What a year it’s been so far Mudders. We’re sorry to remind you but so far 2020 has been a bit of a bust for most of us. In the midst of everything it can be easy to feel defeated and to start counting down the days until this cursed year is over. Well, we have some bad news for you, as the clock ticks over into 2021, things aren’t going to magically get better.
We’re not trying to make you feel even more retched. What we’re trying to say is that instead of wishing the last few months of 2020 away, it’s worth trying to make the absolute most of them. We’ve compiled a list of 100 things you can do in the next couple of months, so that when you look back at this year you can say, “I made the best of it.”
How to Make the Most of 2020
- Set some goals for the last 3 months of the year. Hint: make them achievable.
- Start a gratitude journal (sounds cheesy but it works).
- Take on Couch to 5K, or a distance that will push you.
- Read a book. Or many books.
- Get out in nature, even if it’s just your local park.
- Sign up for Tough Mudder Challenges and earn a brand new headband.
- Volunteer your time or help out in your local community.
- Buy some new plants for your home – they lower stress levels.
- Listen to music that makes you feel happy. Sing along. Out loud.
- Learn to cook something new, or try a new cuisine.
- Put your phone down. Seriously, even if it’s just for one day a month.
- Start a push up or pull up challenge.
- Join (or start) a community – whether that’s your street’s Whatsapp group, Mudder Nation, or another interest group.
- Call that friend you haven’t spoken to in months.
- Go to bed earlier. And try to make it the same time every night.
- Sign up for Tough Mudder 2021 and get really excited.
- Donate money to charity, or food to a foodbank.
- Rewatch a series or film that you love.
- Clear out your wardrobe and donate anything you don’t wear or that doesn’t fit to charity.
- Try a new creative hobby (knitting, painting, photography…).
- Drink more water. Sounds basic but we promise it will make you feel good.
- Unsubscribe from emails you never read.
- Make time for yourself every day.
- Download a Tough Mudder training guide and get started.
- Declutter your house.
- Introduce scented candles of essential oils to your home. Scent has been proven to reduce stress.
- Listen more. If you often find yourself drifting off while someone else speaks, make a pledge to focus on who you’re with.
- Make time for stretching your body.
- Eat more meat-free meals.
- Start saving money. Open a savings account or start dropping your loose change into a jar.
- Try to single-task as much as possible. That means not looking at your phone while you eat or checking emails while you work on a presentation.
- Write down your accomplishments at the end of each month, or even each week.
- Learn a party trick.
- Take part in Stoptober.
- Make your homepage Mudder-themed.
- Call your parents and your grandparents, or anyone who might be feeling lonely.
- Smile at strangers.
- Get up earlier and stop snoozing your alarm.
- Cook something tasty.
- Take an online course in something you’re interested in.
- Say ‘no’ when you really don’t want to do something.
- Give meditation and mindfulness a whirl (there’s loads of apps that can help).
- Start writing and ticking off to-do lists.
- Give out a compliment every day.
- Get dressed up on Halloween just for fun.
- Start your Christmas shopping…now, so you won’t have the last minute stress.
- Improve your posture – remember to stand and sit up straight.
- If possible, ditch the train or car and run or cycle to work.
- If you start reading or watching something and you don’t like it – stop. Life is too short.
- Drink less alcohol (try going dry for a whole week, or month).
- Hug the people you can, as much as possible.
- Reflect on 2020 so far and write down three positive things about the last 9 months.
- Embrace your inner child and play more. Tell a joke, laugh.
- Schedule time for fun every week. Put it in your diary as you would an important meeting.
- Make life easier for yourself. That means doing the thing you’ve been putting off. (Book the dentist appointment)
- Get photos of your friends and family printed and put them up in your home.
- Visualize the next three months exactly as you wish them to be.
- Celebrate even the smallest wins.
- Write and send a letter to someone who needs it.
- Change your bedsheets more regularly.
- Plan your day the night before. Set out your clothes, make your lunch, get our your favourite coffee cup.
- At work or at home, do the chunkiest thing on your to-do list first.
- Make a new friend.
- Make a big deal out of every celebration – birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas. Whatever it is, enjoy it to the max.
- If it’s sunny outside, go and soak it up.
- Spring clean your house and do the jobs you always ignore. That includes cleaning the oven.
- Do something kind for someone else every day. Make them a cup of tea, do the washing up when it’s their turn…
- Pamper yourself at least once a month. Baths, face masks, go the whole hog.
- Rearrange or redecorate a room.
- Learn how to make your own mask.
- Take more naps. Naps are great.
- Whatever the thing is that you’ve been ‘saving’ drink/eat/wear/use it as soon as possible.
- Take up yoga.
- Take a break from the news when you feel overwhelmed.
- Camp out for a night, even if it’s just in your back garden.
- Clean up your computer. Organize your desktop and clear out your downloads.
- Complete a puzzle or crossword.
- Listen to the podcast you’ve heard about.
- Go away for the weekend to somewhere you’ve never been.
- If you’ve got kids download the Lidl Challenges PDF and get stuck in.
- Do the odd jobs you’ve been putting off. (Change lightbulbs, sew on that lost button etc)
- Dance. Every day if possible.
- If you don’t know them, introduce yourself to your neighbours. Even if it’s been 20 years since you moved in.
- Share your inspirational story, or a friend’s story, with us.
- Write out some motivational quotes and stick them around your house.
- Buy a new piece of fitness equipment and learn how to use it. Try kettlebells or resistance bands to start.
- Make a playlist of all your favourite songs.
- Drink less caffeine (we know it’s tasty but it’s keeping you awake and making you anxious).
- If you can, adopt a pet.
- Smile.
- Take up deep breathing exercises.
- Give yourself little treats. Buy the flowers, eat the chocolate, sleep in late.
- Master a new skill – coding, a language, an instrument.
- Got a favorite color? Embrace it in your home. We’re partial to a little orange…
- Look at pictures and videos of cute animals.
- Take time off work, even if you can’t go anywhere.
- If you can, visit museums and places of interest.
- Sign up to World’s Toughest Mudder – Lockdown Edition and get outside of your comfort zone.
- Laugh as much as you can.
- Tell yourself that you will make the most of 2020. Positivity is a great place to start.
Phew. That was a long list. Pick a few or work through them all, but try to make the most of the next 100 days and we’ll see you in the mud before you know it.