Year of Yes – April Recap

If you are new here, each month I’m recapping my Year of YES journey. Here are January, February and March‘s recaps. Thanks for being here. 

Well, another month has come to an end and my year of YES continues to unfold in unexpected ways.

Navigating this pandemic has been interesting for me. I am an introvert and a homebody so having to shelter in place hasn’t been that big of a deal. Still, I’ve had a few hard days. Sourcing joy and things to say yes to has, at times, been a challenge. Nevertheless, I was able to do some of both this month.

Saying Yes

A couple of things I said YES to this month while being sheltered in place:

Getting creative

My creativity doesn’t show up in typical ways. I’m more of a creative problem solver to complex issues kind of person. However, at the end of last year, my hands were itching to do something creative. For 2020, I decided to set a goal of learning to crochet. (I’ll wait for those who know me to finish laughing 😂)

In January I bought a kit including yarn and hooks. I got started and then didn’t pick them up again until this month. Thanks in part to the accountability of these year of yes recaps, I set about making my first crochet project. And I DID IT!!! My washcloth is imperfect, and I love it because I actually made something with my own hands.

I naively thought I would be ready to go from completing this little project to doing a blanket. Needless to say, I’ll have to work my way up to that bigger project. Still, I think I’ll start another project in May. You can keep me accountable to getting it done 😊.

A social media break

I started feeling the nudge to do this a while back and finally pulled the trigger on it this month. The constant scrolling was starting to take a toll on me. It was subtle but I could feel my mental health being impacted by all the time I was spending primarily on IG and Twitter.

The comparisons, the feeling I wasn’t doing enough, that my body should look different and I should be “better”. It was all too much. So, I removed the apps from my phone and have enjoyed not being on there.

I’ll admit to FOMO (fear of missing out) showing up sometimes. When it does, I reframe it as JOMO (joy of missing out). Whatever is happening in the world of social media, if it’s important enough I’ll find out about it. In the meantime, I’m enjoying not spending all my time scrolling on there. I don’t know how long this break will last. I’ll know when the time is right to go back. For now, the break remains the right decision for me.

My Joys

Speaking of things I’m enjoying, I continued to track my daily joys in April (see March’s recap). This has been fun, and I’ll also admit there a couple of days this month I couldn’t name anything that brought me joy.

Lots to be grateful for (I have a daily gratitude practice) but not always something that brought me joy. Those were some of the hard days for me during this pandemic. However, a few things that brought me joy this month:

Naps

These continue to be a highlight. I have mastered the twenty-minute nap and it’s amazing how much they help recharge me. On my couch, under my weighted blanket is still my favorite way to nap 😊

Some Good News

If you haven’t seen these videos by John Krasinski over on YouTube, I suggest you check them out. He started them to highlight the good happening in the world during this global crisis. This episode featuring the original cast from one of my favorite musicals brought me so much joy. I love this series and try to catch it every week.

My people

I miss my people and the longer we’ve been in quarantine the harder it has been to not see and hug them. This month I got to see some of my people IRL from a distance and it did my heart good. I also got to catch up with one of my favorite people who happens to live on the other side of the world. Our call happened on one of my not so great days. Getting to talk with her helped lighten and brighten my heart.

This year of YES is not turning out as I thought it would. And that’s not a bad thing. The challenges have allowed me to be more intentional and more present, which has been good for me.

As I look ahead to May with some restrictions possibly lifting in my community, I wonder what opportunities will come my way to say yes and source joy.

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear what unexpected joys you are discovering during this time? Share in the comments below or email me at makeda@makedapennycooke.com

Wishing you moments that delight.

From my heart to yours,