Habits to Incorporate in 2020

December 31, 2019

Does new year new you sound a bit cliche? 2019 is coming to a close and it’s time to change a few things around. Don’t waste this upcoming year with stagnation, take this new chapter as a way to grow and develop yourself as a person and as a patron of the society. Take a look back at 2019 and see how you grew and changed. What have you done and what still needs to be accomplished. What are your new sights and goal for the upcoming year? There are key aspects of ourselves we should constantly be working on, and if you're not, then that’s ok; it’s never too late to start.

Reframe yourself

The way you look at yourself reflects the way you look at different situations. Do not let every situation dictate your life. Your thoughts and actions shape the person you are and ultimately how life will go for you. If you are a constant monotone grumpy individual with an inability to calmly react to situations, then expect your life to be miserably filled with frustration, stagnation, and the inability to find passion. Same goes to the person that thinks the world revolves around them; they’ll hit a hard wall, and without the right mindset, they won’t be able to pick themselves up.

Reframing is all about knowing yourself and what you want to achieve. You can’t expect to feel accomplished or even happy without reframing yourself every year. As the year comes to a close, you are a different person from when it started. Now is the time to look back on what you have done and what still needs to be done. Reframing is another way to foster growth within yourself. There are a few ways to do this, and some of these are “easier said than done.”

1. Screw the paycheck, it’s the purpose that counts. A nice paycheck isn't all that counts; it may seem like that to some people. However, they most likely spend most of their work day in misery. That all eventually catch up. If you are dissatisfied with your current career but make a decent income, you are in a serious pit. You are trapped in the thought of “I hate my job, but I make good money.” Do you know why this is a bad mindset? It’s horrible because you will constantly be in a down mood, you hate being at work, but all you think about is going back the next day because you feel as if you have to. That income might be nice at the beginning, but it drains your soul and motivation on a consistent basis, and that’ll just lead to depression and a life full of stagnation. The way you get out of this rut is understanding that money can always be made. We tell that to everyone with an excuse that has financial backing. The only thing holding you back is the fear of change, you’re simply comfortable and scared of betting on yourself to succeed. Follow your purpose before you realize it’s too late.

2. Work on your strengths more than your weaknesses. This may sound counter-intuitive to some people, but it will make complete sense. You don’t see a linebacker focus most of their time on catching the football. They spend most of their time working on coverage and tackling. That is because they are not good at catching the ball; otherwise, they would be playing a different position. You’ll be much happier if you focused most of your time on your strengths and pursued your goals in that direction. If you constantly try and fix your weaknesses, it will take more time, and at the same time decrease your self-confidence, enthusiasm, and overall performance. You don’t achieve accomplishment by constantly working on your weaknesses. They are your weaknesses for a reason, the reason being you don’t enjoy doing them.

Eat, Sleep, Fitness

As the year comes to a close, many people start to let go of their diet. Sleep might be decreased because of the holidays, all the tasks that need to be done prior, or even the overtime may be cutting into your sleep. Unfortunately, your days in the gym might have dwindled as well. On a good note, a New Year is coming up. New Year, new you, right?

Your health revolves around three things: the way you eat, how you sleep, and your activity. Those are the three pillars you should revolve around to be as healthy as you can be, putting genetics to the side. Control the factors that you can change and put less emphasis on the ones you can’t.

1. Let’s start with food. Your body is a machine; what you put in is what you get. If you put in a lot of carbs and sugars, then your day will be filled with peaks and troughs, always looking for the next sugar rush. I’m sure as all the previous years have shown, there will be some new fad diet craze sweeping the country. We can tell you for a fact that all you need to do to be at your optimum is to incorporate a well-balanced clean diet with intermittent fasting. This doesn't mean that you cannot eat another strawberry shortcake or dip into some Cheetos, this means you can but put a limit on those things. Are your fingers still yellow from all those snacks you had all year? How about you start limiting those for 2019. We always say “you can have anything but in moderation,” your body does need some sugar and snacks can help you get through those funky blue days.

Check out these posts for more on healthy eating: Intermittent Fasting, 15 Foods You Should be Eating, and Benefits of a Detox.

1. Don’t always sacrifice sleep for hustle. There have been many nights where I stayed up the extra hour but woke up 2 or 3 hours after I planned on. Consistently going to sleep late will drain your drive and energy to work. Many times, waking up a little earlier or just simply saving a task for the next day is a lot more beneficial than staying up late. Ideally, your body prefers 7 to 9 hours of sleep, give or take 1 hour. There is something called sleep debt, which many people haven’t heard of.
2. Put in the work. Sleeping and eating will only get you half the way. There is a saying that abs are made outside the gym. That is true, but if you don’t work on your muscles, they won’t grow. You have the right fuel to make your body go, so now, work it out. You can’t grow nor sustain muscle without training. Find something you enjoy. Lifting weights, running, full body workouts, yoga, or Crossfit; it doesn’t matter, just work on it and work at it. Decent results take a few months to gain and notice, so don’t get discouraged. Working out feels great; it makes you happier because it relieves stress, and the time you devote to the gym is time devoted to you. You’ll start looking better and feeling better. Working out not only builds muscle, but also decreases your chances of developing chronic diseases¹ like coronary artery disease or type 2 diabetes.

Be more present

Make time for yourself. Self-care and mindfulness are keys to being happy and successful. Don’t let people take your time for granted, and you should definitely not unnecessarily waste your own time. Setting aside time for yourself and being present at the moment holds many benefits.

1. You appreciate the world more. When you are more present, and at the moment you learn to appreciate the world more. You over analyze less and put labels and people/things a lot less because you take in your surroundings and understand people much better. By being in the moment, the world just seems much more bright, and you appreciate life much more.
2. More creativity. When you are in the moment, you let your thoughts flow freely. Put the thoughts of what you have to do and what you haven't done off to the side and feel the moment you are in. Your best work flows when you are in the current moment and not thinking about the outside world, even in the discussion when individuals that engage in dialect are more prone to clearer and better ideas.
3. Better understanding of yourself. There is no better way to understand who you are than sitting down and getting lost in thought. Another way you learn more about yourself is by paying attention to yourself in certain situations. Are you more calm and happy when you sit alone and do your work, or do you naturally prefer to be surrounded by others while working? There is no wrong answer. When you are more present, you learn the way you react to a certain situation and how your emotions play into this. By being more present, you have greater control over your thoughts, actions, and emotions in any given situation.

Start Being more organized

An organized mind is an organized life. Expect the best, but prepare for the worst. Have your google calendar reflect your to-do list. You want to leave some room for the magic of the unexpected, but your main focus should be on your priorities. The best step to take is to reflect on the previous year; see what you accomplished and what still needs to be done. This is a new chapter in your life; have it start with a good note and accomplish what has to be done first. Reevaluate your goals. Where do you see yourself in the next few years and what can you do this year to get you one step closer. Going in with a plan is always easier than going in blind. Clean up your home and get rid of those pointless items. If something hasn’t been touched or moved in years, then it’s a good probability it will stay unused, so get rid of it. Sell it or give it away; don’t let it rot and be a waste. Many people will benefit from taking a look at their finances. Budgeting and taking control of your financial situation is a key in understanding where you stand from a financial perspective. It takes time and is tedious, but it takes a lot of stress out for the future.

I’m sure as the year comes to a close we found ourselves slacking on certain things. You may have stopped going to the gym or even stopped devoting time to yourself. It’s time you break that cycle and get back to it in the New Year. The best place to start is by reorganizing, reframing, being more present, and focusing on your health. We wish everyone the best and a happy New Year!

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