37 Lessons I Learned Since My Last Birthday

Every year around my birthday, I like to reflect on things I've learned and want to implement more in the next year. Since I turned 37, I listed 37 life lessons I would like to work on.

1. 1. Have a bigger rainy day fund than you think you need. Financial experts say we should have at least 3-6 months worth of savings ready for an emergency. Once everything is taken care of, you can add more in. It's best to keep it in a separate account so you don't get tempted to use it.

2. 2. Have enough toilet paper. Gosh, I totally did not expect for people to hoard toilet paper. I'm so glad we bought some the month before having to quarantine. I suggest having at least a month supply and adding a roll or two in your emergency kit.

3. Regularly declutter. When you regularly declutter, you won't have to block days off to get rid of stuff. It's simple to just have what you need and enjoy. Thank you Marie Kondo.

4. Utilize Face Time, Zoom, Houseparty more. Before having to quarantine, I used Face Time and Zoom once before. This quarantine made me realize that I can keep in touch with people that live far from me as well as those that live close but can't see all the time. It feels like you're with them seeing their face rather than just talking on the phone.

5. Have exercise equipment at home. Who knew the gyms would ever close for months? Those that had equipment at home were able to continue their workouts. But of course, body weight exercises work too.

6. Read more often. There are so many books to read and so much to learn. We can get way more from reading a book than watching TV.

7. Keep learning. Learning doesn't stop when we're out of school. Learn more to better yourself and the world. Take online courses. Read more books. Take classes for fun. Always be a student. Try out: Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, Masterclass, Creative Live or even a community college course.

8. Have multiple streams of income. Wow. This one is definitely necessary. No job is guaranteed. If you lose a job and you have multiple streams of income, it may not be that big of a deal.

9. Show appreciation. Doesn't it feel good when someone appreciates you? So show some appreciation often to people around you. Say "thank you" if someone does something nice for you.

10. Don't take people for granted. Life is short. Pay attention to how you speak to your loved ones. Be present when you're with someone you care about.

11. Have a regular friends hangout. Friends make life more enjoyable and it's known that friends can extend our life expectancy.

12. Have a shopping list ready. Shopping trips are more efficient when there is a list. What's helpful for me is to continuously add items we need to our household shared list on an app that my husband and I share. Not having a list leads to buying unnecessary items.

13. Don't care about what people think. I'm still working on this, but it's a must if you want to get anywhere in life.

14. Volunteer regularly. If everyone volunteered on a regular basis, the world would be a better place. If you can't volunteer your time, you can donate money to a worthy cause.

15. Give food gift cards to homeless people.

16. Limit time on social media. Social media can be addicting. It's so easy to scroll and scroll and lose track of time. Setting an app limit on all my social media apps helped me take control of my scrolling habit.

17. No social media before bed. This is a definite must. It's better to have a clear mind before bed. I set a timer on my phone for 10:00 pm to stop access to all social media.

18. Try new recipes. Life is more exciting when we vary what we eat. It's also more affordable and can be healthier depending on what you cook.

19. Respond to invites. Even if you know you can't make it to an event, respond saying you can't make it. I've been guilty of this and have learned my lesson. It's just common courtesy so you don't leave the host hanging.

20. Limit TV. It's so easy to binge TV these days and lose track of time. If watching TV is getting in the way of doing your important tasks, finish your tasks first, then watch TV.

21. Have a rest/veg out day. Rest days help us to recover from the week and to get ready for the week ahead. Having a rest day can make us even more productive and we're less likely to get burnt out.

22. Be mindful of what you touch. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, I didn't realize how often we touched our face and how many things we touch out in the world like door handles, exercise equipment, credit card key pads, elevator buttons and so much more. If we have anything to take away from this pandemic, it's to wash our hands more.

23. Do your best. Always. You can be a winner in anything if you gave your all.

24. Stretch daily. Stretching keeps you limber and can prevent injury.

25. Don't assume. We have no idea what anyone is really going through.

26. Do random acts of kindness just because. If we all did, I think the world would be a better place.

27. Pay attention to your new sources. Are they twisting the truth? Don't believe everything you read or see on TV. Always fact check.

28. Be grateful every day. Write it down or just think about at least 3 things you are grateful for every day. I use a 5 minute journal app to list it. Being grateful makes me a happier person.

29. Acknowledge people on their birthdays and other special events. I think it makes people feel good.

30. Support friends and families businesses. It takes a lot to start a business, but with support with friends and family it makes it easier. You can tell a friend, buy a product/service or even just share on social media.

31. Declutter your phone apps, computer files, pictures regularly.

32. Before you buy, think if it will bring you joy for months or even years from now.

33. Do the most important task on your to do list first thing in the morning. So many times I left my most important task for the end of the day after all my easy tasks were completed. I realized that I don't have enough energy at the end of the day to do my important task.

34. Plan out your upcoming week at least a couple days before it starts. Whatever doesn't gets scheduled, doesn't get done.

35. Schedule a block of free time each day where you can let your mind relax. The amount of time can vary each day. You could watch your favorite TV show, you could scroll social media, or even just sit there and let yourself just daydream.

36. Start to unwind your mind at least an hour or two before bedtime. I like to read a good book, preferably fiction or a biography.

37. Learn to say "no" with grace. It's okay not to go to every event if you're busy or don't want to go. Also, learn to accept if someone says "no" to you.

Do you reflect around your birthday or before each new year? I like to treat each birthday as a new year. What are some lessons you learned since your last birthday?

Keep growing in wisdom,

Robin