So far in 2020, I’ve started some habits and tried to stay away from some bad ones. I hope you can find some encouragement in what I’ve been doing. If you have any 2020 resolutions, let me know! I’d love to ask you about them.
Plus, I’m trying to get back into the habit of writing these newsletters, so please bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of things!
But! As extra incentive to scroll, there will be some fun tweets at the end!
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash
One of the biggest changes I made for 2020 is deleting the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone. I didn’t get rid of my accounts (especially since I have to use Facebook for work), but I just limited my access to them. So if I do want to check my accounts, I have to check them on my desktop, and I’m not sitting in front of a computer all day every day.
It’s probably obvious to you why I did this. I spent an inordinate amount of time checking those apps. In fact, for the first week or so after I deleted the apps, I kept picking up my phone trying to open the apps, only to remember that they were no longer installed.
The biggest problem for the apps it that it was an easy way for me to escape whatever I was currently doing. Stuck in line? Look at Twitter. Waiting at a traffic light? Refresh my Facebook page (I know, I know, terrible habit). My kids are being boring? Scroll scroll scroll.
I won’t say that deleting these two apps have fixed all of my bad habits. I still have Instagram to scroll through (although I spend way less time on that app), and I still have web pages I visit on a regular basis while I wait around for something to happen. But I have freed up time.
I have read way more pages of books this year. I finished Rachael Denhollander’s book What is a Girl Worth?, as well as Persuasion by Jane Austen. I’ve been more present with my kids. I’ve also realized that I’m less stressed about things. There’s always a lot of drama on Twitter, and now I get to avoid so much of it, while still checking up on a few of my favorite follows.
If you need a break from social media, but you don’t want to cut yourself off completely, I highly recommend deleting the apps off your phone. It will help you to be more present, and it will keep you from the low-grade anxiety of always having to look at what’s new.
Another tip: Turn off the notifications on your apps! That way you can only check the app when you choose to. The only downside to this approach is that it still easily becomes a habit to check your social media accounts frequently.
Another habit that I picked up recently is reading the Bible daily. I haven’t been this consistent in months. But thanks to the YouVersion Bible app, I am reading through the New Testament this year with a group of church friends. (Let me know if you want to be added!).
Right now we’re going through Matthew, and the cool thing about this plan is that it incorporates some context-giving videos created by The Bible Project, which is an amazing resource that helps people to visualize the themes and structures of the books of the Bible. It has expanded to also explain concepts like Sabbath and justice.
I highly recommend it to everyone who needs a little extra help putting all the pieces of the Scripture together. Here’s an example of them breaking down the book of Jonah.
Photo by Andres Urena on Unsplash
I got an Apple Watch for Black Friday/Christmas/birthday. I love it.
The best thing about it is that it gives me a goal to reach — to complete the circles. In the image above, you can see the “circles” that you have to complete. The blue inside one is stand (so stand for at least 1 minute every hour for 12 hours a day). The green middle one is for exercise (you need at least 30 minutes). And the red one is “move,” so basically how much calories you burn that day.
I love having a visual aid and tracker to help me meet my goals. I don’t want to be a couch potato, and although I’m not super fit (yet), it’s helping me to at least stand up and walk around for a bit.
And now for the tweets!
I am all for our American princess #teammeghan
THIS IS AWESOME. PARASITE was an amazing film.
In case you’re wondering:
I want to read 2 books a month in 2020.
This will be the best film of the year:
This should be everyone’s #2020goals
Have a great year everyone! Write to you soon!