Hi everyone and happy MM for one last time in 2020...

Welcome to that weird week in between the hype of Christmas and the expectations of a new year.

Chances are you're home taking stock of the year that was while staring at the fridge contemplating finishing off the last bits of the Christmas dinner leftovers and berating yourself for not going for a run and wondering why so much thought and effort goes into considering your next move on Netflix instead of other more important aspects of your life. Or is it just me...?!

Today I have a couple of TV recommendations, list suggestions and points of reflection to help you see through the next few days and start 2021 with your best foot forward.

Lists

For your body

Put the following in your mouth at least once per day:

• Something green

• 1 litre of water

• Vitamin D

• Something homemade (i.e. not from a packet)

And do at least one of these each day (use your common sense here and don't do any exercise that is too much – if you're not sure, the answer is generally "no")

• 30-minute walk

• Take the stairs in your building

• 10 airsquats, 3 times

• Lie on the floor and stand up, 10 times

For your mind

• Smile at yourself in the mirror and mean it (no one has to know...)

• Send messages of gratitude to people you love (text, email, smoke signals...)

• Breathe, slowly and gently, with your eyes closed for 10 breaths

• Clean your bathroom – you'll love yourself for it afterwards!

Reflecting on the year that was and looking forward to the next

We're going to keep this very simple. When looking back on this year, what would you like more of and what would you like less of?

Of course, there'll be the obvious elements that highlight the frustrations and painful aspects of this crazy year, but dig a little deeper and try to unravel the parts you can control and choose to enhance these or say no.

• Which people would you like to invest more energy into? Who a little less?

• Which activities, hobbies and habits would you like to expand? Which could you probably do with letting go?

• At work or in business, what worked well and deserves more resources? What didn't pay off and perhaps could be reconsidered?

Watch

Long-term readers will know that every year I urge everyone to watch the movie About Time for its life affirming vibe and joyous reminder to live your life as if you only get one chance. If you've not watched it, consider yourself reminded and for those who have, it’s time for a re-watch.

Maybe you're not quite ready for a full dose of positivity and would prefer to err on the side of cautious optimism? Cool, Years and Years is for you. This six-part series follows an English family through the trials and tribulations of the near future as the global political, financial and environmental landscapes change dramatically. This will be my third run through; it's dark but brilliant. It reminds me that things could be a lot worse, but we should be mindful now to help navigate ourselves towards a brighter future.

If you need a little reminder that humankind can in fact still be humankind, Untouchable (French, English subtitles) is perfect. A quadriplegic gentleman finds hope in the most unlikely of people as his search for a carer crosses paths with a disgruntled young man who's living on the edge. (BTW The Upside is an American remake, in English with English subtitles.)

Thanks so much for reading this year. We truly appreciate your support while we've done our best to keep the spines of London moving a bit better than when we found them.

Stay special,

Luke X