15 POSITIVE THINGS I STARTED DOING IN 2020

Well, 2020 has just come to an end. It may have been a very tough year for you in several ways. Financially, spiritually, mentally, or your health may have regressed. While it was not an easy year on our household, I feel like there were many positives to take from it. I spent more time with my family. I relaxed a little more, and I have a lot more clarity on how the next few years of my life look.  

With the extra time I had on my hands this New Years eve, I reflected on the positive things I started doing the past year that have improved my life and that I will keep doing in 2021.

I created a not-to-do list. Thanks to Jim Kwik and his fantastic book - 'Limitless'. I made a list of the things I do that caused stress in my life. The top two were: booking in meetings or engagements when I allocate for working on my businesses and booking things in my "family time".

I started prioritising and tracking my sleep. I have known for years that my sleep quality was in issue. For my personality type tracking, data is a way I could improve. In January this year, I bought and Oura ring, and it has helped me track and prioritise my sleep, my movement and improve my Heart Rate Variability (HRV). 

I do regular time audits. Ever wonder where the time goes some days? So did I. After reading 'Change Maker' by Dr John Berardi, I track my whole day in 15-minute intervals every few months. It's eye-opening to see how much time I wasted each day scrolling social media or reading pointless dribble. The time audit helps you keep the main thing the main thing only working on things that matter. 

I am more present in the things I do. Being present kind of ties into the point above. How often do you find yourself flicking on your phone when you should be listening to your kids or having a conversation? Being present is still a work on progress, but I try to give them my undivided attention when I am with my family. 

I am open to and started new training methods. I have to admit I have been very dogmatic with my training methods and nutrition over the years. I was not open to different points of view or using other tools for the job. It took my worst herniated discs episode to admit that I didn't have the answers finally. I then started training with a CHEK practitioner. Now, I am doing a lot of core work with a swiss ball, which I always thought was a novelty item. I have since started studying Paul Cheks methods and use them with my clients. I also never imagined I would be an advocate of gymnastics rings training, but during the gym closures, I was forced to be creative with my own training and my clients. Everyone, myself included got considerably stronger as a result of rings training.

I started wearing barefoot shoes. Having been a Nike Air Max man for 20 years, I never realised that my choice of sneakers could throw my hips, knees and back out of alignment. I also didn't understand the importance of having strong muscles in your feel. My Vivo barefoot shoes have helped my feet look like feet again, and strengthen all those tiny muscles down there. 

I stopped caring about other peoples opinion of me. I have always told myself that I didn't care about people's opinions, but I did deep down. The imposter syndrome I felt around posting about health and fitness on social media, has stopped me from helping loads more people. This year I admitted I pushed past that. I don't have all the answers, I can't lift the most weight, but I can help many people with my experiences and knowledge of nutrition and health. Thanks, Jon Goodman at PTDC for this article. 

I started Wim Hof and nasal breathing. (And now ice baths)  When COVID kicked off earlier this year, I felt very overwhelmed thanks to the mainstream media's fear-mongering. My good Friend and Wim Hof instructor, Danielle Smith (Glow For Life), suggested I finally start doing Wim Hof Breathing to manage my stress levels. It has been nine months now, and I am more focussed, composed, level-headed, and improved my sleep even more. Dani then suggests I read 'Breath' by James Nestor and wow. I had no idea of the importance of the breath. I was a chronic mouth breather all of my life. I am now conscious of breathing through my nose more often. 'Breath' is a must-read book for everyone. And to finish 2020 Daniele finally got me doing ice baths and to be honest, they are bloody fantastic!

I started implementing and tracking new habits.  Yes, thanks to another book, I have begun implementing and tracking some new habits this year. 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, is excellent for anyone that wants to start and keen positive new habits in their life. I use the Productive app to track them daily and weekly. 

I set time limits on my phone.  Have you ever checked out how much time you spend staring at your phone? It's scary if youre like most people. You keen see totals for app categories and individual apps. I now set time limits for social media apps and even block everything but maps and calls every Sunday. I have reduced my screen time by over 30% and am thinking of buying a dumb phone to use. 

I give without expectation.  Giving without expectation wasn't new to me, but I have tried to reinforce it with myself. Once you let go of any expectation of the people around you, you find youre rarely disappointed. It feels liberating, knowing that you're giving time to someone with no expectation of anything in return. Thanks, Gary Vee for this mindset.

I now do more relaxing things. My mum has always said from a young age; I had two modes. Fast and asleep. This energy has stayed with me into adulthood. The forced downtime this year has made me slow down a little more. I now enjoy reading more or just walking in nature. I allocate time to sit and think every week. I no longer feel the need always to be doing something productive. 

I started questioning everything. Questioning everything might come across a little controversial, but we don't have to believe all the force-fed information. Now with every bit of information I hear, I ask three questions. Who is giving me this information? Who stands to benefit most from this information and how can this information impact me? Do your homework, look into things a little deeper. Don't just accept the words of so-called 'experts' as if they were some god. Everyone has an agenda of some sort. It would be best if you dug deep enough to see what it is. 

I started saying no more often. Saying no to new opportunities or things that provide income is challenging but liberating once you do it more often. Lewis Howes once said on his podcast that he says yes to something it needs to be FIP. Fun, impactful and profitable. I loved this. Jon Berardi has his five core values on his wall and frequently says no to things that don't align with his values. I now do the same. 

I am continually seeking out different points of view to my own. After dropping the dogma around training, I have sought other opinions on nutrition, health, religion, and the current pandemic. I might disagree with some of them, but hearing different points of view helps you form your own opinions or change your current ones slightly. Check out these podcasts with Dr Zach Bush on the pandemic, the environment, human connection, the virome, microbiome, and viruses. Want a new insight into God or religion? Listen to this series on Wellness Force with Paul Chek. Read some of Dr Mark Hyman’s work on nutrition. You might disagree with what they have to say, but you can make more educated decisions if you listen to other points of view. 

Well, that's my 2020 in a nutshell. I hope this new year brings you closer to those you love and the things you want to achieve. 

What positives are you taking from the last year? Please drop a comment below and let me know.