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Happy New Year and welcome to 2020! This year marks the turn of the decade, and the start of a fresh 365 days you can make your own. No matter how rough 2019 was, 2020 can be a fresh start to step into all that you were called to be. Everyone always goes with the mantra "New Year, New Me", I pose that we alter that and go with "New Year, Better Me". We all can make improvements to ensure this year is the best one yet. Below I've highlighted a few useful tools aimed at helping your 2020 be a little brighter.
I wish everyone the best of luck in the upcoming year, set a new goal, and strive to be the best version of yourself!
"Nothing changes, if nothing changes"
1. Purchase a Planner
Planners come in all shapes and sizes with a plethora of components and prices. Starting off on the right foot by organizing a bit can really make or break your year. If you've never used a planner before, I suggest you take a look at your daily needs: are you a student? Do you need help budgeting? Do you have a wedding to plan this year? A good planner can aid you in all of the minuscule and major tasks that life throws at you. A few of my favorites are listed below.
Plum Paper offers a completely customizable option, with add on pages for budgeting, school, blogging and more. The price is reasonable starting around $32, and I can truly agree that, you get what you pay for. I have purchased from Plum Paper for the past three years and have been awed by the quality and features offered by the company. I usually add in the bill tracker and budget planning pages to make "adulting" a little easier.
Emily Ley aims at simplifying your planner experience, by providing a minimalist planner to cater to your daily needs. As chaotic as life can be, the last thing you may want to worry about is decorating and organizing a planner. Emily Ley gives you a monthly and daily layout with tips to simplify your life each month.
The Happy Planner is in a league of it's own, perfect for the crafty person who truly wants to spend the time customizing their planning experience. Happy Planner features a base planner that you purchase, as well as multiple extension packs available to help with fitness, wedding planning, and more. The Happy Planner also markets plenty of stickers and decorative items, to truly ensure your creativity options are endless.
2. Invest in Therapy
Let me preface this by saying, mental health is just as important, if not more important than physical health. If you're sick you'll go to a doctor, if you have a toothache you'll go to a dentist, so why not ensure you're okay in the mental aspect? The negative stigmas surrounding therapy must be broken. Going to see a therapist, even if everything seems okay is a major step in growth and adulthood. If you wait until a traumatic experience occurs, you're already behind the curve. A major goal in my life this upcoming year is to locate the perfect therapist. Having someone to bounce your goals off of, vent to in an unbiased manner, and help you heal is major in becoming the best you can be in 2020. Some of those quirks you possess, some of the anxiety you face, some those generational curses can hold you back from reaching your full potential. There are a ton of resources available, many in your own community to help you locate a professional that's best for you. Check out the links below to ensure your mental space is well taken care of this year:
Protect Your Mental- Mission: to build a community for millennials, to help educate them on topics of mental health in a way that they can understand/relate, practice, and protect their mental on a daily basis.
Good Therapy- Locate a Therapist Near You
Talk Space - Text Message Therapy
Instagrams to Follow:
3. Create a Vision Board
"Write it down on real paper, with a real pencil and watch sh*t get real"- Erykah Badu
Vision Boards have long been around as a goal setting tool aimed at manifesting your visions you wish to achieve. Starting off your year with a concrete visual of the goals you plan to reach will prove far more useful than "moving in silence". Your Vision Board should not only focus on things you want, but how you want to feel; compose it full of things that motivate and inspire you. Display it somewhere you'll see often, and watch yourself achieve all of your goals one-by-one. I plan to get my girlfriends together for a "Vision Board Party" a fun way to hold each other accountable, and ensure were all striving toward our best goals in the new year.