A Guide to a Productive 2020

January 21, 2020

We all start our new year with so many resolutions and such a BANG that we definitely become in awe of ourselves when we go over them. But honestly speaking, we’re one month down from 2020… how are you coping with that list? Is it still as realistic as you predicted? Are you truly finding the time to fulfill all the punched-in items?

With the hope of bringing you some inspiration & most definitely A LOT of energy, I just want to have a chat with you about the possible ways to go about your day & ensure that it’s as productive & enjoyable as possible. Get a coffee or a tea… I’ll give you a second… Ready?

The key word that I’d like you to keep in mind here is “breathable”; that’s how any day should be like. Busy hustling, juggling between work, family, and social life… but make sure that you do actually breathe. In parallel to this you should also remember to guard your thoughts & control your chaos. It might read a bit weird here… but bear with me for a minute.

List

There needs to be a transition from thinking/visualizing to actually pouring down & organizing your thoughts. We all have a few tasks – to say the least – that we need to go over each day, and losing track of one or two can truly set off your mood. In order to keep your emotions at bay and truly track your progress, you need to have an accountability list, known as a to-do list.

Why accountability list? Because your to-do list is the expectations you set out for yourself. You are the one who will hold yourself accountable for not finishing your list, and as I’m sure you know, you are your worst critic. Yet, in order to avoid over-criticizing yourself & create a safe self-awareness space, you need to be realistic about the goal but also considerate about the time. Be mindful of how long a task might take & make sure you allocate the right time. Don’t squeeze your tasks to fit an unrealistic schedule & then be disappointed that you didn’t make your day.

Time-Blocking

As you go about your list, make sure to break down your tasks into smaller ones so that you can tick them off your list once done. This allows you to see & track your progress, which is gratifying & energizing at the same time! Make sure to compartmentalize your tasks under categories, each filled with tiny tasks. So, let’s say you need 4 hours of editing, yet within it, you could list the titles or languages so that you can go over each one separately, this way you would have broken down both the task & time.

Appreciation

Your tasks are not just errands that you need to do; they are part of your day, of your habits. Besides helping you track them, this system will also nurture a sense of appreciation in you; appreciation of your abilities, of your strength, soul & spirit. It’ll make you approach the world positively. This lens through which you start considering situations, will shed a brighter light on every event, and the whole sunlight on your accomplishments.

Let me get more coffee…

So, we started this as what seems to be a productivity entry – but it’s really about emotional intelligence. See, you are definitely NOT what you do in day, but what you do is part of you; it does affect you BIG TIME, no matter how much you think it doesn’t. Bullet-journaling your day helps improve your lifestyle, and-believe it or not-your mental health, which is deeply tested, particularly in the ongoing challenging political & economic environments.

The more satisfied you are with yourself, the deeper the level of awareness & gratitude. All of this brings us home to controlling our state of mind & emotions, propagating more positivity & ease.

Food & Body

To balance this internal process, we need to meet it with a physical one. Training/exercising & eating healthy. No matter how smooth your days end up being, there is a level of stress that needs to be dealt with: NEVER overlooked & taken care of with the appropriate amount & quality of nutriments.

My one suggestion is to think about the cooking & exercising parts of your day as “me-time”. These are truly your sanctuary – you can go as creative as you want with your cooking and as intense as you need in your training. The results are yours and the accomplishments, tangible. The mental & physical rewards, again, place you on your own personal pedestal, and that feeling is unbeatable.

Get it right

Rounding up your day to include what you should do & what you love to do ensures that you build confidence in your abilities and that- in & of itself-, is an inspiration to those around you, and further inspiration to yourself.

Brace your day with a smile, communicate, help, inspire, support, but most of all, throughout all of your journeys, remember that it’s ok to be vulnerable too. It’s actually a sign of strength. Realizing your state of mind helps you open an honest channel of communication with yourself and confront reality – head on. Once this is done, recalibrate your thoughts & emotions, have a chit-chat, and move forward.

Checks & Balances

Setbacks, delays, some procrastinations are all ok. They can also help you create an internal process of checks-&-balances – clarifying where you are & where you actually want to be. For this, you can also create a year at a glance – map out your whole year, goals, vacations, big plans. A way to motivate you throughout your days but also keep you on the right track.

Remember, emotions are created by motion; everything that moves in front of you will have a repercussion on you, and everything you do, will most definitely have an impact on you. If you can at least organize some parts of your life, then a lot can shift, and you would let in the unexpected & unaccounted for, with more ease & openness, and still have your eyes on your map to guide you through.

2020 List

To wrap things up, take along 2020 a few GOLDEN rules – another list that might come in handy:

Drink Water – tons of it
Sleep Well – create a pattern & stick to it
Exercise Daily – at least 30 minutes
Vacate Regularly – go on vacation – vacate your mind & unplug
Communicate Everything – share your thoughts & emotions
Create lists – pour down your thoughts
Brain Dump – write your ideas & creativity as often as possible
Smile – often & a lot
Be Grateful – about everything
Find Purpose – can be a different one, everyday
Read – set your mind free
Respect the environment – go as digital as you can & as plastic-free as possible.