Blog post written by Fiona Worthington, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Cognitive Behavioural Coach at the Putney Clinic.
Bored of making New Year Resolutions. Try this fun way of setting goals and improving productivity and happiness for 2020.
Gretchen Rubin is a US blogger and successful author who writes about habits and happiness. I came across this idea of hers which is a really fun take on making new year resolutions. She and her sister Elizabeth have come up with “20 for 2020”. This is a list of 20 things that you would like to do by 2021. They don’t have to be big things, they can be easy, fun, taxing, difficult, habit forming, one off ideas, whatever takes your fancy. There is no right or wrong way of doing this. The key is to have the list written down and put it up somewhere that you can review regularly. During 2020 you might like to edit it, change it but if you achieve something on the list then acknowledge that with a big star! Enjoy the process of coming up with the list. Give it a whirl and use it as tool to help your year be happier and more productive.
Science tells us that you become 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams, simply by writing them down on a regular basis. (Dr Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California)
Tips for writing your 20 for 2020
1. Identify your list of 20 things you would like to do this year and write them down
2. Keep it somewhere close by
3. Review it often, and if you need to adjust it during the year that’s all good
4. Tell people about what you are doing and what is on your list
5. When you have achieved one of the 20, congratulate yourself
Here is my list 20 for 2020
1. Every week get my email in-box below 500
2. Go to theatre/movies once every month
3. Write a blog once a week
4. Run two 8-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy courses this year with Mandy.
5. Prepare a new Stress Workshop
6. Go veggie X2 a week
7. Cook a new food recipe each month
8. Drink more water daily
9. Schedule “one to one” time with my two girls each week in person or on the phone
10. Speak to my sister weekly
11. Start a book club with AD and read a novel a month.
12. Organise a health check for me and Nick
13. Update our hard copy photo albums
14. Downsize my wardrobe
15. Use my audio subscription more efficiently and listen to a work book each fortnight
16. Have dinner party for 8 people 6 times
17. Keep up with my running – 2 runs a week
18. Start yoga yet again X 1 a week
19. Plan to do something new and fun each month with Nick
20. Use the club ball machine for practice rather than walk past it!
Fiona Worthington – www.fionaworthington.uk.com
Fiona offers a range of Psychological Services at the Putney Clinic.
Photo credit Glen Carrie, Unsplash.
