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Habits to build in 2020?
It's the last week of the year! Although I generally believe that self-improvement projects can begin at any time, New Year is a popular time to reflect and to plan for the future.
So for some New Year's Resolution inspiration:
1. What was the most beneficial habit you built in 2019?
2. What is one habit you would like to build in 2020?
I started exercising semi-regularly at some point this year, and hope to improve the number of reps and sets and whatever that I can do next year. I also hope to complete my uni. course and keep up the general positivity. With luck, I can get enough money together for some fun meetups with other people, and maybe even a hobby like model painting. I have heard that hobbies make you more hooman.
I also started exercising recently. It's been a few months and I definitely feel (and look) better. I've mostly done cardio so far and just got some running shoes.
To answer both questions: checklists. I've been using them more and more, and for more things. What started with a checklist of stuff I want to remember to take with me in my journeys is now a dozen of constantly improved lists like “Stuff to do before leaving the house” and “How to use the coffee machine in the office”. My checklist habit has also made me realise that I am generally a person who likes to create order out of chaos, so in the 2020s I hope that I will be able to bring more order into my life.
Besides checklists, I really want to practise awareness more and make the practice more consistent. Recently I've been figuring out how to practice more effectively, and that's been good for my mental health. Now I need to make them a daily habit, and not a once every other week thing.
Checklists ruled my work-life, and I'm absent-minded enough these days that I should probably start using them to gentle my path towards Alzheimer's.
If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, which goes into considerable detail on the why of checklists, particularly how indispensable they are for ensuring reliable results from complex, life-critical processes.
I'd recently run across the notion that there are two distinct categories of checklist - DO-CONFIRM, and and READ-DO. The first is a list to verify that what you've already done is correct and complete, like checking your pockets when you're ready to leave the house. The second is more like a recipe - steps which should be completed, like how to operate the coffee machine. You can combine these goals in a single list, but be very clear about how they affect your workflow and whether others will be using the list in a way that achieves the results you intend.
[I haven't tried the Clever Checklist product, but it might have some of the features you're looking for.]
I love lists! It's taken me a few years to figure out how to write them so that they're super effective for me, but I think I finally have a system that works for me. (And because I just said that, it is probably going to change in a month.)
I have yet to find a way to effectively practice awareness (yoga helps, but it only lasts about 30 minutes after class...). But it is such a great goal. Good luck!
I'm not sure if it would help you but Jonathan Blow, the developer of The Witness and Braid had a youtube video about how he uses awareness for improving his state of mind.
Also regarding checklists, I recently encountered the concepts of Bullet Journal (aka. bujo). In it's simplest form is something like a checklist used to organize time each day/week/month. Did you look into that by any chance?
I've heard about it but never learned or used the system. I've looked it up now, and it seems to be sort of reminiscent of how I take notes but with more rules. Maybe I'll look into that, thanks.
could you go more into detail about the checklists? like what tools you're using, structure, how you deal with them and so on?
Well, it's a list that you use to check stuff :-)
In general, I use Google Keep, but it's a piece-of-shit sofware, to be honest, and I will jump off once I find a good, non-piece-of-shit replacement. The header marks situations in which the checklist should be used, the “trigger”, if you will. And the list itself is just an unordered, one-level list. The items which end with a question mark are optional, depending on a situation. Example:
The hardest part is actually remembering the “trigger” and actually using the lists when they are supposed to be used. Once you start using them, you start adding more stuff, and the lists generally tend to grow. Not sure if that will cause problems in the future; so far so good.
What kind of things do you want to do that Keep can't do (or doesn't do well)?
It's mostly about what it does or what it does poorly. For example, one time it just completely erased a list. No “click to undo”, no nothing. The app just crashed, and then the list wasn't there. The notes themselves are sorted weirdly, the menus are often unintuitive, and the check-mark feature seems to not work or crash the app more than it does work.
I was honestly baffled by the fact that Google decided, that this app was production-ready. All I want is to take notes or write lists, sort them, and also have a “Press here to sync” button.
