, making a plan, being spontaneous and exploring all in one go. I’ve haven’t done any travelling since November so I’m definitely looking forward to getting out there and finding some places to visit.

I was talking about this just the other day, that yes I love the idea of planning a trip and jumping on a plan, but actually I’m really looking forward to simply being able to take a day trip somewhere, wander unfamiliar streets, stop at a cute coffee shop, hunt for a great bookshop and enjoy some new surroundings before heading home again.

See More Sunrises

One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to get up early at least once and head out to watch the sun come up. There’s something really special about walking streets and finding a beautiful vantage point whilst everyone is still asleep, then starting the day with the sun.

I suppose this one seems so simple, get up early and find a good location, but when you’re lacking in motivation and just don’t feel like getting up early because you have nothing else planned for that day other than sitting at a laptop screen, finding the energy to do anything else was something I found difficult.

Read 50 Books

Reading is one of my favourite things to do, I find it incredibly relaxing but it is also really easy to allow ourselves to become “too busy” to do the things that we enjoy. This why I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to read more and read better.

This is probably one of the things I really wanted to do over the year, and is the thing that I’m most disappointed about. When we were first sent home from work in March we had no idea how long it would be for, and it became clear that working from home would be something I would struggle with, so I was quite happy with the idea of reading more, unfortunately my motivation quickly drained and my level of concentration was at an all time low.

Travel By Train

It’s no secret that most people are rethinking the way they travel due to the environmental impact. If there is an alternative to flying then I will be doing my best to find it, especially for trips within Europe. So one of the things I want to do in 2020 is to take more train travel and travel slower with better views.

This was a definite No!

Write 100 Blog Posts

I wrote 82 posts in 2019 so I would love to hit the 100 mark. Writing more posts, writing better posts is the only way to get more people to read and that is what I’d love.

So close. I wrote 94 blog posts last year. I just couldn’t gather enough motivation or inspiration to create anything.

Take Another Photography Course

I attended a street photography workshop towards the end of December and it was fun and informative, but it made me want to keep focusing on my photography skills. One of the things I want to do in 2020 is to find a photography course that suits me.

I actually came to the conclusion that I don’t necessarily need someone else to teach me how to take photos, I just need to keep practicing and to find what inspires me, to discover my own style and make the act of taking photo a habit.

Write More

I know that the only way to improve on something is to do it more often. Writing is definitely something I want to work on, not only in producing blog posts but I would also love to have some other work published.

This follows on from writing 100 blog posts, without inspiration and motivation I found it almost impossible to sit and focus enough to create anything worth writing and reading.

Save More Money

I have been making a conscious effort to save money for a long time now, but one of the things I want to do in 2020 is see that number in my savings account go up.

One good things about not being able to go into the office for nine months is that I haven’t needed to buy breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I haven’t been tempted by buy an overpriced coffee in the morning or pop to the takeaway on the way home because I was too lazy to cook. Only leaving the house once a week for a trip to the supermarket has meant that I’ve had to plan meals in advance, stick to shopping lists and only buy what I knew I needed. All of this has helped me to save some money, which is definitely a good thing.

Sort Out My Evening Routine

I’m sure that many other people have an irregular evening routine. I have a terrible habit of allowing myself to get distracted, whether it by TV, a magazine, or a quick check of my email, instead of going to bed and actually getting that much needed sleep.

Another aspect that changed dramatically by not having to go into the office every day was being able to change my routines and make a little more time for myself. I was no longer limited by the time I finished work and got home, my evening routines are now much more relaxed which generally means that sleep is a little easier.

Keep My Inbox Organised

I can’t be the only one who falls foul of a disorganised and overflowing email inbox. something I definitely want to get to grips with this year is keeping on top of that admin and clearing out that digital clutter.

I managed this quite well in the first half of the year, I felt organised and up to date, but I’ll admit that I let it slip the last few months and now there seems to be an abundance of rubbish to clear through.

Declutter More Often

I’ve been having a declutter and it’s actually taken me longer than I expected and I’m not finished yet. I’m planning to make more of an effort over the year to be tidier and more organised rather than leaving it all until the end of the year and then being overwhelmed.

