2019 wasn't the greatest year for me. A lot of life happened, and it wasn't pretty.
I am not going to let all of the events that tore me down in 2019 keep me down in 2020.
Instead, I am going to thrive and rise above everything in 2020. How? By doing these 20 things.
1. Journal to myself at least once a week.
I started this habit in 2019, and forcing myself to take the time to write has been amazing. Not only is it nice to look back on my journaled experiences but it's a great way to vent without constantly complaining.
2. Focus on the people who truly care about me.
Personal Picture
If 2019 has shown me anything, it's who my true friends are. I cannot thank these people enough for being there for me through my lowest lows that I experienced this past year. You guys are rock stars!
3. Travel outside of the country.
In 2020, I am going to Australia for two weeks. I am so excited, as this will be my first time travelling out of the United States. I am excited to explore and see a whole new part of the world. It's a big deal for me because it is a bucket list item.
4. Go to the gym.
In 2019, there would be spurts where I would go to the gym for a little bit and then stop.
In 2020, I want to make going to the gym a consistent thing, because I love the way I feel after a workout.
5. Learn how to cook.
Yes, 2020 will be the year that I will learn how to make an actual meal for myself that is not ramen noodles. My goal is to learn how to cook chicken and two vegetables with pasta. (I can cook pasta already, but that's easy.)
6. Accept who I am.
Kathryn DeBois
It wasn't until the end of 2019 that I actually accepted who I am. I put myself in a box and I learned that I can't be doing that anymore. I have never fit into a box, nor will I ever because I am a special individual.
In 2020, I want to accept who I am for the entire year, all of me not just the good parts of myself.
7. Accept that some people are not who I thought they were and are not that great.
Sometimes people disappoint you and they're not that great. That's the truth and sometimes it hurts.
8. Spend more time doing things that I like to do.
I spent a lot of time doing things for other people in 2019. I thought it was the right thing to do, but then I wasn't using any time doing things that I wanted to do.
In 2020, I want to spend more time on things that I like doing because I want to be happy.
9. Make myself laugh more.
I laughed a lot in 2019, but all of that was because of other people.
In 2020, I want to make myself laugh more because I think I am really funny.
10. Care less about what others think of me.
In 2019, I began to obsess over what others thought of me.
It got to the point where it became unhealthy. This isn't good.
In 2020, I am going to do me and not care about what people think about me. I am a Queen and I don't need anyone else's approval.
11. Go for random drives.
Some of my favorite memories in 2019 were going for drives with my friends. My friend and I got lost in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania one night and she refused to use GPS to get us back to campus. It was a time and I am so grateful for that experience. In 2020, I want to do more of that.
12. Explore my passions.
In 2019 I realized that I was passionate about things not related to education. In 2020, I want to explore these avenues more and see where they take me.
13. Expand my professional network
In 2020, I turn 21 and that means that I am another year closer to being thrown into the real world.
I am going to be a SENIOR in college (scary!). That limits my time with professors and having easy access to resources that college gives me.
14. Be OK with doing nothing some days.
I love to be busy. I hate feeling like I am doing nothing, and I always feel like I have to do something.
There have been days in 2019 where all I could do is stay in my bed and sleep.
This year taught me that it's OK to do nothing. In 2020, I want to embrace the days I have nothing to do on. I want to be able to sit in my room and watch Glee or Netflix all day
15. Take more pictures.
I am so bad at taking selfies and pictures on the nights where nothing elaborate happens.
However, it's on those nights that the best memories happen, and I want to take pictures of those nights.
I want to have something to look back on to give me a visual of those nights. Even beyond that, I want to remember the places I go to and have proof that I went there. Having pictures does that.
16. Leave my comfort zone.
Part of growing up is trying new things and doing things that one would think they'd never do.
In 2018, I left my comfort zone a lot. I did things that I never thought I could do.
In 2019, I didn't do a lot of things that scared me. If I jumped, I knew there was a safety net to catch me.
The only new thing I actively tried was therapy, and that was the best decision of my life.
In 2020, I want to take risks and do things that scare me. I want to try new things and leave my comfort zone. If I fail, I fail, and I will learn from my failures. If I hate the new thing, then I hate it. Not the end of the world.
17. Be nicer to myself.
This sounds odd, but sometimes I am mean to myself. There have been days where I have been sad, and instead of telling myself that it is OK to be sad, I yelled at myself for feeling that way.
18. Make more friends.
Who doesn't want more friends? I love having friends.
I think that everyone should want to be my friend because I truly am a great friend (most of the time).
On a more serious note, I want to expand my horizons more and meet different people.
I think the more people and the more diverse thoughts you surround yourself with, the more well-rounded you will be as an individual.
I want to surround myself with people who think differently than me, so I can be more understanding.
19. Live life with no expectations.
I expect things from life and people. I expect too much.
I don't want to have expectations, because 95 percent of the time I end up disappointed and hurt.
You will always be pleasantly surprised if you don't have expectations. I want to live life that way in 2020 and forever.
20. Do more random acts of kindness.
I like giving to people. I like helping people in need. This makes my heart warm.
In 2020, I want to spread the love more to people and maybe every now and then pay for a random person's coffee.
I want to do more little acts of kindness that can turn a person's day around.
There you have it. 20 things I am going to do to thrive in 2020. I want you to write a list of 20 ways that you're going to thrive in 2020 as well.
