13 Lessons Learned in 2020

Some personal notes to face the year ahead

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

We will remember 2020 as a unique year because there is something invisible that changed the way we approach things in life. It was after all, the year when COVID-19 pandemic happened. This was the time when almost all of us were forced to stay home. Initially, it was as if we were on a long vacation… It is something new for everyone. A lot of uncertainties occurred and the world keep surprising us.

Photo by Manuel Peris Tirado on Unsplash

Despite all the negativity happening in the world, I learned a lot more in the span of six months compared to the previous two years.

I want to write this piece to share what I’ve learned so far in 2020, a year that almost everyone can remember, whether for the bad or the good things.

1. It is nice to go out sometimes. I realized that people do not really have to work from office on a day-to-day basis. They can work from home or any other places and still have the same productivity to create a meaningful work.
2. Time is something that I appreciate more ever since the pandemic. I feel like in the pre-pandemic era I used to treat time like it was nothing. Be frugal not only to your money, but also your time, because time… is money after all.
3. Just do it. The key to success in achieving something is not what you have planned for most of the time, but actually doing and take action towards your goals. You can only get inspired for as long as you act. Motivation comes from the simplest action you take.
4. Nothing lasts forever. Whether it is good or bad, it won’t stay there forever.
5. Prepare for the worst, always. In personal finance for example, never underestimate the importance of emergency fund and health insurance. You can’t also never go wrong with having more than one source of income. Take extra measures in keeping your health and wellbeing.
6. Think bigger than yourself and replace complaints with gratitude. I feel grateful, because lots of bad things happened this year and it affected everyone around the world. Seeing where I am right now I still have my job, having the time to do what I enjoy, and having my families around — those are the things I am grateful of.
7. People could react in an extremely different kinds of ways to COVID-19 outbreak: How they would stay (or not stay) at home, digesting information about the virus, reacting to stock market, etc. From their behavior, we can see that even in this difficult time, some people still care for each other despite their selfishness.
8. Everyone will still be searching for entertainments to keep the feeling of being alive, or simply to avoid being bored from staying at home too long. Some forces themselves to go out and travel, some find solitude at home, some find new hobbies or pickup old interests that they haven’t done for a while.
9. Health is your greatest wealth. Protect it at all costs. Health must be prioritized in all situations.
10. Rationality in decision making is important and you should train yourself to get used to it all the time.
11. We need other people, we can’t stand on our own. There is no shame of asking for help or needing someone to be there for you.
12. Traveling is a luxury taken for granted.
13. Never take things personally.

Personally, I think 2020 has given us enough excitements, pains, suffering, thrills, sadness and happiness. Those rare moments have taught us lessons to face next year with more optimism. All and all, let’s hope for a better and more fulfilling year ahead.

Have a great and pleasant new year everyone!