This is my list of the 20 items I want to accomplish in 2020. 

1. Find a 365 devotional app for my phone
2. Take grandchildren  to Science Museum
3. Go to Chicago concert with Tom on April 1st
4. Have a “Summer of Gretchen Rubin” where I read all of her books. Take Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies Course
5. Message, call, text, e-mail at least one friend or family member each day. 
6. Go to Texas to see Natasha
7. Have grandchildren come visit a couple of days
8. Have lunch with a friend at least once a month 
9. Clean out first bedroom upstairs 
10. Be loving, happy and thankful
11. Live each day as if there were no tomorrow-because tomorrow is not guaranteed.
12. Submit a keynote proposal
13. Walk/move 20 minutes a day
14. Do my “Five things I’ll do today” list each day
15. Schedule posts in two Facebook groups for the week on Monday
16. Start posting in blog
17. Read bible daily
18. Create one new class each month
19. Find a new purse
20. Write in my book everyday

 

Gretchen Rubin has challenged her podcast listeners to walk 20 minutes a day in 2020! I'm taking up that challenge, will you join me? 

My plan goes as follows:
Walk/move my body 20 minutes a day in 2020. The 20 minutes do not have to be done all at one time, do 5 minutes at a time, if that is what works for you!

I'm doing some "If, then" planning for days when things may not go as planned. For example:

"If the weather is bad, then I will do a Leslie Sansone video or my Yoga video". 

"If I am out of town, then I will do a You Tube workout video in the morning before I leave my hotel and I will take some walks during breaks of classes."

"If, then" planning helps you beat excuses because you have a plan for when those items pop up, as they inevitably will. 

I'm planning for most of my walks to be outside as the fresh air is good for me and it tends to open up my mind and calm me down. Sometimes I walk with headphones on listening to music or an audio book/podcast. However, at least one of my walks a day will be done with no headphones so I can enjoy and meditate on nature and God's creation. 

One of the things that Gretchen Rubin talks about in her podcast is choosing a word or phrase as you go into the New  Year. Another thing she says is to act the way you want to feel. This has been so beneficial to me lately. I've used it to stop myself and think about how I want to feel. Do I want to feel frustrated and angry or do I want to feel happy and thankful? So using this idea, I've chosen what I'm going to call My Three Be's for 2020. 

Be Loving!

Be Thankful!

Be Happy!

All of these items are verbs or action words. They are things I can choose to do each moment of each day. 

​What words or phrases will you take into the New Year? Please share in the comments! 

When I started this site back in 2014 (over 5 years ago!), I was at a different place in my life. For those that know me personally, you know that we were thrown quite a curve ball in 2017 when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer. Since then, I've closed my family child care program and focused my time on Tom and on building a training business. There's been lots of ups and downs, but we just keep on keeping on!

Earlier this year, I discovered an author named Gretchen Rubin and her book The Happiness Project. During the last several months, I've listened to the audio version of that book and another of her books and read The Happiness Project book on my Kindle. I've listened to her podcast "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" and absorbed a lot along the way. So with 2020 right around the corner, I'm planning my own Happiness Project to take me into the New Year.

Over the next few days, I will be posting about my plans and sharing my discoveries from the last several months. I will say this, discovering Gretchen Rubin has changed my life. This is a time of year that is a struggle for me and this year is no different. But I've managed to take some of the lessons I've learned and made this year a happier one for me and hopefully for Tom. 

Merry Christmas Eve to each one of you and please remember to hug your loved ones extra tight today!