Hi, my friends! This topic is one that someone requested in my reader survey a while back, and I was all for writing it.

But you know what’s funny? Last year, right around this time, I also wrote a post about how we can make the most of the last 90 days of 2019. Little did I, or we, know what 2020 would bring us just a few months later.

Let’s be honest, this year has been pretty tough for us all for many reasons. And I’m right there in it with you. But, I feel like I’ve learned so much this year about myself and about life, and I want to take it all with me and grow from it.

Even though this strange time has been going on for so long, it’s not forever. In the grand scheme of things, we will look back on this as a short-term hard spot.

That being said, here we are into the last 90 days of 2020. And although many of us are ready to say goodbye to this year and never look back, maybe we can end it much better than it’s been for the last several months?

How we can make the most of the last 90 days of 2020

Keep yourself healthy, and remember that precautions matter.

First of all, I think it’s important that we continue to maintain and even step up our precautions to avoid illness. It took a global pandemic to get us to stay home when we are sick and actually think about how we could possibly spread it to others.

It also took a global pandemic to get us to wash our hands more frequently and more vigorously. And it took a global pandemic for us to realize that when you’re out and about touching lots of things that other people touch, you shouldn’t then touch your face or nose or eat with your hands until you can wash up thoroughly.

In addition, this situation has reminded us that many airborne illnesses are shared inside when you’re in close proximity to other people you know or don’t know. All of these things are lessons we are taking with us. (Also, it’s probably a good idea to get your flu shot, if you haven’t already.)

There will always be things that come up in life that are out of our control. But I think we can all agree that it’s better to be safe and take precautions for yourself and your family, especially in cold/flu/COVID season.

Don’t let your guard down just yet, friends. Take care of yourself, and do your part to protect others too.

Start something new now. Don’t wait.

Why is it that we think we should wait until everything is perfectly organized and in line in our lives before starting something new?

If you’re like me, you want to make sure you have all the answers before jumping into something. You want to make sure you are beyond 100 percent ready, and you always expect that “ready time” to be just around the corner. But it’s very clear to me that this isn’t always the best idea. And the more I try new things and listen to successful entrepreneurs talk about trying new things in their lives, this message comes across as consistent: Do not wait until you are ready. Start now and adjust as you learn.

I think if you have something you’ve been wanting to do — whether that’s apply for a new job, start a blog, start an Instagram account, try a new workout program, invent a product or whatever it may be … you may as well just go for it now. We have no idea what things will look like at the beginning of 2020. So why don’t we just move on with our lives as best as we can right now?

Think about how much further along you will be with your new endeavor if you get it off the ground now, instead of three or four months from now?

Do more with what you have, rather than focusing on complaining.

How often have you found yourself complaining about what you can’t do? Me too.

But here’s the deal: Mindset is everything. You can probably do way more with what you have in your current situation than you are realizing. Remember this!

For the first couple months of quarantine, I complained that I didn’t have access to a gym or kid-care, so I couldn’t get in a great workout. That’s not true. I have self-motivation. I have access to a barbell and a resistance band and a Peloton. I have a husband who can help in the evenings. I have fitness knowledge. And I have many digital fitness programs I can choose from to do at home. I have a lot. No, I still don’t have the gym kid-care, nor do I have the in-person classes that I love so much, but I have what I need. And once I started to understand that, I decided to stop complaining about working out at home. It’s not that big of a deal. And this is just one example, but it works for so much.

No, 2020 has not been kind to us. But what if we used it to help us find a better mindset toward everything we encounter moving forward?

We have so much more than we appreciate. I’m HERE for that mental shift.

Move more, and never stop moving.

There are times in your life when you shouldn’t do much movement. Whether that’s after recovering from childbirth or dealing with a serious illness. And you’ll know if you are in the position where you should be resting rather than moving.

But other than that, movement is beneficial. Movement gives you energy. Movement improves your health. Movement improves your mental state. You need movement to live.

If you’ve let movement fall by the wayside; if you’ve never had a great workout plan in place; or if you are consistent with your workouts but then spend the rest of the day sitting on your butt in front of the computer — now’s the time to fix that.

Schedule stretch breaks, talk lunch-time walks, begin a new digital workout program or even play a sport. Just move. No matter how strange or bad things in our lives are, we have to move. End of story.

Invest in things that bring you return. Say goodbye to the rest in an effort to streamline your life.

Family time. Health and wellness. Self-care. Mindfulness. These things are important. They are worth investing in. A new outfit may bring you a little bit of pleasure (which I’m all for), but I wouldn’t waste too much thought on things or people that don’t really give you something good in return.

Have you felt yourself streamline your life a bit the last few months? I think that’s a great thing. I’ve definitely done it.

Perhaps during these last 90 days, we can pare it down to just the essentials of what we like to do, what we have to do and what we want to do — no need for extra things or extra heartaches that aren’t necessary.

Maybe it means cutting back on social media scrolling, or politely stepping back from a group of friends that aren’t right for you, or deciding to sit out from activities that aren’t adding to your life. This will look different for everyone, but I bet you already know how it looks for you. 

A reference from the kitchen that we all may understand: “Trim the fat.”

Establish a healthy and beneficial morning routine, and turn it on autopilot.

During quarantine, I think a lot of our normal routines wavered a bit. But now that we know what we’re dealing with — whether that means working from home, helping your kids do virtual school, or whatever it may be — we should get that morning routine in line. It’s so important for your mindset to have a great start to the day, otherwise, you’ll be rushing around or pouting from the outset.

The beauty of a morning routine (or any routine, for that matter), is that if you do it regularly enough, it starts to turn on autopilot, and you don’t have to think about it, you just do it. So figure out what you need in your morning routine, write it down, take the steps to make it happen, and continue to repeat it day after day.

For me, my morning routine always consists of the following things:

Wake up, do a 10-minute meditation using the Calm app, drink about 20 ounces of room temperature water, then get Brady up and begin our day together. I do not check my phone (meaning no emails or social media) until all these things have been done. It’s super simple, but it’s how I like to start my day.

Maybe your morning routine will include drinking lemon water or reading some devotionals or going for a run or walk. You do you. But find that routine, do it every single day, and turn it into something that you do without thinking, and you can continually reap the benefits of setting the tone for a good day.

Plan fun things. Do those fun things.

Fun isn’t cancelled. And I feel like a lot of us haven’t had as much fun this year as we had hoped, being stuck at home in strange conditions. Because I get it — postponed big events, cancelled vacations, no big gatherings, public closures — all of these things can definitely put a damper on fun. 

If you’re like me, you like to always have something fun to look forward to on the horizon. That’s been tough about the last few months, is that we can’t really do many of the fun things we used to do. But there are other things we can do — that I am sure of.

Lately, I’ve been trying to have at least one or two fun family outings on the calendar for us to do on the weekends, and it’s been so nice to know we have something coming up.

Yes, you may need to think out of the box to keep it safe, but try to include others, and be intentional about the fun aspect. Fun is always a good idea.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this post. I’m wishing you a really strong end to 2020 during these last 90 days, my friends. We’ve got this! 🙂 xoxo

Other posts you may like …

• Five things you should be doing in your 30s for your life and health
• Three helpful mindset shifts I’ve made recently
• What I’ve learned while working with a life coach
• Three health and wellness books that changed my life

Questions of the day

What’s something you want to focus on for the last 90 days of 2020?

How was your weekend?

What are you most excited for during October, November and December?