Finally, it’s almost 2021!

Of course, just because we start a new calendar year does not mean that our lives automatically level up.

How you go into this new year is up to you, but first you need to do a few things that will successfully put 2020 to bed and ensure that you’ve learned what you needed to this year for a kick-ass 2021.

Here are a few things you can do to anchor yourself and set up the new year for success.

In the last 18 months, I’ve been on quite the journey to improve my mental, physical, and emotional health.

Most of the changes to my diet, exercise, and supplement regimen have simply involved a lot of trial and error, but there have been a few tests that have helped point me in the right direction to get to the foundational causes of my health issues.

One of these tests was a 23andMe genetic profile, which was then interpreted by the MTHFR Support SNP reports, which was then interpreted by my naturopathic doctor.

Yes, it’s a lot of hoops to jump…

With only a couple months left in 2020, I think it’s fair to call it: this year has seen a huge resurgence in the power of the girl group in Kpop. And I don’t think we’ve ever had a year when we’ve needed it more.

Certainly, there have been huge releases this year from boy groups like BTS, SuperM, and NCT. (And we love them all dearly; don’t come for me boy group stans.) But the girls? The girls have upped their game this year.

From groundbreaking title tracks to radical concept changes to continuous leveling up, here’s why 2020…

Millennials now have the stereotype of being hopelessly intimidated by their finances. So many of us feel the crushing weight of student (and credit card, and mortgage, and auto) debt — and we’re paralyzed by it.

In my case, it’s alternative healthcare expenses — all of which are not covered by insurance — and student loans. All together, I have about $33k in debt.

It’s an overwhelming amount, and yet a lot less than many people have. But on top of that, I barely clear $20k a year in income at the moment. (Working on it!) …

I find that a lot of “successful” writing advice on Medium goes something like this:

• Wake up.
• Make coffee/tea/elixir of your choice.
• Write for at least 3–4 hours without stopping.
• Repeat every day.

Maybe I’m not as disciplined, but this routine doesn’t fly for me. Sadly, my brain doesn’t just flip on when I’ve had a few sips of caffeine.

It is so incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the “journey to success.”

For most of us Millennials, we typically see that as financial success, from which all other forms of success seem to spring out of. (Spoiler alert: this is false.)

Especially those of us who are building a business or a side-hustle, or trying to improve our health in some way, or even growing a new relationship. …

For the last few weeks, I’ve started making it part of my morning routine to go for a short walk around my neighborhood, completely free of distractions — just me, my thoughts, and the nature around me.

I started this practice to work on balancing my circadian rhythms, which are extremely important for our sleep, hormonal balance, digestion, metabolism, and pretty much every other process in the body.

Those who tout the benefits of properly managed circadian rhythms encourage getting outside in morning sunlight as soon as possible after you wake up to get your internal clock ticking the way…

I’ve always known my chronic gut issues (IBD) were undoubtedly linked to stress. I developed them when I was around 13, a time that I now realize I started putting enormous pressure on myself to succeed academically, not to mention fit in socially and — be good at everything, basically (except sports since apparently my lack of team athletic ability was just a given).

However, it hasn’t been until the last few years that I’ve truly realized just how big of a driver stress is in my illness and mental health. …