20 Tips for Making 2020 Your Best Year!

One of my favorite kind of posts to publish and write over here at GRACEFULANDFREE are the heart-worthy, motivational, inspirational ones. The kind of blog posts that one reads and thinks to yourself, “I am going to change the world!” And truthfully, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I was thirteen years old, I would have told you my dream career was to be a motivational speaker! So here I am, almost fifteen years later, teaching high school, and blogging, pretending the two are my platform for inspiring and motivating receptive hearts and minds from where ever. So here is a post that has literally been running through my thoughts and conscious for the last MONTH and I am finally taking the stand and pulling this post together. Mainly because I believe in the truth and value of the message I am going to share and I really, truly believe that this list, a list 0f 20 things to help you find ultimate, heart healthy success in 2020 is significant. So here it is, 20 tips for making 2020 your best year yet!

20 Things you can do easily do to make 2020 your best year yet.

#1 MOVE (For 30 minutes each day)

I listened to a Rachel Hollis podcast towards the end of the December – it was all about tips to stay healthy while growing your business. It was truly a great podcast and something you should definitely check out. One of the things she talked about was the importance of MOVING your body for 30 minutes every day! She says this has changed everything for her. And it doesn’t have to be an official exercise or anything, but some days it absolutely can. Go for a walk, a jog, a hike, do an impromptu weight session, barre or yoga, of if you have kids, run around the backyard with them! Just do something where you can consistently MOVE for 30 minutes every day! So starting off our list with the #1 thing YOU can easily start doing to make 2020 your BEST  year yet, MOVE for 30 minutes a day!

#2 Drink more water

This is one is as simple as it sounds, but something we ALL can do SO much better with. DRINK MORE WATER! And the easiest way to do so is to make sure you are prepared with a water bottle with you every where you go, every single day! Drinking water, helps us stay our healthier selves, by staying hydrated we can perform to our optimal prime every day, and actually eat less since most of the time when we think our body is hungry, it is actually a sign that we are dehydrated and needing water! So habit #2 to absolutely make 2020 the BEST year of your life includes drinking more water!

#3 Plan a purposeful commute

This is SO good! I am all about using all the moments of the day to truly find time to be purposeful! And one of my favorite things to do in the car, especially on the way to and from work is to speak affirmations over the day, pray, and listen to podcasts. And I have put together a list of my favorites and ones I think you would enjoy listening to!

#4 Own your mindset

Every single day! Wake up with the mindset that TODAY is going to be the GREATEST day of the week. Wake up fully believing that today will be the BEST day ever! Our mind is such a powerful thing, and when we take ownership of our mind, and purposefully think through our thoughts, every single one of them, we create an environment that cultivates change. And it’s this very change that so many of us hope for as we move through 2020. So remember, if we have positive thoughts, those thoughts become our words, the words become our actions, and those actions become our life!

#5 Kindness challenge

Be kind. The world needs more kind people. Challenge yourself to do one kind thing a day. It feels So good to be kind, and to spread kindness around and I am so excited to be sharing a kindness challenge beginning February 1st and I would love it if you joined me! Stay tuned and be sure to follow along on Instagram at Gracefulandfree to stay update on this Kindness challenge as we embark on ONE kind thing a day for the month of February and watch how doing little kind things can make a significant impact on our lives, and the lives of the people around us.

#6 Speak and Affirm – affirmations

Speak out truth daily and declare it loudly over your heart! I am serious, this stuff is SO SO good. Start everyday by declaring a truth over yourself while getting ready in the morning. Look in the mirror, make eye contact, smile, and say “I got this. I am capable. I am worth it. I am strong.” And then keep doing it. All day long. Say a few more positive things affirming positive attributes on the way to work, while in the shower, and at various points throughout the day. Here is the best. When you start to speak out positive and affirming things, eventually you will start believing in the things you are saying and then eventually you will notice the significant changes in your life all because of the power of affirmations.

#7 Create an action plan

Plan ahead. Spend time each night creating an action plan for the next day. This doesn’t need to be a crazy, extensive amount of time, just five minutes or so that allows you a few moments to think through your thoughts before the next day begins. Think of this as mapping out your day, creating an action plan of the most important 3-4 things you hope to accomplish the next day. This way you can go to bed with the a plan ready for all that the next day has in store!

#8 Make your bed everyday

Every single dang day. Make your bed! There is something so sweet and clean about having a bed made. Maybe because it’s the final destination at the end of the day, or maybe it is because it is the first thing you can can do to jumpstart your day with purpose and intention! Making your bed is simple, an easy step that takes less than five minutes, but has the potential to propel your day with purpose and meaning.

#9 Listen to music

Sometimes the simplest of things can produce the MOST joy!!! It’s funny, I often find myself sitting and working in silence. And silence can be SO good. So refreshing! But, I forgot how much I come alive by just playing my favorite album, soundtrack or song. Music can speak to the depths of our souls and reawaken us to feelings from the past and all the memories! It can provide happiness, a release, an overall joy! Therefore, this super easy fix is something you can start doing TODAY to make 2020 Your Best Year!

#10 Put Your Phone down

Just do it! Put your phone down and enjoy the moments with your people. I love the feeling of when you are home, caught up in the things that make you happy, and you realize that you have absolutely no idea where your phone is. And even better, you realize  that it has been a hot minute since you have last been on it. It is such a freeing feeling and one that I think we deserve to have much more often! So do yourself a favor and spend some more time away from your phone and if you can find more moments like this, than I assure you, you will most definitely be making 2020 Your Best Year Yet!

