You are almost to the end of this indescribably unpredictable year that is 2020. All year round, just when you think you’ve had the worst ever, this “absolutely no one’s favorite year” will hit you with just one more of its finest. When you look back on the year that was, you think to yourself “what in the world just happened?!”. It’s almost as if it passed you by in a blink of an eye yet so many things changed. That nagging feeling that you’re waking up to the set of every dystopian movie you’ve ever watched, or that hollow pit in your stomach every time you see the news and something more horrible than the last happened, are only among the things you’re really not looking forward to anymore.
But hey, you made it! Bruised, shaken and a little broken, maybe? But an amazing survivor nonetheless! You won’t challenge this year (and all the coming years) to “bring it on” or “come at me, see what happens” but you already know you’re stronger than you ever gave yourself credit for and you could probably survive a zombie apocalypse if the world ever comes to that (not that we’re giving 2020 any more ideas).
Before you go marching into the next year with your head held high, you might want to take stock of what happened and pause what lessons you can take with you as you move forward. No matter how cruel 2020 has been for a lot of people, it can’t be denied that it did teach you a lot of invaluable lessons that you probably would not have learned had you been living in your comfort zone all this time.
Health is indeed wealth (mental and physical)
This is probably one of the oldest and most used cliches in the book, but 2020 taught you that this is absolutely true. How many times did a common cold or a cough paranoid the living daylights out of you this past year? Didn’t you just finish that bottle of multivitamins in your counter that would have probably just expired had it been any other year?
An increasing number of people’s opinions on wellness and nutrition has shifted during the pandemic and are now taking their overall well being seriously. You were somehow forced to revisit what food and drinks you’ve been putting in your body this whole time and made some changes around how and what you eat. Because of the sudden surplus of time in your hands, you’ve finally had the time to be physically active through home workouts online.
You’ve also learned that your mental health is and should be a priority. Everything starts with the mindset and it’s an essential ingredient to everything you want to happen in your life. Toxic positivity is a real thing and hopefully, you know better than to feel forced to act and be okay if you’re not. You’re aware that you can’t give from an empty cup, and you know full well that every good deed starts from yourself.
It’s okay to slow down sometimes
Who would have thought the world would go on lockdown? Seriously. The most recent historical example similar to what the world has just experienced happened in 1918 during the 1918 flu epidemic. No one from today’s generation ever imagined that huge establishments will close down, countries will seal its borders, people will be forced to work from home, and everyone will be asked to wear masks outside!
But, because of this situation, almost everyone was forced to “slow down” and take a break. You no longer need to rush to the metro or the bus station to catch the route going to school or to work. You no longer need to rush to meetings or travel for conferences and engagements. Suddenly, and probably for the first time for some people, you had time to be alone with your thoughts and reflect on the things happening around you. You finally had time to actually sit down, close your eyes in the morning, enjoy a hot cup of coffee and meditate before you start your day. Hopefully, even if things normalize slowly, you no longer need to go back to the old “always-on-the-go” you. Boundaries are important, therefore must be set and strictly observed in both your personal and professional life.
You’re (so much) stronger than you think
If there’s only one thing that 2020 should have taught you, it should be this - you are here, you have made it and you are definitely stronger than you think. The fact that you’re there reading this article is already a testament to that.
Did you ever think you’d survive everything you’ve just survived? Well, guess what? Even if you are your greatest critic and you bet against yourself in the beginning, it doesn’t matter. Because you’ve proven to yourself, in more ways than one, that “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”.
So go ahead and give yourself a nice pat on the back and say “good job bud, always knew you’d make it”. You are a winner in every sense of the word, and this is only the beginning.
2020 is a force to reckon with, no one would dare deny that. It shook you and challenged you but hopefully pointed you towards the right direction. In 2021, make hugs count, conversations more meaningful, connections more authentic and adventures more worthwhile.
You already know what you’re made of, what you’re capable of and what matters. What else is stopping you? Head off to 2021 with your head held high and your mindset game strong. This next year is going to be another opportunity to reach for that dream, work on that goal, and make it happen.
Hero Image by Oleksandra Ivleva on Unsplash
