20 for 2020
Happy 2020, beautiful people!
How sexy does that sound? TWENTY TWENTY, oooh. I know I haven’t posted anything on the blog in a while but I’m eager for all the goodness that 2020 will bring + am hopeful that it’ll be a great year for self-growth, self-love + intentional living on the blog + outside of it. So to keep me on track, I decided to make a list of 20 small reminders or intentions that I aspire to take into the new year. Some of them are more spiritual than others. Some are actions I want to put into place + others are more mindful or inner work I hope to succeed at. Maybe one or two of these reminders will resonate with you + you can take them with you into the new year as well! I know we’re already three weeks into 2020 but I hope its been a great one so far… See you soon!
Twenty Thoughts to Leave Behind + embrace instead in 2020:
Anxiety over my finances; reshape my financial beliefs + behaviors. Make small steps towards financial freedom. Adjust my lifestyle + figure out where money is going to. Be in control of my budget + check my bank account daily.
Unhealthy social media consumption; intentionally disconnect every night + unfollow or “mute” accounts that don’t bring me inspiration or joy.
Living life in auto-pilot; live intentionally + be in the present moment. Take time to reflect by journaling or meditation, go on a walk daily, look people in the eye when speaking to them. Be here.
Being uncomfortable + unsure of who I am or what I’m doing; be comfortable with the uncomfortable. You’re not growing if you’re staying in your comfort zone. Do something once a month that forces me out of my shell.
Shrinking myself in fear that I take too much space; TAKE UP SPACE! Accept myself for who I am. You don’t have to fit a specific mold. Everyone is complex + multi-passionate. Don’t hold myself back in fear of what others think about me.
Not making time for the things that make me happy; find a balance where I am spending equal time with my partner, my friends, my family + alone time on a weekly basis. Set boundaries for myself. Pencil each of these things into your calendar every week if you need to because each of these are crucial for my happiness + wellbeing.
Fear of failure so not creating; create anyway. Let go of perfectionism because it doesn’t exist. Let this year be one of progression over perfection. Create from a place that is uniquely your own, gather pieces that inspire you + find your creative style.
Apologizing for things that are not my fault; apologize when I mess up or when I hurt someone’s feelings but don’t apologize for politely saying no to an invitation, or for passing through to get to your seat, or for not agreeing with someone else’s opinion. Instead show gratitude. Say “thank you for thinking of me but I can’t make it” or “thank you for letting me pass by” etc.
Let go of all my food delivery apps (they’re expensive + I can do it myself); embrace being in the kitchen. Nourish my body with good, clean food. Buy easy meals that are quick to put together for days when I’m too tired or lazy to cook an entire meal from scratch but also remember how therapeutic cooking is for me. Be proud of it.
Detach myself from the physical junk; if it no longer serves its purpose, if it’s stained, torn or I have one of them already, give it away + make monthly trips to a donation center. Let go of items that no longer bring me joy! (Thank you, Marie Kondo.)
Stop purchasing fast fashion; take more steps towards shopping more ethically. Visit a zero waste market. Remember my love for thrifting. Support small businesses. Repurpose items + make them my own.
Buying too much food + trashing it; instead make a grocery list + make weekly trips to the store. Look through my pantry + shop from there. Buy from farmer’s markets. Recycle + compost whenever possible.
Waiting until my space is overwhelmingly messy + unorganized to clean; set a 20-minute timer everyday + work on a certain room or chore until the timer goes off. 20 minutes sounds like a short amount of time but you can still accomplish a lot in that time frame. This way you won’t be overwhelmed when you get around to deep cleaning your place. Turn on a fun playlist, dance around + clean.
Letting people suck the life out of you; put your love + effort into people who put their love + effort into you. Nourish the relationships you have with your friends + work on sustaining those friendships. Stop watering a dead plant.
Not prioritizing working out; move my body every single day. Do a 15-minute morning yoga routine, check out my apartment’s gym, or do a HIIT workout at home. If I don’t have time for a proper workout, push myself to sweat while doing my daily activities. For example, take the dog on a longer walk than usual, choose the stairs over the elevator, go for the furthest parking spot. It may seem insignificant but these little actions go a long way.
Beauty products with harmful chemicals; do proper research on clean + vegan beauty products + limit any harmful ingredients in my beauty routine. Be more eco-conscious of the products I purchase + what I put on my skin.
Not documenting life enough; pull my camera out more. Take more pictures of life happening. You don’t have to post them, just keep them to yourself. Develop your favorite pictures + put them together in an actual, physical photo album. Like the one mom has of you. You can never have too many pictures of the sunset, of your best friend or of your dog. Write down these memories.
Buying gifts; more experiences. Keep traveling to new places (near or far), go to more live shows, go to baseball + basketball games, go to more beer + bacon events or any type of event for that matter. Experiences are the best kind of gifts.
Being clueless on how to do things as an adult; although it may be scary + you won’t want to, try to embrace adulthood more. Listen to more podcasts, watch documentaries, read more. Educate yourself. Take a crash course in investing or being a first-time homebuyer. There’s A TON of free information on the internet + sometimes there are even classes on those topics that are usually free to go to. I know you won’t want to but just do it. You’ll thank yourself later.
Lastly, stop taking yourself so seriously + trust the timing of your life. Stop ridiculing yourself thinking you said or did the wrong thing, or not knowing what the hell you’re doing at 26 years old while everyone seems to have their shit together. I know you can be your harshest critic but life is more than how many people like you or how far along you are in your career. Everyone has their own timing. It’s okay to not know where you’re going as long as you’re true to yourself + you continue to work on paving your own unique path.
And there you have it! My 20 for 2020. I’m not saying I’ll be able to carry out every single one of these perfectly everyday (that may be a far reach…!) but they will stand as little reminders to myself that I can reflect on once a month + stay on track to continue to live a gratifying life that is true to me.
I hope you can take one or two of these to include into your 2020. Let me know what other intentions or resolutions you have for this year, I would love to know! I hope this year brings you good health, good spirit + good love.
Love + light,
Cris