New years are always a good thing; it’s a symbol of new beginnings, of moving forward, and of progress. It’s a reminder that no matter how broken you think you are, you get to have another shot - you can right the wrong and put one foot in front of the other, hopefully towards the right direction.
This year sure have made you aware that you’re stronger than you ever were and capable of doing so much more. As you gear up and get ready to leave 2020 behind, have you ever asked yourself: “what’s the one thing I did in 2020 that I absolutely don’t want to do anymore next year?” Or maybe, what’s the one thing I did this year that I’d like to do more of in the coming year?
You’re here, you’re strong, you’re ready - now what? Don’t let your momentum go to waste! Harness all that positivity brought about by looking forward to the next and buckle it up with all the grit you’ve developed from 2020’s challenges and use it to take things to the next level in 2021. Not sure where to start? Here are 5 things you can start with:
Nutrition and Fitness
Don’t ever get tired of being reminded that “health is wealth”, because it is and you know that it is. You can’t do anything when you’re lying sick in bed. You definitely won’t be able to reap the fruits of your hard work when you’re too weak to enjoy them. The good thing about taking your nutrition and fitness to the next level in 2021 is, it doesn’t need to be time-consuming, costly or inconvenient. This is an aspect in your life that’s only going to get better as you put effort into it. There’s no losing when you’re healthy, and the first step to ensure that is to pay attention to what you do with your body and what you put in it.
Mental Health and Self-Care
You can’t give from an empty cup, that’s a plain and simple fact. Most of the time, you are your worst critic and you’re not even aware that you are. Your mental health is very important because it affects the way you feel, the way you think, and the way you relate to yourself and to others. It has a lot to do with how you handle daily stress in your life and how you process emotions. Making an effort to improve your mental health makes so much sense if you realize how this impacts the quality of your life.
Productivity
This one may be a bit of an extreme for some people. Some people may have been “too productive” during the past year to the point of feeling burnt out, or “not productive at all” because of too many distractions and disturbances. Regardless where you are in this spectrum, it’s not too late to change. It’s never too late to lay down your priorities and goals, figure out the best way to achieve them, and decide which among those you want to knock out first.
Career
For some people who work in industries hugely impacted by the pandemic, 2020 might be one of the worse, if not the worst year, ever. A lot of people have been laid off, demoted, working hours reduced or other benefits put on hold or taken away. 2021 gives you a chance to reassess what you want in life in terms of career. If you’re unemployed, maybe it’s a chance to revisit your steps and see how you could use what happened to propel you in the right direction. Take one step backward, then 2 steps forward. If you’re employed, ask yourself: are you really where you want to be?
Relationships
With social distancing and lockdown regulations in place in many areas all over the world, 2020 sure took a toll on a lot of relationships. While it may be true that technology helped a lot in bridging the “gap” with the virtual meetings and conversations happening, there is still nothing better than a face to face conversation with another human being. The reactions and expressions are real-time, and you don’t have to worry about a crappy internet connection or forgetting to unmute! In 2021, and assuming (and hoping) that situations will slowly go back to normal, it might be time to reconnect with people who are important to you and rethink who among them are you willing to go that extra mile for to keep in your life.
This article is the first of a six-part series which aims to open a more in-depth discussion on each of the above aspects. “Leveling up” may sound intimidating and scary, but it shouldn’t. Similar to the online games that you play, you need to “be more” as you make progress. Your character has to be stronger, better equipped to face the villains and move on to the next.
You hope that 2021 will be so much better than 2020, but the question is, how will 2021-you be better than the 2020 version?
Hero Image by Xan Griffin on Unsplash
