2020 sucked! There’s no other way to put it. I don’t think there’s a single person that would say that they miss 2020. But despite all of the heartache and aggravations it gave us, it did give us some very important lessons that we can use in 2021 and beyond.
Always have emergency food and supplies stocked
While everyone should be always be prepared for emergencies, few people actually do it. Each household should have enough food and water for each family member to last at least two weeks. And not just for your human family members, this includes the furry family members as well. These emergency supplies should be kept in a safe place inside your home in case of disasters.
But if there’s one major thing that we’ve learned from 2020, it’s that we need to follow this advice and make sure that we have extra food on hand.
When the lockdowns began in 2020, everyone rushed to the grocery store over a two-day period and left the store shelves completely bare. For those that didn’t visit the store during those two days, there was nothing left to choose from.
It’s important that each household has enough food on hand in case the store shelves are bare again or in case of an unforeseen illness. For a list of all the supplies you should have on hand click here.
Keep Washing Your Hands and Avoid Touching Your Face
I don’t think any of us have washed our hands more than we did in 2020. Most of us have now become accustomed to washing our hands after touching any kind of surface.
We need to continue this little habit long after this pandemic ends. Because not only is washing our hands keeping us from getting the coronavirus, but it’s also protecting us against the flu, strep throat, and many other contagious illness that you can pick up from surfaces like door handles.
You Need a Savings Account
If there’s one other major lesson that 2020 taught us, it’s that you need a savings account in case of emergencies. Many people lost their jobs in 2020, more than any other year in history. And extra unemployment benefits and stimulus checks can only do so much to cover bills let alone necessities like food and medicine.
If you don’t already have a savings account, start now and save what you can. Figure out your total expenses for one month including bills, gas, food, and prescriptions. Your goal should be to save at least six months’ worth of total expenses in case of emergencies.
Of course this is going to take some time to build. And if finances are tight, it might take you a while to get there, but it’s better to start saving what you can now, than to never start at all.
Working from home is possible
Before lockdowns, the ability to work from home was an extreme privilege that only a few select people had access to. But with the sudden changes across the country in March 2020, companies had to find a way for their employees to work from home quickly. This meant buying software, webcams, printers, and other office equipment for home use.
But within a few weeks, even companies that had been against working from home soon found out that it was possible. And not only was it possible, but employees were able to keep up with their workload while working remotely and continue business as usual.
While some offices have required their employees to return full time, and other companies are alternating office days, there are still a few companies that have made working remotely a permanent arrangement. Hopefully many more companies will continue to offer remote work in the years to come.
Technology Isn’t So Bad
If the company you work for doesn’t prioritize technology, it’s very easy to fall behind the curve. And for companies that had not offered work from home privileges, there was a slight period of adjustment when it came to working remotely.
Many companies had not had much experience with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, or WebEx. But everyone was forced to learn these systems rather quickly in order to communicate effectively and continue business.
Businesses now realize how important it is to have this technology and how it has actually improved communication among team members. Since companies have conquered these technologies, it opens the doors for many other advances. The lesson here is that we should continue to advance and improve our processes so that are prepared for any future obstacles that may require us to pivot again.
There’s always more than one way to do something
After the lockdown closed a lot of businesses, they had to learn how to pivot quickly. Some of them had to change their business models overnight. The businesses that survived were the ones that were able to restructure in order to continue making money.
Restaurants began offering take out or delivery. Small shops and businesses created websites with online shopping so that they could still get sales. Yoga and pilates studios began offering virtual classes on Facebook. Painting studios began selling kits and hosting Zoom parties.
If you’re running your own business or working on a side hustle, you should be ready to pivot if you need to. Just remember that there are multiple ways to do something, you just have to get creative sometimes.
Family Time and Work Life Balance Matters
You may not know this but every year I choose a word of the year. My word for 2020 was “balance”. Before 2020, I felt burnt out. I felt like there was no separation between my work day and my personal time. I would come home and work or work on weekends.
After running what seemed like a million errands every weekend, there was also cleaning and laundry to be done. By the time Sunday rolled around, I would literally cry because I hadn’t felt like I had a break, and the week was about to start all over again.
That’s why I chose balance as my word of the year. Because I wanted to restore that balance so that I wouldn’t feel so stressed out all the time.
When businesses shut down and schools closed, it was sometimes hard for families to separate work and school from personal time since everything was suddenly being done at home. It took a little adjustment for many families. But soon, most people were able to separate work life from home life. And we began spending a lot more family time together.
It wasn’t long after the lockdowns started that I began to feel like the work life balance in my own life had been restored. The extreme tension in my neck was gone. I also felt more rested, especially since I didn’t have to spend over an hour in traffic each morning. I used that extra hour to sleep in, and it made such a difference!
Having quality family time and time to relax has been extremely beneficial to many people this past year. It’s not something that we should just forget about now that 2020 is over. We need to make sure that this balance stays in our lives in 2021 and in the years to come.
You’re Not Promised Tomorrow so Live For Today
People used to ask me why I chose to travel over saving money for retirement. They would tell me that the smart thing to do was to save money now, and travel after I retire. But my answer to them was always the same, “What if I don’t make it to retirement? What if something happens to me before that and I’m unable to travel? What if the places I want to visit aren’t there any longer.”
Between wars, natural disasters, and construction, there are many destinations that are disappearing.
In March of 2020, travel across the world was shut down. And it still hasn’t fully reopened. And even after it does reopen, any future pandemics could shut it down again.
There’s a lot of things that can happen between now and the time that we are able to retire, so I feel it’s more important to travel when we can instead of waiting.
A lot of us are guilty of putting off things until a future date. We tell ourselves “I’ll do this next year” or “I’ll do this when I (fill in the blank)”. But 2020 has taught us that we don’t need to keep pushing things off. We need to do the things we’ve been putting off until a later date. If there’s a goal you’ve been wanting to achieve, there will never be a better time than right now.
We are Capable of Much More than We Think
Despite being thrown an insane amount of curveballs in 2020, we were still able to learn how to work remotely, host Zoom parties with families, have groceries delivered, do schoolwork virtually, and survive a toilet paper crisis.
So in the future, when you fall down and you think you don’t have what it takes to do something, I want you to look back on 2020 and all the things you overcame, and I want you to get back up and remember that you’re capable of much more than you think.
While 2020 was a horrible year in many ways, it did teach us these important lessons which we can use in 2021 and all the years to come.
If you’re ready to tackle those goals you’ve been putting off, there’s no better time than now! Join the free bullet journal challenge today and crush those goals!
