Key learning areas to help you kick-start 2021 on a positive note

Without a crystal ball, it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect at the start of any new year. At the dawn of 2020, many of us were predicting a bumper year. We simply got it wrong. Dubbed the ‘Year of Plenty’, 2020 turned out to be ‘anything but’ for many.

Lessons learned

While uncertainty and negativity seemed par for the course for the pandemic year, many of us did experience growth amidst difficult circumstances. In the face of disruption, we were forced to learn about life, ourselves, and society in general. What lessons did you learn?

To jump start your thoughts about your personal growth, let’s see what others had to say:

• “I’ve learned how to surrender with grace, whether I wanted to or not – practicing acceptance and adapting to my circumstances.”
• “As Covid-19 unfurled, and my plans and income started to crumble, I kicked into action as I often do with Plan B… and then Plan C… until I was out of plans – I’ve learned how to flexible.”
• “The events of Covid-19, have made it clear what really matters: health, family, and the well-being and safety of my community.”
• “It has been important to me to practice radical self-care, preserving a ritual in time of adversity”                                                

Takeaways from 2020

When a project or a specific event ends, it’s imperative to drill down to the important ‘take-aways’ as part of the project’s conclusion. There are always key areas to identify and learn from. These take aways can help you better prioritise focus areas for the next chapter and turn awareness into action.

• Be more resilient

This isn’t an innate skill. You need to practice it. If you find yourself consumed by negative thoughts, stop for a moment and consider your perspective. Is the current situation as serious as you envision? Could you be blowing things out of proportion? If you are faced with a difficult situation, rather than react immediately out of fear or anxiety, stop and refocus. Once you are calm, look at things more logically. By adapting positively, you can move out of a negative mental space to find a better way of dealing with your current situation.

• Think differently

The lockdown brought out the creative side of many people. Social media was filled with accounts of people – with plenty of time on their hands and stuck at home – trying out new things. Budding bakers, artists, knitters and musicians found happiness in their attempts at thinking outside of the box. Be creative and look at problems in a different light. Make a decision to take control of your life and make the best of the situation.

• Adopt flexibility

On the brink of financial ruin, many businesses have found innovative ways to stay afloat. When problems arise and anxiety kicks in, rather than dwell on the negative, tap into your creative side to find solutions. Start off small. Switch up your daily routine – change where you have lunch or call your partner and go for a date on the spur-of-the moment. If you keep a to-do list, make a section for things that have to be done by a certain date and another column for those things that can be done when you feel like it. Identify areas of your life where more flexibility could help to alleviate stress.

• Learn from mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up. Acknowledge the mistake, accept the consequences, and move on without judging or being too harsh on yourself. Turn other people’s mistakes into valuable lessons. Eleanor Roosevelt, former US First Lady, said: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” When making decisions, consider the choices of others – your family and friends, and colleagues, even politicians and celebrities. What choices did they make and what were the consequences?

2020 may not have been the visionary year many thought it would be, but as they say: ‘Hindsight is 20/20’. Let’s acknowledge the tough lessons and move forward with renewal in 2021.

If you need support, advice, or counselling please contact us on 0861 GOLIFE (465433), SMS “Wellbeing” to 43821, or email golife@healthichoices.com.

Resources:  https://www.mindtools.com/; https://www.kevinmd.com/; https://www.forbes.com/; https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/; https://project-management.com/; https://psychcentral.com/; https://quotepark.com/