Undoubtedly, 2020 will go down in history as the most stressful year, even for those working from home in their pj’s. The political stress, the pandemic, financial and health challenges, relationship issues, isolation, uncertainty, you name it, 2020 had it. 

2021 continues the trend with some hope but far from expectations for a fast recovery, tossing all masks in the trash, hopping on a plane for a vacation across the world, and carefree socializing whenever and with whoever. Turns out, changing the calendar on the wall is no saving grace. Changing your mind about what you do and how you do it may very well be.

Incorporate these three practices into your life, and regardless of your circumstances, you will feel better, do better, and be better.

First – use your time wisely. It’s the only non-renewable resource. You can’t get it back. With a little mindfulness and intentionality, you won’t have to. Consider who and what is most important to you and give them your time, daily, weekly, monthly. Prioritizing who and what gets your time will make you feel productive, purposeful, useful, inspired, and connected. Who doesn’t need more of that? Even if you can’t completely avoid something or someone, you can minimize the amount of time you allocate to them.

Second – get it done, not perfect. Striving for perfection can stress you out as your projects and goals remain unfinished and always at an arm’s length. Getting things done gets them off your plate, off your mind, and off to the next thing. Close enough is good enough. Moving along is better than being stuck. You can always do better next time. Remember, your inner critic is happy to beat you down by pointing out the imperfections. Later, it will beat you down for not getting things done. Don’t listen. Focus on checking things off your list instead, and look forward to counting your accomplishments.

Third – pace yourself and don’t bite more than you can chew. Obviously, right? Sure. Yet, every time you say “yes” instead of “I can’t.” Then you feel a little more overwhelmed, a bit more tension, dread, and regret. It doesn’t matter what others can do or what they want you to do. If you believe that we are all different, you should accept that your pace and capacity are also different. 

Accepting responsibility for more than you can handle and rushing to get it done only diminishes your ability to do a good job and your sense of accomplishment. It further keeps you from taking proper care of yourself, contributing to depression and anxiety, unhealthy lifestyle habits, and ruined relationships.

These three practices will make your life easier and more enjoyable. You need them now, more than ever! Practice makes better. Enjoy.

Valentina Petrova has been helping people with life, health, relationships, financial, career, professional, and business goals and challenges since 2015. Email her at valentinapetrovaconsulting.com