We are officially in 2020, a new decade. Have you thought of your new year resolutions yet?

New year resolutions are often linked to improving our health, like stop smoking or starting a new diet and as well to save money isn’t it?

I will give you mine, and I will avoid to write about cliché topics like dieting, saving money etc. I’ll give you my 1,2,3 top resolutions and keep it real.

Big long term goals start in small steps, we seem do not realize but small effortless life changes can really make a difference and improve our way of living.

After talking to nutritionists, life coaches and personal trainers, I nailed down my top three resolutions. Some have started late in 2019..

My nutritionist and life coach once said: “I can give 100 different types of dietary regimes but they won’t work unless people change bad habits that we don’t even realize how much they negatively impact our daily life”

Yes, loosing weight, feeling better it is NOT just food related.

1. MEDITATION

Meditation is key. Now widely recognized practice, meditation helps as stress relief, and according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “ Some research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia.”

Personally, I was sceptical when I was introduced to meditation a bit over a year ago but when I have started facing challenges in 2019 due to my divorce, I gave it a try and it magically worked. My sleepless nights suddenly disappeared, I was able to have a good 8 hours rest, real rest. I could not believe it. I never went to meditation courses, classes or workshops, I took YouTube and looked for “Ho'oponopono mediation sleep” and that was it. Every night I meditate alone 20 minutes before going to sleep and it changed my life.

2. SCREENTIME, we love you and we hate you

This is a hard one but hear me out. Studies show how exposing ourselves, or our kids, to screentime the two hours before bed time can seriously jeopardize our sleep.

Do you want to know why?

Computers, televisions, tablets and other electronic devices give off all colors of light. Evidence has been emerging that these screens can disrupt the body’s clock. Data show that this blue light tends to make us more alert at night. That makes it harder to fall asleep and get all the rest we need.

More in depth, our body typically releases an hormone called melatonin around 9pm to help us feeling tired but studies have shown that, when our brain is exposed to the lights of our electronic devices, our brain produces much less amount of melatonin which then results to poor quality of sleep and feeling more tired, cranky and less focused in the morning.

Personally 2 hours without any device seemed almost impossible to accomplish for me. I work full-time and on different time-zones, in the evening I might have meetings after my kids go to sleep or I have assignments for the university (yep, graduating at 40 year old, better than never right?) so I negotiated the 2 hours to 1 hour before going to bed and it works. A small change with amazing benefits.

3. FIND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE, DO WHAT YOU LOVE

This is a crazy one. Here’s why.

People that know me know that, if you ask me what is my career goal, I would tell you to become a director and I am working hard to get there (university included).

But if you ask me what’s my dream job? This is whole different question with a totally different answer. My dream job? I have been dreaming of having my own bikini line since over 10 years! Nothing would make me happier than having my own luxury bikini line.

This is crazy, I have a dream job since 10 years, I want it so much so why not pursue it to make it happen? Because like many others, my mind plays with me. I start thinking about the challenges, such as lack of time, money, not knowing where to start and what if it goes bad. This is our mind throwing at us all sort of anxieties and insecurities but your guts tells you that you would be the happiest person on earth if you achieve it. Always follow your guts they say right?

The energy that is triggered when we do what we like, the passion that comes within is not comparable. So I am going to ask you, what’s your dream? What’s your purpose in life?

This 2020 I want you to work toward making that dream a reality, even if it will take time, even if you will put it on hold for a while, it does not matter, it is part of the process.

My 3 New Year resolutions that I want to become yours RIGHT NOW.

What are you waiting for?

Just do it.

Go for it.