I don’t think anybody was prepared for 2020. Prominent celebrities and political icons have died. COVID-19 has killed hundreds of thousands in the U.S. alone and has rendered even more people jobless. The entire world shut down. To make it worse, we’ve seen even more foolishness coming from our elected officials. More mass shootings; two on the same day back in February. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Rayshard Brooks. It has been intense.

It’s been a task just trying to process everything and pivot with the ever-changing circumstances. For sure the events of this year have made us all take a much-needed pause to collect ourselves. For many, it has dramatically altered our plans and goals. Things are different – harder even –  but I’m not ready to throw the year away just yet. We’re in the final quarter of 2020 and I still believe this can be my year – and yours too!

Below are three ways I’ve began to reclaim the remainder of 2020 and how you can as well. My prayer is that after reading these you’ll walk away with confident hope, excited expectation, and an actionable plan. Let’s get into it.

Refresh your goals

I don’t know about you, but some of my goals took a beating due to the pandemic. All of my travel plans were completely canceled and my business goals were delayed. You may find yourself in the same boat. Instead of throwing it all away, review the goals you had set, and see what needs to be adjusted. Tweak those goals or replace them with new ones. After you’ve written the new goals down, create a plan with actionable steps on how to accomplish them and every week review them to assess your progress.

Revive Your Relationship with God

Much like any relationship, our connection with God tends to grow stale if we don’t nurture it. In times of chaos and uncertainty, it’s easy to let your normal routine with God slip through the cracks. If you’ve found yourself there, it’s OK. I’m here to help you get back on track.

One thing you should do is get into the habit of spending time with God every day in prayer, Bible study, and worship. Focusing your attention on Him in a distraction-free environment will help you become closer to Him, know Him better, and grow in spiritual maturity and knowledge of your faith.

In addition to setting aside personal time with God, look into joining a local church. Some churches have opened back up for in-person services, but many are still offering a virtual church experience for those who are uncomfortable going into a building with other people right now. Being around other believers – either in person or online – is so important because it helps encourage and strengthen us in our faith and provides a safety net of accountability.

Prioritize self-care and personal development

I’m going to start by giving this disclaimer: I am NOT one of those people who believes you should have become an entrepreneur and started 27 businesses, built a house, lost 29.4 pounds, and homeschooled your children all while we were locked down in quarantine. Some of us were just barely hanging on and only managed to keep our bills paid, kids healthy, and ourselves sane, and THAT IS OK. This section isn’t about burdening you with an impossible list of things you should be doing to come out of 2020 killing it. I do, however, want to challenge you to find little ways to glow up mentally and physically.

One area that I’ve been really intentional about is my skincare. For me skincare is self-care. At the beginning of the year, I completely fell off of my skincare journey. In recent weeks I’ve jumped back in head-first, especially as the cooler months are rolling in. I’ve always been fairly good about the basics – washing, moisturizing, and wearing sunscreen – but I wanted to elevate my routine a bit. I’ve added a new facial steamer to my weekly facial routine, and it has been AMAZING. It really opens up the pores and helps your products really absorb into the skin better.

You may not need or want a facial steamer, but if your skincare has been an afterthought, look into trying some new products that will help you put your best face forward (literally).

If your skincare game is already A-1, try finding other ways to pamper your body a little more this year. Getting adequate rest, drinking more water, or growing your edges back are all excellent ways to love on your body as well.

On the other side of the coin, personal development has nothing to do with your physical and everything to do with your mental. Pandemic or not, a bad year or great year, at all times you should insist on elevating your knowledge and skills.

Invest in learning more about your field and perfecting your craft. There are so many ways to do this without ever having to leave home even. You can take courses online. You can watch a masterclass from an expert in your field. The oldest and easiest way, however, is to simply read books. Reading is the easiest way to learn from someone else’s trials, missteps, and successes so you can in turn get good results with half the drama. I’m currently reading “Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results” by Rob Biesenbach and will be following it up with “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

I pray my list has inspired you to find your own ways to reclaim the rest of this year. We’re in the last quarter, but the game is not over! You still have time to turn this around and end the year from a place of strength. I’m rooting for you!

Sound off in the comments: what are some ways you plan to reclaim 2020 and end the year strong?

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