Ditch Resolutions (and Still Kick Butt) in 2020

Ahhhh mid-January…the time when most New Year’s resolutions get dropped. The surge of energy from the “New Year, New Me” mantras has worn off, and most of us are left feeling discouraged. If you read my last blog post, you know that this year I ditched the resolutions all together! And boyyyyy, did that feel good. Whether or not you decided to make resolutions this year, you can still make positive changes in your life! 2020 is still fresh and new and there’s no time like the present to get started on kicking its butt! So, here are my top 5 ways to hi-ya some serious booty in this decade without getting discouraged by “resolutions”:

(me @ 2020)

 

1. Wake Up 30 Minutes Earlier

I am not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. I solemnly swear to never go to the gym before 8 a.m. and it is rare that my sweet, sweet eyelids even open before 6 a.m. Instead, I prefer to stay up through the wee hours of the night (11pm is still late y’all). This probably would make Benjamin Franklin mad, but I don’t care. I’m not an early bird.

As much as I love staying up late and sleeping in, I have found that just waking up 30 minutes earlier than I would like has helped me immensely. That extra half hour at the beginning of my day allows me to start the way I want to instead of having to jump out of bed and get working. It allows me to drink my coffee, stretch a little, and journal. After getting myself emotionally and mentally in order, I can crush it all day long

2. Make a Top Three Priority List

Hi….I’m Liv *hiiii Liiiv*….and I’m an over-ambitious list maker. Usually, my to-do lists are just a brain dump and before I know it there’s 20-30 things on there. Out of those 20-30 things maybe 3-5 actually get done in a day. Lately, I’ve been only adding my top three must-do tasks onto my list. If I’m super stressed out, I’ll make a secondary list of things that are less important and can be done once the priority list has been finished. Or, after I finish my priority list has been finished I say “lol byeeeee” to the secondary list and go have fun instead.

(me @ my secondary to-do list sometimes)

3. Schedule “Me Time”

I am a chronic over-scheduler. It’s not because I can’t say no, but it’s because I want to do alllll the things! I say yes to everything, not because I can’t say no, but because I don’t want to. Then, I get overwhelmed and end up with zero minutes to shower, eat, and relax. After coming to the realization that I always end up filling every single time block on my calendar, I started filling in some of the time blocks with “Liv Time”. This time can be for anything. Doing a face mask, walking Kona, doing my dishes, working out, the options are endless!

4. Listen to Audiobooks

Reading? Ain’t nobody got time for that! And even if I do have time to be still and read a book…I usually want to be doing something else. However, listening to a book? Now that I can get behind.

I love listening to audiobooks while I’m driving, doing laundry, editing, grocery shopping, and basically all the time. It makes me feel like I’m productive in hyper-speed because I’m crossing off my to-do list and my to-read list at the same time. It’s called alignment people. Listening to books (or podcasts) also makes chores go a lot faster. I’ll tell myself “just fold as much laundry as you can during this one chapter.” I get so lost in the story that the time just flies by. There’s so many great options on Audible, but if you want any suggestions let me know!

5. Make a Vision Board.

Making vision boards makes my little type 3 enneagram heart soar. It’s basically like a Pinterest board that you can hold in your hands or hang above your desk. It’s way less intimidating that a project breakdown of tasks or resolutions with deadlines. Think of it as like a vibe check for your year.

These are my top 5 things to trick myself into being more productive without being overwhelmed. These small habits allow me to ditch the resolutions and still kick butt. What are tiny changes that you’ve been making?

 

Liv