I might have let my email inbox get the better of me, but generally decluttering and having regular clear-outs haven’t been that difficult. Of course with charity shops being closed for months on end it does mean that I’ve only been able to actually get rid of small amounts, so I do still have bags ready to go.

Visit London More Often

I love visiting London and there are plenty of blog posts out there telling us what to do and where to go during our time there, but I would love to spend more time exploring the city for myself.

As much as I love London I haven’t wanted to visit at all this year, having seen plenty of photos of busy streets and shops I couldn’t think of anywhere I’ve wanted to avoid more.

Take a Photo a Day

Like with writing, I want to photograph more in order to improve. Even if I don’t post these photos anywhere just the act of taking them will be enough.

Unlike many people the only things that really inspire me when it comes to taking photos are actual places. Beautiful views, fascinating buildings and streets waiting to be explored. When you’re only leaving the house once a week and not really feeling the desire to be out and about for long periods of time, taking photos took a back seat and just wasn’t at the top of my list of things to do.

Take a UK Food Tour

I love looking for a food tour when I go abroad but I have yet to do one in the UK. I am aware that there a number available, particularly focused around markets and specific culinary styles.

This was never really going to be possible, was it?

Spend Less Time on My Phone 

Staring at a screen for long periods of time means that you’re not looking at what’s going on immediately in front of you. So one of the things I want to do in 2020 is to put my phone down more often and focus on the things I enjoy.

Now this was something I achieved quite quickly and stuck to. I was already rethinking my relationship with social media at the end of 2019 and by the time the world was taken over by a pandemic it became clear that it was not a positive place to be. I had already made the decision that I wasn’t going to punish myself over a lack of content so taking time away from scrolling became a huge relief.

Spend More Time Outside

I’m practically a vampire when it comes to seeing sunlight. Especially in the Winter when I leave my house in the morning in the dark, spend my day working in an office and then go home in the dark in the evening. Even in the lighter months I barely spend any time outside apart from my commutes, except when I’m actually travelling so I have decided to try and make a more active effort to step outside during the day and get some fresh air.

This actually made me laugh out loud when I reread it. If I had to I could probably actually work out out much time I’ve spent outside of my own front door. It might not be following the advice that’s usually given but I actually realised that I don’t necessarily need fresh air, just a purpose for going out and to appreciate where I go and what I do when I’m there.

Earn Money From Blogging

I have no intention of turning blogging into my career but I would to start earning money from my blog. I’ve had small amounts come in here and there over the last two years but I would really like for this to be on a more regular basis.

In a year when the travel industry has been brought to its knees, travel bloggers across the world have lost their audiences and their incomes have fallen off cliffs, I don’t think you’ll be surprised when I say that my aim to increase my blogging income failed spectacularly over the course of 2020.

I’m not going to write a plan for 2021, I’m definitely not going to attempt to make any plans regarding travel for this year, as much as I love thinking about where I want to go, it’s nothing short of disappointing when you realise that you’re just not going to be able to make anything happen.

If I’ve noticed anything by reviewing 2020 it’s that I definitely need to spend less time and energy trying to plan things in advance, and that I definitely need to make writing and photography a habit in order to maintain my motivation and enthusiasm for creativity.

Something I noticed as the year went on was that my introverted side was awakened more than ever before, as much as I wanted to know that my friends and family were safe and well I really didn’t miss seeing them. I had no huge desires to be in the same room, and I felt as though my general dislike of hugging was finally being reciprocated. For a lot of people not seeing their friends and family in person has been difficult, they’ve felt alone, abandoned and disconnected, whereas this entire situation has, for me, been just what I’ve been waiting for my entire life, an excuse to be alone, to not have to make up excuses to see people and attend social events, and the joy of the mute button has never been more needed.

I know we’re all hoping that 2021 will be 100x better than 2020 but the truth is, we just don’t know what’s going to happen, so as much as I’m wishing to feel more enthusiastic, creative, inspired and motivated and that the next twelve months are going to be great, we really are all going to have to just wait and see.

Did any of your plans for 2020 actually happen?

Do you have any plans for 2021?

Let me know in the comments.