2020 is not going as planned. We’re all well aware of that.
It seems there has been bad news after bad news, trips, events, and other plans have been canceled, going out in public is uncomfortable and different, and most of us have had to adjust to new routines.
2020 definitely feels like it’s been the fastest and longest year ever at the same time.
Many people are in a rush for this year to finish, but the next few months are not destined to be awful.
Covid-19 and other world tragedies may continue, but that does not need to consume your life.
Focus on controlling what you can control: your effort and your mindset.
Below I have listed several things that you can do/implement for the final months of 2020 to be happier and more productive.
Aim to consume less and create more
Covid and #QuarantineLife have turned many people into over-consumers.
With more time on your hands, you may have noticed yourself watching more TV, netflix, and news stations, and reading more articles, Instagram captions, and Facebook feeds.
This can cause multiple negative effects:
- The main thing is that you are probably over stimulating your brain
You now find it difficult to focus or you may feel the NEED to constantly be watching/listening/reading content
- This may be taking a toll on your mental health
If you’re watching the news more often you probably feel drained and pessimistic. And consuming too much entertaining content doesn’t really serve you or your mind.
Instead, focus on creating more!
Even if you’re not a creative person, there are many things you can do to express yourself and be on the opposite side of the field.
For me this is writing and creating videos.
For you it may be playing an instrument, baking goodies, cooking new meals, designing graphics, painting, crafts, or anything else that makes you the creator.
RELATED POST: Social Media, Over-Consumerism, and Digital Addiction
Savor the small things
It seems that 2020 has shown a lot of people to slow down and appreciate the small, priceless things in life.
I hope this is something that continues post-quarantine because it makes the day-to-day hustle much more enjoyable.
The small things such as:
- Watching the sunrise
- Spending quality time with family and friends
- Drinking a really delicious cup of coffee
- Curling up to read a good book with jazz music on
- Taking long walks
These are the simple things that we tend to overlook in life but can actually provide us a lot of happiness.
You can CHOOSE to find more joy in these things by being present and appreciating them.
RELATED POST: 10 Ways You’re Making Your Life More Complicated
Make a bucket list
A lot of your plans are probably canceled for the remainder of 2020, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create alternative plans.
They may not look the same as usual, but you can create a fun bucket list.
Here’s some of my bucket list for the rest of 2020:
- Go on a picnic
- Take a weekend trip
- Go on a hike (day trip to the mountains)
- Have a business/blogging day at a cafe
- Bake Fall muffins
- Get a 2 hour full body massage
- Try doing vlogmas
It doesn’t have to be crazy, just some things to look forward to despite everything going on.
Find a fun way to display this list in your home and be excited that you DO still have some exciting things coming up
Theme your days
If you’re working from home, out of work, taking online classes, etc. this is probably new to you.
This can make it difficult to focus and stick to a routine.
Try theming your days so you can put some structure back in your life. This works really great for content creators, but anyone can do this.
You can theme your chores/errands (grocery shopping, laundry, vacuuming).
You can theme your meal plan (Taco Tuesday, Italian Friday).
You can theme your responsibilities (budgeting, bills, paperwork).
You could even just incorporate a couple days a week to specific things (family time, self-care, learning, cleaning, etc.), which will help you to create more balance and fit priorities in your life.
Complete unfinished projects
Have you been putting off decluttering your closet? Or fixing that hole in the wall? Or writing that eBook?
Finish your unfinished business!
Abandoning a project mid-way leaves your space and mind cluttered. Schedule and dedicate the time to finish it and I guarantee that you will feel much better about it.
We can go into the New Year feeling accomplished and a fresh start.
Overcome bad habits
Have you picked up any bad habits over the last few months?
At the start of quarantine I found myself hitting the snooze button quite often since I didn’t need to wake up to get ready or commute.
I zapped that real quick and started waking up at 4:30 again to workout.
Whatever it is, you can overcome it, and now is a great time to try. Being home more often and out of routine increases the challenge, but if you’re able to overcome a bad habit during this you will seriously boost your discipline and quality of life.
Don’t wait for 2021, because by then it will be even harder.
I highly suggest reading the book Atomic Habits for some inspiration.
RELATED POST: Top 10 Most Impactful Habits That Will Improve Your Life
Revisit your goals and make a plan
I know your goals probably took a back seat this year. You probably even set goals that are completely unrealistic now, but that’s why you should revisit them and adjust accordingly.
I love goal-setting and planning. It’s exciting and motivating and gives you some purpose in your day-to-day.
This is also why I created a goal-setting/achieving course earlier this year!
It’s all about setting the right goals for you, shifting your mindset and aligning your identity with those goals, and creating effective systems to actually achieve them.
Check it out below:
This is such a good time to focus on yourself and your future.
Prioritize saving
This year has also taught many people the importance of saving money.
Millions of people lost their jobs and no one can consider themselves “secure” in their job at this point.
I really hope this changes the financial outlook of people who used to spend all their money or not give their bank accounts any attention.
Use this time to prioritize saving up a large chunk of cash so you can survive without a job for a few months.
Right now, I am the most financially stable I’ve ever been in my adult life and I can’t express to you how comforting it is.
In addition to saving, now is a great time to educate yourself on finances. For a free resource, check out my Personal Finance YouTube channel!
I know many people are having a tough time right now on various levels.
However, my goal with this post is to put some hope and happiness back into your life.
This is temporary and better days are coming.
By the way, I just got my logo Stickers from Sticker Mule and I’m obsessed!! They’re available on my Etsy shop but if you want to order your own stickers, Sticker Mule just released 3 new tools, Trace, Upscale, & Redraw to help anyone create high quality, print-ready images. You can literally create stickers with any photo or your own design!
1. My biggest learning is that saving money is extremely important. Developing that habit is really rewarding in time of crises like this. How much of income should be saved monthly in percentage ?
2. Looking forward for reading Atomic Habits . What self help books do you highly recommend ?
3. I wish by the end of 2020 u tick off all the entries in you bucket list. 🙂
4. I am grateful for your blogs. Thank you so much. Your blogs have helped me a lot in time of crises. I still remember the day when I was in a very emotional distress and then I came across your blog through a Pinterest link. I ended up reading your ebook, all your blogs except on finances and even subscribed on patreon. I have learned a lot from you. I am sure there are thousands like my who have benefited from your blog. Again thank you so much and keep bloging your post are lifesavers.
Thank you so, so much. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
To answer your questions:
1) It depends on your goals! Eventually, I would like to save 50% or more of my income so I can “retire” early. Otherwise, save/invest enough to retire comfortably when you want to and of course to have enough if an emergency comes up.
2) I also like/recommend the books The Happiness Equation, The Magic of Thinking Big, and Think and Grow Rich.
3) Thank you!! I hope so too 😊