My 20 for 2020 List
Well, it’s here. The new month, new year, new decade. What better time to revolutionize my life than right now (except of course all the other days of the year when I do just that).
I already know that 2020 is going to be a challenging, long, and amazing year. I’m ready to see and accept all that it will bring. But of course, I also made a plan so that I know some of what will get accomplished this year.
The 20 for 2020 list is something that Gretchen Rubin frequently talks about on her podcast, Happier (of course other years it has been the 18 for 2018 list and the 19 for 2019 list, respectively).
If you haven’t heard me go on and on about my theme/word of the year for 2020 (lucky you), it is sustainability.
But I’m not just going to spend time this year trying to make my actions and products more in line with how I want to care for the earth. I’m also going to spend time working on and thinking about:
Food sustainability - what I can eat that makes me feel good and fuels my body.
Personal habit sustainability - making sure that the things I do on a regular basis are ones that I can continue indefinitely and are in alignment with my goals.
Workout sustainability - my workouts have run the gamut over the last several years, so I want to find a good system of working out and just moving my body to help propel me towards optimum health.
Personal product sustainability - this will include finding more eco-friendly and non-toxic products to benefit me and the environment.
With that out of the way, here is my 20 for 2020 list. A lot of the things on it are in alignment with my theme and the goals that I mentioned above. I’m also going to be doing a lot of food experimentation (eliminating sugar, dairy, grains, etc.), over the course of the year, but I wasn’t totally sure how to boil that down into a simple item on my list.
Also, since I knew that there was going to be a lot of this detailed, frustrating, and arduous process going on behind the scenes, I decided not to make my list too detailed or difficult.
Anyway, now without further ado, here is my 20 for 2020 list, broken down into categories (yes, there are 20, even if they aren’t numbered as such):
Physical Goals:
Try barre class - I mentioned this as part of my Happiness Project Experience last year as something I wanted to try. The studio opening in my town didn’t open until mid-December and by that point, I was buried in Christmas festivities. But starting this month, a friend and I are going to go and check out the classes! I’m very excited and curious to learn more about this method of exercise. It may turn out to be a prong in my sustainable exercise routine.
Find a green tea I like - A couple of years ago I had on my goal list for the year to drink more green tea. Since I never used to drink green tea and that year I had a couple of cups, I technically met my goal. I am a total black tea drinker, although I know that the health benefits of drinking green tea are significant. So, in true Gretchen Rubin fashion, I identified the problem. Simple - I don’t know of any green teas that I truly like. So that is my mission for this year. Hopefully, I can accomplish it without ending up with boxes of tea I don’t like in my cupboard - that would not be sustainable in any sense of the word.
Do Whole30 - I’m planning to read the book in January and do my Whole30 sometime early this year. This is one step to eating more sustainably. Since I have had some developing health issues over the past couple of years that I am still figuring out how to control, I am hopeful this will be a step in the right direction. It will likely lead to more prolonged changes in my diet and life, so I am nervous but prepared to take the necessary steps.
Create a skincare routine - I have it in my head that adults have a skincare routine. Since I really just use my makeup wipes at night (something else I will be changing for sustainability), and occasionally cleanser, I know this is something I need to uplevel. However, with my focus for the year, I will also be looking for products that are sustainable, eco-friendly, and non-toxic.
Stretch in the morning - In my head I have this idea that happy productive people wake up in the morning by sitting up and stretching (this idea is probably prompted by Hollywood). It is something I have tried to instill into my morning routine in the past but it just never stuck. When I do stretch in the morning though (and even throughout the day), I do notice a surge of physical and mental energy - two things I want to cultivate. So I’m determined to give this goal another try.
Recreational Goals:
Go on Coast Starlight trip to LA - In January, a friend and I are taking the Coast Starlight train from Seattle down to LA. I always like starting the year with a little adventure and this one fit the bill. Plus it has been on my bucket list for a while now, so I’m excited to check it off of both lists!
Watch Seinfeld - This is one of those ones I added for fun. I’ve started the series, but haven’t made much headway. This goal gained a social component when I mentioned to my dad that it was something I wanted to do, and he suggested I watch the show with my mom. This was one of her favorite shows and so I decided to accomplish this goal with her. That will make it even more fun and rewarding.
Watch Big Bang theory - I will admit, I have watched quite a bit of Big Bang Theory in my day, and it is a show that I really enjoy (albeit I normally watch it when I’m multitasking). But I haven’t really taken the time to tackle it. So this year, while I’m working on my laptop, instead of re-watching Friends for like the 7th time, I will endeavor to tackle this fun show. And I’m curious to see how having watched the final episode will impact my journey as I start from episode 1.
