You Don’t Have to Be an Editor or Influencer to Enjoy This Year-End Ritual

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We have this thing here at Apartment Therapy called The Best List . Our team tests and reviews household essentials to reccomend the very best ones to add to your space. And you’ll notice plenty of year-end roundups coming at you from all sorts of sources around this time of year. As the calendar year comes to a close, it’s a natural time to stop and reflect on the best things we bought, ate, watched, or enjoyed in 2020.

But you don’t need to be an editor or influencer to take that on. In fact, I think making your own 2020 Best List is a great way to reflect on how and what you consume (in many ways) throughout the year. Identifying and documenting the things that you most enjoyed this year helps you reassess your priorities (during what can be a really consumer-centric season). A list of your favorite things from the year will help you make more room for what you really value, and give you clarity to skip (and save money on) the things you don’t.

Make a year-end list of your favorite things to gain clarity about what matters most to you. The best way to be intentional with your shopping year-round is to spend money only on things you value, and skip buying the things that you don’t.

Day 17: Make your own 2020 “Best List.”

Make a list of the things you bought and liked (or watched, or ate…) in 2020. You can do this in a notebook or bullet journal, or in a note on your phone.

Here are some things you might want to add to your list:

Furniture or decorative items

Candles

Cleaning tools or supplies

Organizers

Other home essentials

Life hacks

Daily habits, rituals, or routines

Skincare or grooming products

Media like movies, albums, books, games, newsletters, podcasts, or online classes

Accounts to follow on Instagram or Pinterest

Local and/or small businesses to support

Walking, running, or hiking routes

Words or phrases you learned

Meditation exercises, or fitness equipment or classes

Toys or gadgets (for you, or kids, or pets)

Apps

Office supplies

Kitchen tools

Cookbooks, recipes or new ingredients

Grocery store favorites or snack items

The best gifts you got/gave, or ways you kept in touch with friends

Consider if this is something you might like to share with friends or family (or social media followers), but no pressure to do so. You can keep it just for yourself, or even trash it right now, knowing that just making the list is helping you reset your priorities for the new year.

More Ways to Participate in the Holiday Cure:

Sign up for email updates

Visit the 2020 Holiday Cure page and catch up on assignments

Save or print your own Holiday Cure tips workbook

Download the Holiday Cure calendar

Join the Apartment Therapy Cure Facebook group