5 Habits I’m leaving in 2020
I had a lot of time for self reflection in 2020. Although I was lucky enough to have some company to quarantine with - I live with my fiance - I was often left with my own thoughts; my own personal spirals. Our reality changed in what felt like 2 seconds, and suddenly I had all this time to assess some really annoying, time wasting (and money wasting) habits I have along with habits I’m lacking. I don’t know what to expect for 2021, but these are a few habits I’m trying to kick this year:
1. Doordash morning, noon and night
The amount of money I spend on takeout is embarrassing. Maybe it’s a millennial/Gen Z thing, but I avoid the kitchen at all costs. I hate it. I’ve deemed myself a bad cook so I just spend all of my money on food. There’s so much I want to do (like get married) so I need to save coins where I can! Granted, laziness has a lot to do with it so this year I’m challenging myself to get comfortable in kitchen. Cooking has always been so intimidating, maybe this way I can kill 2 birds with one stone and eat a little healthier too.
2. My stiff ass bones
I’ve never been the athletic type, but I’ve spent so much time on my ass last year my cracking bones sound like a Missy Elliot beat. My mind says I can keep living like this but my body has clearly had enough. I’m committing to moving my body for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I actually started Zumba videos on Youtube and I pray that my neighbors can’t see me hyperventilating or my lack of rhythm from their windows.
3. Sporadic Living
As someone that LOVES routine and structure, I’ve come to realize that only applies when I don’t have to come up with it myself. I love being a full time influencer, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t struggle with time management or creating my own daily schedule. I really want to focus on planning out my week every Sunday and giving myself deadlines. This way, when I wake up every morning I don’t waste 3-5 hours trying to figure out what the plan is for the day. It’s so counter productive.
4. Living life in a constant spiral
Now this is an important one. I’ve spoken about this on my Instagram before and a few of you have told me you go through this too. Things escalate very quickly in my mind and it’s so draining. One small problem I’m facing usually snowballs into an extreme scenario created by my very active imagination. This mentality paired with my anxiety is a horrible combination. Sometimes this will last for a few hours but more often than not, it lasts for days. It’s so crippling to my creativity and peace of mind, so I want to look into a few methods that will help me keep calm and stay present.
5. Creative Limits
This last one goes hand in hand with my spirals. It’s so easy for me to put myself in a box and not explore other avenues expression. If I’m honest, i’s a comfortable place to be. For example, my Instagram feed is very curated and has a particular aesthetic, while my Instagram stories and Youtube are less formal. I show more of my personality on there. In my mind I’ve always entertained the idea of bridging that gap, but have been too comfortable where I’m at to figure it out. It’s mostly fear of opening myself up to more criticism so boldly. It’s one thing for people to think your style/makeup sucks, but if you come for my personality? The very essence of who I am? I honestly might cry lol.
I’ve also wanted to get back to creating prints and illustrations. Fun fact: I got my Bachelors in Fashion Design/Textile Technologies back in 2017. I did create my own logo and have designed a few prints for fun, but other than that I haven’t fully committed to developing my skills. Once I get my schedule down, I’m going to make to make sure I pencil that in, not only to potentially grow my brand/business but as a fun, creative outlet too.
Okay, now what?
Regardless of how many things I want to improve about myself, I have personally decided to ease into the New Year. I usually have the long list of things I want focus on, milestones I want to hit, but this year I just don’t have the mental bandwidth and that’s okay. Reflecting on my strengths and where I can improve has always been part of my end of the year routine, but I’m learning the importance of grace. 2020 was the epitome of “te calmas o te calmo” (calm down or I’ll calm you down) and it was hard. I haven’t even fully processed it, let alone the attempted coup that rung in 2021. Be kind to yourself, allow yourself the time to process things and slowly gain momentum in all aspects of your life. I promise you, it doesn’t make you any less of a go-getter no matter what LLC twitter says.
That being said, can you relate? Have you sat down and thought of what you want out of 2021?
Janibell xx
