5 Things To Do To Make 2021 Great

Welcome back to the first blog of 2021!

I am so excited to be back on my little internet soapbox sharing with you all the things that motivate and matter to me today. And that hopefully will matter to you by the time you're done reading this.

A new year is an untold story. Your story. And you get to write it. Take some creative liberties and add some plot twists in there to keep us hooked. Either way I am rooting for all of you.

With that spirit, I'm sharing 5 things that you can do (and that I will be doing) everyday to make 2021 your best year yet.

1. Rise Early

A toughie for sure. I struggle with this so much friends. I have tried all the tricks like setting my alarm on my phone and then putting my phone way out of reach so I have to get out of bed to turn it off, I've tried drinking lots of water before bed so I have to use the restroom very early in the morning, and for a while I had someone call me multiple times until I was fully awake.

None of that worked of course. The only thing that actually worked was getting a taste of that super awesome feeling of being awake before the world and seeing the sun rise. That ~feeling~ of peace, tranquility and success. It's great and sets the tone for the whole day.

2. Set Goals

Working towards something gives us purpose and keeps us focused and organized. So write down at least three things that you want to accomplish this year and break them down over the year. Make sure you set a date for when you want to achieve them. Getting a calendar can help with this and it is a great record to look back at and see how much you've done.

Remember, your goals can be whatever you want them to be. For inspo here are some of mine: visit an art exhibit once a month, travel to a new place, volunteer locally and sell at least one art piece per month.

3. Be Grateful

If you follow me on Instagram you know about the little piece of wisdom my dad shared with me. In case you don't it's basically to find some good in your circumstances. Maybe you don't have your ideal job, or you are going to school and are tired of it, or you had a recent break-up, or maybe you're broke. All those situations have some silver lining and if we can focus on that then we can make them bearable until we can get out of them. Maybe even use that silver lining to light our way out of it.

When I worked retail at a computer tech store that no longer exists, I dreaded going in to work every day. Even more so after I had graduated college and had no job prospects in my field. The customers were rude, the managers were demanding and my co-workers always had some drama. Tired of hearing me complain, my dad told me to find something I could look forward to and that way make the work day a little better. I found that I was grateful for having a job and being able to afford things I liked without placing that burden on my parents. That helped me get through it. Also my cousins worked with me and they're cool.

4. Be Present

What happened is done and we don't know what the future holds. The now is really all we have so let's really be in it. I'm super guilty of constantly being on my phone or worrying about what I need to do next but the times I have decided to really be in the moment I've felt so much better and have enjoyed things I would have otherwise missed.

You have a pet? Spend some time watching them or playing with them and focus on their peculiar behaviors. VIsiting your parents? Ask them about their life before they had you. Stuck in traffic? Do a little people watching or listen to your favorite music.

5. Rest

Even God rested on the 7th day. Also he was probably really tired after making the woman; His most advanced creation LOL But for real, rest is important. When you rest your body repairs itself and you can go back to business better than before. Get your full 7 hours of sleep, nap when you need it, take time for leisure activities and remember to breatheeeeeee.

I wish you all the best for this year!