I’ve always been reluctant to implement goals. For some reason, my brain finds it easy to ignore New Year resolutions. I can picture it saying to me, “That’s nice”, and then going off to a corner to laugh its ass off.

But habits are more actionable and harder to ignore. There’s a clear plan of action that will get you somewhere.

As said in my previous post, a few aspects of my life really suffered the last few years due to massive life changes.

So, I’ve created a list of habits that I’d like to implement in 2020 to change my life for the better:

HEALTH

1. Fill half my plate with vegetables; reduce sugar and refined carbs.

I eat to de-stress. This is something that I really need to change because putting on weight has very real health consequences. In 2020, I will adhere to a simple eating plan: eat more vegetables, reduce sugar and refined carbs. I’m not the sort to go fully keto or paleo (I like my rice too much, y’all), but I want to reduce my carbs to below 80g a day.

This was my diet when I lost a significant of weight using intermittent fasting two years ago.  

2. Only take bubble tea once a week

Some people have a coffee addiction … I have a passion for chewy tapioca balls floating in tea. I’m realistic enough to know that I will never eliminate bubble tea from my life completely. (That feels miserable.) But I certainly need to change my near-daily bubble tea habit. I usually have a “healthier” version of bubble tea – black tea, no sugar with black pearl. But those pearls really shoot up your insulin levels. So in 2020 I aim to:

• Take bubble tea once a week
• Opt for the healthier white pearls or aloe vera
• Take it before or right after a vigorous workout
• If I want black pearls, make sure I take it on a day where my carb levels are below 50g

3. Exercise vigorously three times a week

I do a lot of gentle exercise on a daily basis – I walk about 10,000 steps a day. When I started intermittent fasting, I didn’t want to strain my body too much with vigorous exercise. However, I think my body has long adapted to this so it’s now time to challenge it. I’ve joined a gym near my office and I plan to work out 3x a week before work or during lunch time.

WELLNESS

4. Practice breathing meditation – 5 minutes, twice daily

One of the most significant discoveries I made this year is that you can really dial down your anxiety and stress levels by breathing deeply. According to the book, The Relaxation Response, deep breathing can even reduce blood pressure.

This practice has helped me immensely towards the tail end of the year when things got really stressful. Each time I got anxious or upset about something, I would put tap my Fitbit’s relaxation app and follow its breathing prompts and just focus on my breaths. Within a few breaths, my body would be more relaxed and I’ll be calmer. 

Breathing meditation has helped me so much that I plan to make it as routine as brushing my teeth in 2020. I’ll be doing this in the morning and in the evening for five minutes at a time.

5. Reduce close-up work. Practice good eye habits.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but if you spend too much time staring at glowing screens or even books, your eyesight is going to deteriorate.

However, I am a writer after all and I make a living by staring at screens. And I adore reading on top of that! Still, I am determined to reduce the impact of this with some ground rules I’m laying for myself:

• For as much as I can, avoid reading off a lit screen, especially from a smartphone. Instead, I’ll use my iPhone’s text-to-speech function to read articles.
• Listen to more audiobooks. I have a Scribd subscription, and it has been awesome.
• “Write” my articles with dictation. I’ve been doing this and it’s been amazing. More on this in the future!
• Take a break from the screen every 30 minutes to stare off in the distance.
• Take a 3-hour break from screens every day to go out and enjoy life outdoors!

CREATIVITY

6. Work on my authorpreneur business 30 minutes 3x a week

In the last two years, because I was changing careers, all my creative energy has gone to my career. It’s not a bad thing, but as a result I have neglected my author business – my authorpreneur dream.

When you’re an authorpreneur, you don’t just write. You

• Build your platforms
• Brainstorm plots
• Promote your books
• Communicate with your readers

To get back on the bandwagon on the right foot, I’ve bought Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing 101 course and using it as a blueprint to build my business.

I will be documenting the journey on this blog at the end of every month. Call it a diary of an indie author in Malaysia. Hopefully the diary will give fellow Malaysians an idea how to self-publish their own work.

FINANCE

7. Invest 30% or more of my salary

In the last few years, all I’ve been doing with my savings is to socking it away in fixed deposits. Not a bad idea except that it’s always not wise to put all your money into low-performing FDs.

In 2020, I plan to learn more about investing vehicles like REITs, ETFs, bonds and peer-to-peer lending. I feel that dividend investing is the right fit for me, so I’m exploring that too.

I’ll be blogging my learning journey and experiences for your benefit, of course.

8. Give away 10% of my salary

If there’s one thing I’ve realised the last few years, it is that I don’t just want to exist. Also, one of the best ways to pry oneself away from the fear of running out of money is to lose one’s attachment to it. One of the best ways, I believe, is to think of money as a tool to better the lives of others, not just yourselves.

MINIMALISM

9. Reduce my TBR by 100 books

By implementing the “50-page read” system at least an hour week. Let me explain.

Basically, one hour every week, I would set aside some time to go through my books and select which one to donate and which one to read on. I do this by reading 50 pages of each book. If, by the 50th page, I lose interest and find it not to my liking, I will put it on the “did not finish” pile to be donated or sold.

I’ve been battling my TBR for years. It’s my last frontier in my minimalism journey. I’m determined to bring down the number to a manageable amount this year!

10. Reduce informational overload: Be more intentional with the information I take in

Time is precious. That two hours I spent on a “meh” book or TV show could’ve been spent on an online course that will take me further in my new career or even make me live a better life. That’s not to say that I will only read or watch stuff educational materials. I’m saying that I need to be more intentional with the information I consume.

Have you ended up reading blogs, articles mindlessly on your smartphone while waiting in line to pay for your groceries? Not only is the constant staring at tiny text on a smartphone wearing down your eyes, the information you consume is causing you information overload, which causes you stress.

In 2020, I’m going to apply the “50-page” rule aggressively to every book I read and to have a information schedule of books I want to read or courses I want to take to meet my goals.

A part of me wonders if I’m being too pedantic about this, but I’m going to at least try control the tsunami of information coming my way.

FINAL WORD

I’ll be documenting my progress with these 10 habits throughout the year. I’m toying with the idea of creating a vlog online to chart my progress.

How about you?What are the habits that you’re trying to implement next year? Share below!