2020 Key Lessons + Moving Forward

I think we can all vouch that 2020 has been a challenging year for a lot of us. Yet in this trying year, a lot of us have learned so much about ourselves and others, about what is important and what has shaped this past year.

Personally, I have dealt with both growth, challenges and realisations and wanted to share this with you so we can all help each other embark on this journey and move forward into a brand new year with clarity. Self reflection is a key part of growth and if that is something you are striving towards in 2021, then keep on reading...

To sum up my 2020 key life lessons, I have categorised this into a few different sections:

Health

As much as physical health is important, mental health has definitely been a challenge for a lot of us in the year of a global pandemic. Whether you were working from home, isolating, or not able to go out and experience life like you used to, this past year has definitely taken a toll on our mental health. 2020 was the year I really had a stronger focus around mental wellbeing and I tried to understand this through different platforms. This included listening to podcasts, following various Instagram accounts and watching YouTube videos. I learned a lot about myself and realised that as much as I love socialising and catching up with friends, I also frigging love my own company and became more at peace with spending time by myself. I would consider myself an "introverted extrovert" (yes, I've officially coined that term).

Moving forward: understand exactly what you are thinking, feeling and experiencing. What would you like to do with that thought, feeling, experience? How would you like to change that? Do you just need someone to simply listen to you? Do you need advice on a particular area of your life? Do you need to speak to a specialist? The more you can understand what you are going through, the more easier it will be to manage it better.

Relationships

Whether this be in regards to family, friends or significant others, I am sure we have all experienced relationships that have both strengthened and weakened, and some that have just grown apart. I feel 2020 has put relationships into perspective both in terms of the expectations for that relationship and your contribution to it. I know for myself at least, I have recognised where my strengths lie in maintaining different relationships and what my weaknesses are. In addition, I feel this has taught us to really value the relationships we wish to sustain and realise how important they are amongst a very difficult year of unfortunate illnesses and deaths. I personally have become a lot closer to family and have realised the importance of it more so now than ever as well as work on my existing relationships that I hold.

Moving forward: This is a great opportunity for you to speak openly with your loved ones about your relationship. Do you feel there is something the other person could do better? What is it they expect from you? Can you identify your areas of development to help better the relationship? This is also a great time to establish your own boundaries and expectations of your relationships and use that as a benchmark to determine what you allow, not allow and if a person is meant to be in your life. Remember, lets get rid of toxicity and embrace good energy.

Passions

As we have had more time to spend with ourselves and perhaps more down time than in former years, it have given us the opportunity to explore our interests and find out a little bit more about ourselves. I have always had a creative flair in my body but never really had the time to take on any new hobbies as I am just about maintaining my current interests. But this year has given me a little more free time to pursue new things hence I had decided to take up painting and calligraphy. I have my own collection of art materials which I am currently practicing with and have bigger ideas on how to monetise this to create a whole new project in the future.

On the flip side however, I have had goals that have not been fulfilled. One is the launch of my podcast with TheTahmiLife. This was frustrating for me but I also realised that it is okay. It does not benefit me to just be annoyed at myself rather I have now looked at ways that I can make this possible in the new year by scheduling in daily habits and weekly goals to work towards this. FYI, keep your eyes peeled for this. (If being a guest speaker talking about all things life, goals, self improvement and relationships sounds of interest, please visit my Contact Page with the subject INVOLVEME).

Moving forward: Identify what your interests are and if you had any specific goals in 2020. Did you achieve them? If not, what were your challenges and why? How can you overcome this so it does not happen in this new year? I have created a habit tracker using the app 'Loop Habit Tracker' - basic but efficient. I have set out small daily habits that I wish to bring into my life including meditation, yoga, drinking more water etc. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit, so the more conscious you are of what you are doing, the more likely it will help you achieve your ambitions.

What are the key lessons you have learned in 2020? Let us know in the comments below to help share each other's experiences and help us all grow. Know that you are not alone.