8 tips for making the most out of 2021

2020 is almost done. Say it again with us. 2020 is almost done!

Those could be some of the most beautiful words ever spoken! If it was appropriate to swear in this blog then we would because goodness me has it been a year like no other. But hey, 2021 is just around the corner, and that means a chance to move on from whatever this year was and make next year as awesome as possible.

In that vein, we've had our 8 wonderful Altitude studio owners provide some of their wisdom on ways to set yourself up for 2021. They're all very different people and so we have 8 very different takes on that topic, from tips, to their own New Years rituals, and even some business advice!

Christchurch Central/North Shore/The Mount & big Altitude boss lady 👑

My tip for making 2021 awesome: Invest in yourself!

Whether that's through education, fitness, time. It's very easy to put others first and keep pushing through when we're tired, but by making ourselves a priority, we make ourselves better and therefore have a better version to offer others.

By investing in your education you increase your work skills and efficiency. By investing in your fitness you will feel better and produce better results all round. By investing in time for yourself, the time you do give to others will be more valuable. If you are tired and down, rather than pushing through and having a crappy week, being short with everyone and doing a half ass job, take a day to yourself, go for a walk, read a book, do something you love. Then have the rest of the week feeling awesome, being better to the people you love and getting more out of that week than you would have otherwise. INVEST IN YOURSELF, it really does give the best return.

Onehunga/North Shore/The Mount, doesn't believe in giving one word answers 💬

My ritual at the start of every year is to sit down with my partner over a Gin and Tonic in a stunning location. We go through our calendar from last year, month by month, and talk about all the amazing things we are grateful for and how we overcame the challenges that came up for us. Then we decide on 3 things we want to do that year. We ask "If time and money were not a factor, what would we love to do?"

We try to write down as many ideas as we can in 5 minutes. The answers usually range from "Fly to the Moon" to "Grow a plant and keep it alive for a whole year". From there, we pick out our top 10. Narrow it down to 3 by comparing them (for example, "Fly to the Moon or Grow a plant?")

Once we have our 3, we ask "No bullshit, what would it take?"
This is where we think of everything it might require. After that, we add 30% of the time, money and effort we initially think it will require.

Even if we don't achieve what we set out to do in that year (we hardly ever do) at least we have some intention and direction which sets us up well.

Whanganui/Palmerston North, knows her way around Google Sheets 📊

As busy as December seems, remember it's still a whole month of the year. You can still achieve lots of things throughout December, so if you've got all these goals for 2021, the best way to make sure you achieve them is not to put them off till "next year" or even "next week", start putting those things in place today, even if it's just baby steps this month.

Wigram, if she ever offers to take you to breakfast then GO 🥣

My advice for 2021 would be to make New Year's priorities rather than resolutions. Resolutions are notoriously hard to stick to whereas priorities give clarity on what is actually important.

North Shore/The Mount, high functioning morning person 💃

I like to make space each morning for a beach walk or bit of yoga to give my mind 30 minutes of calm before starting the day.

Drury, doesn't like giving advice for blogs 😂

I am going to spend a week at my dad's lifestyle block, turn the phone off, feed the horses, look at the stars blah blah unplug and recharge. Something like that.

Also, don't open a business in a pandemic (told you there'd be business advice!).

Nelson, opened a business during a pandemic 😮

An easy habit that makes a huge difference is drinking water. For 2021 get a 1 litre drink bottle and aim to drink 2 full bottles a day. It’s not only good for your skin but your muscles and energy levels too! If you’re a serial snacker like me you may just be thirsty, so drink some water first, wait ten minutes and if you’re still hungry then grab yourself a snack. Water is especially important over these summer months, stay hydrated so that you can train your best!

Redwood, loves the word 'shit' 🤭🤣

Many years ago my husband told me not to worry about something that hasn't happened - so instead of spending time thinking or worrying about something I don't have control of or don't know the outcome of, I just let it be and deal with it when it's relevant/happening/I do have control.

The other thing that I think helps keep me in balance is acknowledging crap feelings, feeling them, accepting them and then letting them go. Shit happens (and sometimes it happens often) and it can be easy to dwell or sit in those feelings for too long - running different scenarios or responses, wondering why it’s happened or continuously coming back to it and letting it rule your vibe but this doesn’t achieve anything and can have run on effects into other areas of your life. Ultimately it’s not worth the time and energy and you usually can’t change anything because it’s already happened. SO, you just have to let it go and be like right, well that was shit, it did help me learn/get stronger/become more resilient/whatever positive you might be able to pull from it, and even though it really annoys me that it happened, that’s that and I’m done.

Some great pointers and ideas on how to start 2021 the right way and keep it going all the way through. It's been one hell of a year, but we can't wait to see each and every one of you keep smashing your way through life next year. Have the most merry Christmas and the happiest New Year!

Love, Altitude x