Academic Goals:
Get my life coach certification - Also as I mentioned last year, I am signed up to start my life coach certification program with The Life Coach School in March. All of the initial material I am going through now is amazing and I can’t wait to get this certification and expand my coaching practice!
Read a book from each category each month - Instead of setting an overall reading goal for this year (ie 100 books), I decided to be a bit more intentional about what I read. So each month I want to read a book from 6 categories:
Memoir
Business
Mystery
Personal development
Novel/fiction
Sustainability
Any books I read outside of the 6, will just be counted as additional reading. I’m curious to see how directing my reading in this way will affect me. It may make me feel like a more well-rounded person (even though I read books from all of these categories anyway) or it may help the books be more distinct - sometimes the ideas and principles can run together if I read too many within one genre at a time.
Learn about recycling numbers, etc. - As a professional organizer and in my daily life, I often face the question of whether or not something can be recycled. And I am constantly reminded of how little I know. This year I want to take time to learn about the different materials that can be recycled (both in my local area and in general), how they are processed, and how they are reused. I want to become more knowledgeable about recycling for myself and to (gently) prompt those around me.
Spiritual Goal:
Round up - Whenever I’m checking out and the cashier asks if I want to round up to the nearest dollar to donate to such-and-such a charity, my answer is always random and inconsistent. I do my tithing and donations every month, but I decided this whole year, I am also going to say yes to rounding up and sharing what I have with those who are less fortunate than I am.
Material Goals:
Buy a sustainable product each month - In keeping with my sustainability theme, I have decided to buy a product each month that will help me to reduce my consumption of single-use items. I don’t plan to eliminate them 100%, but I want to take manageable and actionable steps in that direction.
Replace products with sustainable non-toxic alternatives as I run out - This goes somewhat hand in hand with creating a skincare routine and buying sustainable products in general. I want to buy products that are actually doing good for the planet and my health. These changes will likely range from toothpaste to toilet paper.
Get LastPass or another password protection program - I probably shouldn’t say on the internet how I store my passwords - let’s just say they aren’t as secure as they could be. This is something that I’ve had tugging at the back of my mind for a while and knew I needed to take action on. So here it is on the list - a simple step to greater peace of mind.
Get my enhanced driver’s license - This one is pretty self-explanatory. Now that I am 21, and my license needs to be renewed this year, I decided to get an enhanced driver’s license. I have heard though that the process can be a bit arduous - which is why I decided to put it on my list to make sure it gets done.
Get my stuff out of my parent’s house - Even though I have lived on my own for a year and a half, there are always those things that you don’t necessarily want to take with you - old trophies, stuffed animals, school paperwork, old debate ballots, and the list goes on. Since I don’t want to lug most of these around for the rest of my life - I think the solution is pretty clear. I need to sort, scan, shred, donate, and recycle. I’m not saying I have to go through absolutely everything (some of it my parents and I don’t have access to at this time) but I will go through what I can and make the hard decisions.
Go through family photos - My parents have their photos pretty organized (they’re in folders, even if the folders aren’t consistent - some are by month, others by season, some by event, etc.), but right now, I don’t have access to them. So I am going to organize and upload them so that my siblings and I will all be able to access the memories of our childhood (and our parent’s childhood) in the future.
Get some nice dark wash jeans - This is another one that I think seems deceptively simple. For the longest time, I have been looking for jeans that I actually like (and ignoring the full drawer I had at home of jeans that I hated), finally last year I found some that are comfortable, look good, and that I like - but they are a light wash pair. Now I just need to find some that are dark wash - since I think dark wash is more professional and versatile.
Overall Goal:
Better not more - This goal is almost a mantra for the year. Many of the sustainable, eco-friendly, or non-toxic products that I look for and buy will be more expensive than the alternatives - but they will be better. Taking barre will be more money than just going for a walk - but the workout will be better. Even watching a show that I want to get through is more intentional than spending time watching random tv shows - and it will be better. I am giving myself permission with this to spend better money, better time, and better effort to build myself the life that I want.
As you might have noticed, I didn’t include any business goals on my 20 for 2020 list this year. I didn’t feel like they went with the overall theme of this year’s list, so I created a separate comprehensive goal plan for my business growth in 2020.
If you did a 20 for 2020 list, I’d love to hear about it. I’m always taking notes on other people’s lists so I can add their great ideas to my lists in the future.
I’m excited to reach the end of 2020 healthier, happier, more creative, more productive, and living a more sustainable life.
Until next time,