When Plans Fall Apart: 7 Things I started in a Hard Year

Looking back (updated November, 2026): I wrote this post at the end of 2020, a year that rewrote almost every plan I had. I never did become a realtor. Instead, the habits on this list became the foundation for everything I do now, from my coaching practice to the book I mentioned in number 6. I’m leaving the original as it was, sloppy copy and all, because it’s still one of my favorite examples of how a life gets redrafted. 2020 prepared me for ALL the changes to come.

2020.  What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this crazy year.  But actually, 2019 was a crazy year for me too.  We left a town we loved in 2019 and started over in a new town.  The process to move south was bumpy with lots of twists, turns, and turmoil.  It was hard!  But we were determined to succeed.  We were SO ready for 2020 and a new start. Last year at this time I was studying for my Virginia Real estate license.  I had great visions of myself starting a new career as a realtor.  On New Years Eve we toasted to new beginnings in 2020.  I was ready.  We were ready to put 2019 behind us. I was stepping out of my comfort zone into new territory.  

When the Plan Doesn't Go to Plan

So here we are in December 2020.  Am I now a successful real estate mogul?  No, I am not. But I have found so many new things in the midst of this tumultuous year.  In the midst of a global pandemic, a divisive presidential election, racial unrest, and everything else, I couldn’t be more excited about where I am now...even though it’s not where I thought I would be.  I don’t want to minimize the struggle.  I had many moments of curling up on my sofa and binge watching Netflix.  I had many moments of self-doubt, fear for the future, and disappointment in our nation.  I know I’m not alone.  But I also had many moments of life-changing discoveries. 

7 Things I Started in 2020

I journal now! 

I am putting this at number one because it was a huge catalyst for all that follows on this list.  I have always aspired to be a journal-writer.  I have purchased many beautiful journals over the years that have alas remained empty past the first page or two. My maternal grandmother kept journals. She documented the comings and goings of her life at their cabin in the woods.  These journals date back to when my mother and her siblings were children. Along with the documentation of a family of bear in the backyard, were simple mentions of me visiting as a baby, and who was there for the first day of buck hunting season that year. I started journaling in January on my first day of new agent training at my real estate brokerage.  We had a speaker come talk to us about the value of journaling.  She gave us all journals.  And I started.  Amazingly I kept going. I am so thankful that I have documented this crazy year!

I have a regular exercise routine. 

I have never been one to stick to an exercise regimen.  But things got worse when my social distancing experience started with me falling down my steps and spraining my knee.  My injury had me basically attached to my sofa for the first several weeks of the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, this was my binge-watching time.  I was definitely in a slump.  But then I decided to seek physical therapy, which had the added benefit of giving me my only face-to-face social interaction.  Then blessedly my Pilates studio opened again in June.  I now have a Pilates practice that includes at least three or four sessions per week.  I feel great!  I am stronger and more flexible as a result.  I also walk twice daily (the catalyst to this is number 5 on this list). 

I wake up early.

This is another huge thing for me.  I have always loved my sleep.  If left on my own I would stay up late and sleep in late.  But I was beginning to feel like an unproductive lump, and this routine was not helping me get out of my 2020 slump. In May I decided to engage in a challenge. I decided to complete a 66-day challenge, inspired by the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. My goal was to get up at 7am daily.  In the beginning this was really difficult for me.  Sounds crazy, but by this time I hadn’t been leaving the house regularly for a job for over a year.  I had fallen into a dangerous slump.  By the end of the 66 days, I was getting up by 6am daily (this was assisted by the July introduction of number 5 on this list).  In the beginning I was not at all productive in the early morning, but I was awake. I have since listened to the audiobook, The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod and have expanded my morning routine to include a fledgling meditation practice, journaling, and some exercise. Check out my most recent post about my morning routine HERE.

And oh yeah…I now read books like The One Thing and The Miracle Morning, plus many other new favorites that have helped to frame my current mindset. 

We got a puppy! 

This was a huge life-changer. My son literally has asked for a puppy his entire 14 years of life.   Finally, we decided to join the many who got a quarantine puppy.  His name is Bowie and he is a husky/beagle mix.  He is a naughty, energetic sweetheart who has completely disrupted our lives—mostly for the better.  Numbers 2 and 3 on my list above have become non-negotiable parts of my day now thanks to the demands of our new baby.

I’m a writer. 

As you obviously know, I blog now.  I am also in the early stages of writing a book so stay tuned for further details to come.  I have also completely stepped out of my comfort zone and dabbled in some fiction short stories. Just for fun. [Update: I published a book in 2025! Here's the book! ]

I started working with a business coach.

She has challenged me to identify what I want, make plans to get there, and holds me accountable.  I have big plans for 2021 that look nothing like what my plans for 2020 were.  She is helping me envision what my “empire” will look like. As a coach, I clearly value coaching enough to hire one for myself.

Your Next Draft

My plans for 2020 didn’t survive the year, and I’m so glad they didn’t. If you’re in a season where the plan you made isn’t the life you’re living, you’re not behind. You’re in the middle of a new draft.

Inside the Pencil & Purpose membership, you’ll get The Margins, my weekly letter with reflections, journal prompts, and affirmations to help you edit your next draft one gentle page at a time. Choose the level of support that fits, from a quiet weekly check-in to one-on-one coaching.

[Explore the membership →]