#11 Girl, Wash your face

I know it is a title of a best-selling book. But for good reason. There is power in washing your face. Something about the warm water, the texture of the soap cleansing you, the scent. It is all together, absolutely wonderful and something that one should do at least once a day, if not twice. And it is in this simple of moment that one is to breathe deep and allow the cleanse to move deeper into your spirit, your mind, and your soul.

#12 Journal

Because we all need more time alone with pen, paper, and our thoughts. I feel like there is so much for us to learn as individuals if we just take the time to know ourselves a little more. Explore the truth behind our emotions and really learn about the fire that ignites our passion and moves us to a greater glory! Even if it is just for five minutes a day to either write about our thoughts, record a memory, or write down the things we are thankful for, there is power in the pen and the journal.

#13 Read more books

Truly, we can all benefit from finding the time away from our phones, all other sorts of electronic screens and the work we bring home, and escape in the power of a good book. Whether you enjoy fiction, a suspenseful thriller or the motivating read that encourages you to grow, I have compiled my list of favorite books all right here for ya! So definitely make time to read in 2020 because it truly is so good for the mind and soul!

#14 Get Outside

Us humans were made to be outside. It is truly where we can thrive. Close your eyes for a second and envision your perfect landscape. Maybe it’s a beach, or a mountain side, a trail in the middle of a forest, or wide open space, wherever your vision takes you…

Now, I want you to think about the weather and the perfect 68 degree day, with ample amount of sunshine, just enough to warm the soul and spirits, not enough to feel afflicted by the heat.

Alright, you with me. Think of all these things and then realize just how life-giving those moments are. We are made to get outside. So what are you waiting for!?

Find little moments in the day where you can go for a walk, take your lunch break outside, take a coffee break, or just sit on a bench with a moment to reflect. We were made to thrive in the outdoors and it is truly amazing what can happen when we actually allow our mind, hearts, and souls the opportunity for it.

#15 Go to bed earlier

I am absolutely LOLing at this one. Mainly because it’s 11:25 pm on a school night, and I have every intention of waking up at 4:30 am to make it to the early AM barre class before the work day begins (which I usually end up sleeping through ~ unless I am the one teaching it, than you better believe I am there!) So I find this hilarious right now that I am writing a paragraph underneath tip #15 of make 2020 your best year yet, focusing on going to bed earlier!

Seriously… get some sleep!

But seriously. How can we expect to accomplish ALL that we want to accomplish in a day if we are beaten down, exhausted and haggard?! We can’t. We are limiting our capabilities by de-emphasizing the sleep in our lives. Sleep is essential to our very own existence. And if we want to find any level of success, fulfillment or just overall wellness, than we MUST make sleep a priority. 

So, how should I go to bed earlier?! I am going to tell you something you probably haven’t heard since middle school. Give yourself a bed time. Yes – a bed time. A time where you have set aside for YOU and only YOU. And your comfy pillow, mattress, and favorite blankets of course! Create a routine where your bed time becomes essential and before you know it, you will plan your entire day around it, and start feeling more like the BEST POSSIBLE VERSION of YOURSELF, because you have actually rested into your potential!

#16 Plan a trip!

You are probably familiar by now, with the fact that J and I LOVE to travel! Probably too much to be honest! But the memories are seriously the greatest to hold onto! So, make 2020 your best year yet, by planning the trip you always thought would be amazing to take! And if you think it is out of the budget, I challenge you to think again, and see if there are areas you can save during each month to allot the finances to travel instead. Because trust me, you will most absolutely thank yourself in the end and be SO glad you took the trip!

Plus, planning a trip provides for such great excitement throughout the mundane. You know the feeling, the feeling of being so excited for something that is going to happen. Well, planning a trip is a great way to make 2020 your best year, by planning something absolutely amazing to look forward to!

#17 Let it go!

Ahhh.. #17 of the 20 things you need for success and ultimate happiness in 2020. Truthfully, I think this is one of the most important things you could do for yourself this year! LET IT GO! Yes. You, Let It Go. Let the feeling of inadequacy, feelings of unworthiness, and the void of not doing or being enough completely vanish. Let it go. All the negative energy, the feelings of regret, the could have or should have beens. The concerns for comparisons and what others’ may think. All of it! Absolutely LET IT GO, trust me you will be so, SO glad that you finally did!

#18 Invest in yourself

I LOVE this one. Maybe because this is something that I never even thought or considered doing earlier on before I started this blogging thing. But this is so good! Do something in 2020 that completely allows yourself to grow and develop as a thinker, as a creative. Allow yourself the opportunity to not just grow, but to thrive. So whether that looks like enrolling in that online class, starting that venture, or taking a step towards a goal you have always hoped to achieve, be sure to take the time (and if neccessary, the cost) to invest in yourself. Because investing in yourself, is investing in your life, your future. And investing in in your future is providing your soul with the opportunity for actual greatness!

#19 Find joy in the little things

Find a small reason to smile every day. In fact, it truly is the little things that keeps us all going. Whether it’s your morning cup of coffee, or your welcome home snuggles and kisses with your dogs, find something that is joyful every day. And the easiest way to do this, is to commit your heart to appreciate the little things. And when you truly stat to appreciate the little things, JOY wells up in your heart, mind and spirit and it is the craziest, BEST thing.

#20 acceptance and grace

The last one, but of equal importance to numbers 1 through 19. Accept yourself, for who you are, who you were, and who you believe you are going to be. Be proud of your heart and soul. Be proud of your accomplishments, but equally, learn from and own your mishaps! And at the end of the day, release un-relentless grace for you and the world around you!