Reflections of 2020 — A year of building resilience

The pandemic this year disrupted human lives like never before, yet taught us how to lead in crisis and re-imagine the future. It forced all of us to rethink the way we live, shop, work and connect with one another. 2020 has turned out to be a great teacher.

Here’s what 2020 taught me:

1. A WHOLE LOT of Gratitude

I’ve never felt more grateful in my life to have a comfortable roof to live under, a well-paying job that pays my bills and the best support system — my family, life partner and friends who’ve always had my back. As Mary Davis rightly said, “The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see!”

Gratitude turns what we have into enough!

2. Prioritizing health & fitness is mandatory, not optional

Like most people, I treated exercise as a punishment for the longest time. A series of health issues due to lack of activity while working from home along with the scare of COVID-19 pushed me to prioritize health over everything else. I invested time and money to learn in depth about health and fitness from the experts. I incorporated sustainable habits that changed my relationship with food and exercise completely!

Walking 8–10k steps and drinking ~3L of water everyday is my new normal. This lifestyle upgrade not only improved my health, but also drastically boosted my energy levels and therefore my productivity.

Sometimes a workout is all the therapy you need! (Image source: Freepik)

3. Done is better than perfect

I aspire to work on lot of ideas/projects. Most of the time, I want put out something that is a hundred percent perfect which gets me anxious and I end up shelving it altogether. This year, I closely followed some inspirational entrepreneurs who gave me a fresh perspective.

I learnt that its nearly impossible to do something perfectly, so it’s better to focus on getting something that is 80% right and then go for it. This lead me to convert some of my thoughts to actions. I started micro-blogging, launched a website, learnt digital marketing and put it in practice. I rolled out content and continued working on enhancing it. I’ve learnt to enjoy the process and not just the end result. The mindset shift has been so liberating!

4. Invest in yourself. It pays the best interest.

I invested a considerable amount of time in 2020 in learning and implementing life skills that we can’t get away with. I consumed a lot of content on financial planning, investments and fitness.

I took up a Product management certification program from Cornell University to hone my skills as a PM. I also invested in some insightful digital marketing courses curated by some amazing women entrepreneurs. For recreation purposes, I binge watched a lot of gardening videos.

I can proudly say I became a jack of many trades in 2020 while I continue to work towards becoming master of a few.

Invest in your mind, invest in your health, invest in yourself! (Image Source : Freepik)

5. We all need a cheerleader in our life

I’ve been blessed with the best life partner and amazing group of friends who’ve been lifting me when I’m down, celebrating my wins and pushing me to reach greater heights.

Life can be hard and 2020 has been particularly hard for most of us. Its important to identify the person who is the greatest source of encouragement and positivity in our life, our cheerleader. Maybe there’s more than one person, hopefully many. I believe it is also every individual’s responsibility to be a cheerleader to their loved ones.

As I look ahead, I believe that at the heart of resilience is the ability to adapt. Thank you 2020 for the profound life lessons. Bring it on, 2021!