This is it, folks. Only one month left to go in 2020. But as much as we would like to think that 2021 will put all this hardship behind us, it’s not like all our difficulties disappear on January 1. And so, as we count down these final days, let’s remember to cut ourselves a little slack. Because you know what happens to Jack when he’s all work and no play, right?

Christopher Stork of Three Storks kicks us off with exactly that theme, finding himself talking more and more to himself. It’s especially challenging when you’ve got to juggle all these additional responsibilities as a temporary homeschool teacher of sorts. When your kitchen becomes the virtual teacher’s lounge, when you keep staring at the same four walls for months on end, it’s enough to drive anyone batty. Pandemic parenting is hard. We get it. But, “part of the day is recess.”

Morten Rand-Hendriksen on LinkedIn Learning shares a pretty big milestone with us. He’s celebrating ten years and over 100 courses on the platform. You might remember that he started back in November 2010 with a WordPress essential training course on Lynda, a platform that would later become LinkedIn Learning. As much as his post is about looking back at his journey, it’s also about looking forward. And that’s exactly it; we’ve all got to keep growing, learning and moving forward.

During this pandemic, some people have taken up hobbies. Or they’ve started working on projects they’ve put off for far too long. But here’s the thing. As Danny Forest reminds us, entertaining yourself can be productive too. There’s nothing wrong with playing video games or binging Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. If anything, entertaining yourself is excellent for your mental health. It’s not a waste of time if it brings you happiness or you learn something from it. Rest, recharge, and tackle life’s challenges anew.

What does “being rich” mean to you? Julia Ubbenga of Rich in What Matters challenges us to reconsider this notion of “rich” to go beyond material wealth. Like the name of the site says, it’s about being rich “in what matters.” To that end, she writes about how minimalism can lead to a life that is more meaningful, more joyous, more filled with quality rather than quantity. It’s not about amassing as many friends as you can, but rather nurturing stronger relationships. Make room for reflection and creativity.

And finally, we end on a note that is both somber and uplifting. Over on The Dad, Yael Meshulam writes about the relationship that the late Alex Trebek had with his adopted daughter Nicky. All of us knew Trebek as the legendary host of Jeopardy. He reminded us that it was cool to be smart and know things. But what many of us didn’t see was just how great of a dad he was too. If you check out Nicky’s profiles on social media, it’s obvious enough how much she adored her dad.

All work and no play make Homer go something something. So, get out there and play. Or rather, stay in and play along to some Jeopardy reruns. We could all stand to learn something, right?