If you aren't familiar with it, I recommend checking out Bullet Journalling. It's more or less just a system for keeping track of many check lists. It began as a method in a physical notebook, but I'm pretty sure there are apps around for it now.
Journaling is also a good way to practise awareness.
Edit: I now see someone else had already recommended bullet journaling. I'll leave this comment up to second their recommendation.
I don’t think this has anything to do with the new year for me, since I started this recently, but I’m trying to get more in shape - I’ve been bouldering which is pretty expensive so I want to maybe join a gym again. And I want to take care of my mental health, so I am getting a headspace membership.
Those are great things! I also just started bouldering (indoor) a few months ago and absolutely love it. It's an exercise I actually want to do! But you're right that it is definitely expensive. The gym I go to offers free yoga classes for members, though, which makes it kind of worth it since I also do a lot of that.
Becoming a morning person. I come home at around 7pm and am dead from then till when I go to sleep. My ideal schedule would be to go to sleep at 8pm, then wake up at 3-4am and then going for a jog/read/meditate/study
That sounds like an awesome use of time! There's a great video on waking up early by Matt D'avella on Youtube. I found it to be really helpful, though unfortunately, my work does not allow me to have a set schedule, so I'm constantly giving myself jet lag
Edit: formatting link
Thanks! I'm also reading The 5AM Club right now, though I don't believe that theres some secret shortcut to waking up early, you just do it.
I got up at 5am every morning for years, not because I had to, but because I wanted to make more available use of my time. I woke up at 5:00, brushed my teeth, went to the gym, came back, showered, breakfast, coffee, etc, then went to work.
Honestly? I don't recommend it.
I spent those couple of years virtually never seeing my friends because they were all staying up until 11 or midnight on the weekends, and I was in bed by 9. My life was structured and regimented, but ultimately I felt like I was just waking up, working out, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, going to bed, then doing the whole thing over every single day. Felt like I was a robot after a while.
It may be different for you, but I started working out in the evenings, and that 2 hour shift in my schedule has improved my life a lot.
Ha! My friends all have kids so I never see them anyway.
Have you tested for your chronotype? Perhaps you're just not a morning person? If you are not, there is very little you can do.
What do you write on it?
I like this a lot - I'll definitely give it a whirl when I start heading back to work :D
I started climbing in February. A month or two later, I started doing yoga too. Just a few weeks ago, I added a day of lifting to my routine. I'm 32, I was kind of on the tail end of a not great relationship and was packing on some extra poundage. I had a come to Jesus moment with myself and figured it was time to get in alright shape, because the older you get the harder it gets. So far I've not only managed to stay un-injured, I feel so much better and have lost a good bit of weight. I'm taking it slow, making sure to be good about stretching and warming up and being alright mentally with a gradual improvement.
Next year I plan to get my diet on track and focus on being better about sleeping. I have a tendency to stay up late and wake up early which isn't great.
I plan to start bullet journaling in 2020. I was put off from it for a long time because every online tutorial spends all its time showing you examples like this and I felt like "When do these people get actual work done if they spend half their day sketching borders and applying washi tape!?
Then I started finding examples like this and it seems much less intimidating.
I do it, and I have absolutely no tolerance for flourish in virtually any aspect of my life. It's great when I can actually remember and motivate myself to do it, but for me, the hardest part of doing anything is consistency, and bullet journaling has been no different. Good luck with it!
Hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna steal "no tolerance for flourish" as it describes what my mindset has been shifting towards for the last few years.
It's funny, I've been on this "no tolerance for flourish" journey myself; though it's part of a greater minimalistic direction that I've undertaken. However it is surprising the criticism I've received in my life because of it. Especially at my former dayjob, my boss used to really bash my presentations (for lacking flourishes and "design"), even though ALL of my clients and stakeholders and peers were wowed and impressed by my storytelling and delivery (of said presentations) - and none cared about flourishes. Glad to hear there are others not trying to paint the world with useless and artificial candy paint.
