Happy 2020, everyone! After a little hiatus over the holidays and an extra week to get back in the groove of things, I’m so excited to be back writing here on the blog and sharing some of my 2020 New Year’s Resolutions! 🙌

Over the past few years, I’ve centered my New Year’s Resolutions around specific words or phrases, 2019 was all about having more fun, 2018 was about not apologizing for things I cannot control and 2017 was all about embracing change. When I sat down to start thinking about my 2020 goals and resolutions, I didn’t have one central theme as I have in the past.

This year, I’m less concerned with conquering one big goal and more focused on changing little things in my lifestyle to allow for more happiness, less anxiety, and opportunities to do what I want on my own terms. While they may not be the most exciting New Year’s Resolutions that you’ve read this week, they’re realistic and will hopefully have a big impact on my overall well-being, which is what I’m most focused on this year.

Below are 5 changes I’m making in my lifestyle and how I’m tracking each of them. For tracking, I always use a written planner (my favorite being the shop ban.do one!) and the ‘Done’ app for daily reminders and digital tracking.

2020 Resolutions

1| More Me Time. To be honest, I always thought ‘me time’ was a lie lazy people told themselves to make them feel less guilty about wasting a day of productivity. That is until I found myself incredibly burnt out and couldn’t carry out basic tasks like cleaning my apartment, doing laundry, etc. THAT is when I really found the value in that thing called ‘me-time.’

  • How I’m Tracking: This one is a bit tricky to track because the point is to do NOTHING, but my type-A personality won’t take that for an answer so I’m tracking by committing myself to (1) weekend day with absolutely no plans so I have time to do what I want and don’t feel tied down and at least 30-40 minutes of reading a day.

2| Refreshed Morning Routine. I feel like I’ve been working on this one my whole life. I’ve always been more of a night owl than a morning person but with Duncan in the fam, I’ve had to make a few changes and it hasn’t been easy! Instead of waking up early, everything else in the day was shifted. I take a shower 30 minutes later, I head to the office 30 minutes later, etc. I actually care less about waking up early and care more about getting out of work at a reasonable hour. With more time in the morning, I can get in a few more uninterrupted working hours early and leave the office before 7p.

  • How I’m Tracking: I love my sleep and I’m a sucker for a day of sleeping in, so I’m committing myself to wake up before 7a only Monday-Friday and getting out of the apartment by 8:15a.

3| Less Takeout. WHY is it so easy to order Seamless?! After a day of working, the last thing I want to do is make dinner but it is honestly getting disgusting. I don’t know how many more times I can order from my local Deli. It also makes it easier to have a working dinner, which isn’t great for my mental health. Making dinner forces me to take a 40-60 minute break of work when I get home, spend time with Tom and live a normal(ish) lifestyle.

  • How I’m Tracking: As a Blue Apron customer, I’m committing to making dinner at least (3) times per week.

4| More Time Spent With Friends. This one shouldn’t be as hard as it has been over the last year or so. With a non-stop work and blogging schedule it is easy to cancel on plans just because I want to use my free time to relax, travel or be with family, but as the years pass I’m realizing more distance between my friends and that makes me sad.

  • How I’m Tracking: This may sound crazy, but this year I’m committing to hanging out with friends at least (2) times per month. I know that sounds pathetic, but it is harder than you may think!

5| More Exercise. The most stereotypical resolution of them all but this is actually the lowest priority on my list. I’m not focused on any sort of weight loss or fitness goals, but after a few months of not sleeping well, I’m desperate for any sort of help and I know exercise may do the trick. Similar to making dinner, working out is also one of those things that force you to take a break from work and social media so that’s a plus as well.

  • How I’m Tracking: This year, I’m committing myself to work out (3) days per week. It’s definitely going to be tricky to get out of work at a reasonable hour to get to the gym or a class but I’m using that as even more motivation to wake up early.

Okay, so there you have it! 5 lifestyle changes to get me in a better headspace in 2020. I’m not sure if is going to work, but it certainly can’t hurt! How are you changing your lifestyle in 2020? I would love some inspo in the comments.