When my wife and I moved to Wichita, KS from Tampa, FL back in September it started off the rest of 2020 that finished as a blur. From moving, unpacking, boxes filling our entire apartment, to weddings of family and close friends, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, the year ended up flying by. I kept asking on NYE, “how is it already New Year’s Eve?” Where did this year go? The year that dragged on, with countless hours of “staying home” and masking up, how did it go by so fast? I’ve continued to see this as I’ve grown older, the days drag on, but the years speed by.
I think to get this time to slow down, it’s important to take notice in the simple things of life, the ordinary. The sunset on a Tuesday morning as you sip your coffee, that crisp cold air as you go outside during a freezing winter night, or the joy of having endless laughs with friends over a completely stupid topic. Slow down and soak in these little small moments.
Anyways, enough of my rambling, here are some things that I’ve seen in business, design, productivity, beer, coffee, music, books, etc. over the past year. Let’s put a bow on 2020 (yes I know it’s already 2021, I get it…).
Resolutions are out – discipline is in
I’ve never been huge on New Year’s resolutions. They seem like a way to put off goals until a specific date, and then when you start those goals, you probably don’t have the proper systems in place to make the goals happen. “Why wait until the new year when you could just start today” I have always said. Though as 2020 came to a close I found myself putting off goals, routines and to-do lists to the side as I waited for 2021 to come and make all things right. Though it didn’t happen magically on Jan. 1st 2021, I’ve seen improvements lately in my personal life from a few of these things:
- Putting phone across the room before bed – you have to walk to it to wake up and then you don’t go to sleep right after having the phone next to your face
- Reading – in order to wind down (which I usually don’t need, I can fall asleep in minutes) I’ve been reading various books before going to bed. It feels like I’m doing something productive & relaxing at the same time
- Tracking Calories & Weight – both of these relate to each other and make sure that you aren’t going over the calories. When the calories go up it seems the weight goes up too
Business
I’ve been looking into systems a lot the past two months into automating different aspects of my business and setting up processes that save time and keep me on track for the future. The worst thing about getting progress on a project or business is having a big chunk of time on Saturday, where you’re super productive and then not touching that project until the next free Saturday you have. These pieces of a business or projects have to be touched regularly to keep on track and actually make a difference. There are a ton of tools out there to help you stay on track but, Dubsado – a Customer Relationship Management System is a big tool that I’ve been using & setting up lately.
Design
I saw this post on 99designs.com where they went through the design trends of 2021 and I thought the “stained glass look” for logos and branding was so clever. I think it brings a traditional, yet clean and stunning shape definition to a brand and logo. Check it out here: https://99designs.com/blog/trends/logo-design-trends/#1
Beer
My wife and I love going to breweries and trying different beers. We’re both huge IPA fans and I like to keep a running tally of my top 5 beers. Here are my top 5 from 2020:
- Hazy Little Thing IPA – Sierra Nevada Brewing – Asheville, NC
6.7 ABV, 35 IBU – “Juicy hops and silky malt meet in a Hazy Little Thing with fruit-forward flavor, modest bitterness, and a smooth finish” - Voodoo Ranger Higher Plane – New Belgium Brewing – Fort Collins, CO
8.5 ABV, 45 IBU – “Channel your inner haze with an IPA that strikes the perfect balance between delicate, bitter flavors and tropical, juicy aromas.” - Pools of Light – Central Standard Brewing – Wichita, KS
10.5 ABV – “Triple IPA w/ Honey – 10.5% Erupting with hop flavor and aroma thanks to Mosaic, Styrian Wolf, and Nelson Sauvin hops added at our highest hop rate EVER! Balanced beautifully with a boozy sweet backbone and wildflower honey, we are thrilled with this beer, and we hope you (carefully) enjoy it too!” - Hopper Dropper IPA – Tres Litros Beer Company, Salida, CO
6.8 ABV, 78 IBU – “Throwback IPA. Bright honey. Sweet citrus aroma. Bitter bite gives way to pine and tangerine zest.” - Jai Alai – Cigar City Brewing – Tampa, FL
7.5 ABV, 65 IBU – “An intense bouquet of tangerine and candied orange peel entice the nose while flavors of clementines, Valencia orange and subtle caramel provide counterpoint to an assertive bitterness and rich malt character. Bold hop flavor and aroma from six different hop varietals is front and center in this flavorful American IPA.”
Coffee
My favorite coffee of probably all time was lost to me when we moved from Tampa, FL. Buddy Brew Coffee is one of the few coffee shops that still gives me a caffeine buzz from their dark, black cup of coffee. Great atmosphere, great food and the best coffee I’ve had. I miss it dearly, but I’m looking forward to being close to Reverie Roasters Coffee in Wichita again.
Goals for 2021
- Content, content, content
- Setting up processes to be disciplined so areas in my life can grow
- Getting better at photography and using my camera
- Building my business
- Finding myself sitting around a campfire with friends and family, often
More to Come
It was through these small little ordinary & great things that made 2020 bearable, and do I dare say – great. Another year that continued crafting you into who you are today. Everything happens for a reason, Christ reigns supreme, and God is in control. Rest easy.
More to come in 2021 – see you soon!
