Hey friends! It’s hard to believe we’re finally at the end. What a ride it has been. This wasn’t the type of year end review I had anticipated writing in December but here we are.

At the beginning of this year I was fired up! The flip of the calendar always seems to bring a certain excitement with it. A new year often brings hope of a fresh start full of endless possibilities, experiences, and plans to expand our horizons. We commit to a new workout regime, consistent diet, travel, and plan to read more books over watching television. A new year! We have the world at our fingertips. What happens next?

February.

Just like that we’re back to our old ways. We realize just how hard change is. Things get a little uncomfortable and we revert back to what we know and are accustomed to.

Is this all of us? At times it absolutely can be. I’ve been there too! If being comfortable, reverting, and playing it safe is the normal then we have more to talk about.

This isn’t going to be a lengthy, intricate, or typical look back at 2020. I went deep into some of those thoughts and memories in my last post Where Is The Love?

Instead I’m going to share a small discovery of mine. Ready?

My main takeaway from 2020 is that prioritizing our mental health is of the utmost importance.

The inner work I personally focused on for the prior 2 plus years became more evident, and important, as ever in 2020.

Yeah Jake that sounds great and all but what exactly does that mean?

If you have been following along you are familiar with one of my main messages. If you are new, welcome! I’m a firm believer in one of, if not the only thing, we are in control of - ourselves.

Here’s what I’m getting at: for over the past 2 years I have been able to regain my energy about life. For an in depth view of my revelations, growth, and improvements take a look at any post in my Archives section.

When the hits started and kept on coming in 2020 those things I focused on were instrumental in keeping an even keel. This year was hard and we all struggled in different ways. The year brought a pandemic, social distancing, work from home, and a deep level of fear and anxiety for most. I was able to stay grounded because I continued to, and remained focused on, bettering myself. I remained steady by constantly reminding myself of the things I could control. My mindset was at the top of that list. Other things to keep me aligned included reading, writing, disconnecting, watching hardly any television, meditation, and a focus to get outside and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.

Those were things I personally used to move the needle forward this year. Your things may be completely different! We all disconnect and recharge in different ways. Whatever you may be doing I urge you to continue, and focus even further on, those things. You are much more powerful than you may be giving yourself credit for. You are unique. You are resilient. You are strong.

You can be as happy, successful, and fulfilled as you want to be. How do you do that in such a noisy world?

This year we were more stimulated than ever before. We were bombarded with constant news, click bait, arguments, and unrest. Here’s what I urge you to do in 2021: disconnect. Turn off the news. Put the phone down. Take up hobbies you used to enjoy as a kid. Exercise, knit, play the guitar, go ice skating, journal, or sing in the shower at the top of your lungs!

How do you feed happiness? It’s a choice and starts with action. Get back to the basics. Take the time to do the things you enjoy. It’s the little things in life. When you get back to the basics you realize just how much abundance you have in your life. When you come to that realization and true appreciation for your life - you automatically create more abundance by the sheer joy you are experiencing.

The steps you take today set up the future you are hoping for tomorrow.

Regardless of the circumstances 2021 creates you can have an exceptional year.

The choice is yours.

Make It Count.