Go right ahead, friend. I'm glad to know someone else shares my intolerance!
I used to spend large periods of time without eating or drinking water. I solved the problem by always leaving two water bottles at my desk, and by forcing me to eat even if I'm not hungry (I take a medication that basically removes my appetite 12 hours a day).
I need start cycling again. It's the only exercise I tolerate, and it helps in many way beside physical health.
Out of curiosity what keyboard did you end up choosing?
Found a deal on this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVJ1TJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_Z7BcEb2G8V76G
I got it because I was trying to do something with a recliner where I would put the keyboard sides on the arm rests, and thought I could use the adjustability. Didn't work out, but it's still an okay keyboard and while it doesn't naturally tent, it's nothing that can't be situated.
They're not habits, but I wrote down my personal goals for 2020 about 2 weeks ago. I'm still settling on them, but I'm focusing on items that are meaningful to myself, achievable, and well-defined. If they don't meet these criteria, then I'm not going to include them.
A few include:
I want to really get back into exercise, which I let slip in 2019. I'll stick to the known workable solution of tracking Apple Watch calories to indicate performance—it works pretty well! I plan to start at 10,000 workout calories in January, incrementing at 1,000 a month until December. This will hopefully deliver sustained, consistent fitness that I can make permanent and routine.
I need to travel way more in 2020. Notionally, I'd like to spend a significant amount of time in 5 countries. Ideally more than a quarter of my time in 2020 will be not in New Zealand. Probably Australia, Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Spain. Aussie + U.S. + Mexico are nearly booked. This shouldn't be too hard to hit. Neither money or time are concerns.
I've never been a big reader of books; but I'd like to change that in some small way this year. I think four books across the year, one every three months, is achievable. That's up from zero from the last several years.
Officially register and earn money from my business that I've started with a friend. We're planning to incorporate in January, with first revenue planned around the April to May period. It'd be nice to reach a decent basic wage from that this year. Fingers crossed.
Each is kind of a disparate goal, but together the unifying intent is to figure out what I need to be happy and where my life direction is. Because right now, I have none.
The best habit of 2019 is keeping going to the gym. I didn't build any new habit really. I started journaling (just txt files on my laptop) recently, i plan on keep doing it.
For 2020 i plan to break a habit: alcohol
I binge drink too much. I am able to keep it to one day per week, but even that is too much. It's now part of a plan for me and my SO. She needs to cut sweets/soda/sugar/bad food and i need to cut alcohol for the sake of our health and relationship.
These habits are brilliant! They are what I'm working on as well, though in a different way. And thank you so much for including so many helpful links! Best of luck to you!
That comment is a deep cut! I am super glad this works for you—it works for me. My steady pile of full Field Notes notebooks has grown this year full of daily task lists. I haven't evolved my process much, so I might try out a few of the things you do this next year.
talk to weirdos. you're probably too comfortable.
There are no weirdos around me because I am the weirdo yet noone talks to me :(
I'm a weirdo and I just talk to myself. Easy.
The best habit I've built in 2019... That's a tough one. I think it's probably swimming on my lunch breaks - I feel really good about that, and look forward to continuing it in the New Year.
As for one to build in 2020, I'm planning to be more independent. By which I mean I intend to build the habit of making the things I want to happen, happen. I've found myself to be too passive and reliant on others to "do it for me" in terms of my bands, and my social life (as well as other things). I want to take things into my own hands where possible: trying to book gigs for my bands, arranging social activities for my circle of friends, learning the various necessary skills to take on the projects I want to turn my hand to.
Best habit I built in 2019 was to take more of my vacation days. I had so many saved up that work was telling me to take them or lose them. So I took them. Unfortunately, my spouse can't travel, so it meant having stay-cations, but it was still worth it. And I've found that longer vacations are better. Taking a long weekend is nice, but taking a week or two really helps a lot.
As for best habit to build in 2020, I'm not sure. I'd like to do more hobbies that are not work-related. Something to allow me to turn off my work brain when I'm at home.