Five Beneficial Things I Learned in 2020
1. It's important to always have something to look forward to.
Even though I am not a big planner, I definitely like to have things/events/trips to look forward to. I’m talking about anything from dinner with a group of friends to a trip abroad. But when the pandemic started, the pool of ‘things to do’ started to shrink more and more, and I started to realize that there was a lot less to look forward to. It was pretty depressing. And although this was true in some ways, I had to shift my way of thinking otherwise I would have gone crazy. So what I did I do? I started to look forward to the small things. Things that I sometimes took for granted. I now look forward to my daily walk, daily meditation, coffee time with Mike at home, or a weekend hike. My point is this: even though the activities you look forward to doing might not be as exciting as before, it is so important to have SOMETHING to look forward to. Not only will you feel happier, but it will also give you a sense of purpose, which is something we all live for. I also realized that a change of scenery is very important to me. Every few weeks, I try to do something a little different to trick my mind into thinking that I am doing something new and exciting. It really helps!
2. Nothing is permanent.
I’m sure everyone has experienced their fair share of anxiety during this pandemic. The hardest thing for me was the uncertainty of everything and not knowing when things were going to go back to normal. It was really tough, especially in the beginning. But once again, I had to shift my focus and mindset. It was important to remind myself that NOTHING lasts forever and with that in mind, I was able to focus more on the present moment. So whatever I am doing today, and no matter how boring or exciting, enjoy it because it will never happen again. Thinking more about impermanence and spirituality, I decided to sign up for a 100hr Meditation Teacher Training. Initially, my intention was to learn more about various meditation practices and to improve my own meditation practice, but I am slowly realizing that this is something I could teach to others because it is such a great tool to have especially when times get tough. I definitely found the silver lining.
“Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible.”
3. Having a daily to-do list is a great motivator.
I am more of a ‘go with the flow’ type of a person, rather than a planner. When it comes to work, I normally have a weekly to-do list, but I found that having a DAILY to-do list (including work and personal items) was super motivating. I felt really productive and satisfied every time I checked off a an item on my list. Anyone else feel like same? This also helped me focus on one item at a time, instead of a larger task, which I often found very daunting. So for example, I would include things like: Go for a 1 hour walk or Do a 30 minute workout. I think having a physical list and checking things off that list has been a great motivator to keeping me on track for whatever I’m doing.
4. I don’t need more than 10 outfits in my closet.
So this is kind of a funny one, but it’s so true. I have a decent amount of clothes but since the start of the pandemic, I have worn MAYBE 10 outfits in total. When there is nowhere to go, you only need a few shirts and some sweatpants. :D But seriously, I have realized how much money I spent on clothes and how little I really need. I had a similar experience when I went on a year long backpacking trip with Mike. I only had a backpack off stuff and not many clothes or shoes to choose from. But, it was so liberating. Waking up in the morning and figuring out what to wear had never been easier!
5. How to save and invest money.
I have never been good at saving money. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s how to spend less money on things that I don’t really need. I know this is not the case for a lot of people, but thankfully I didn’t turn to online shopping when all the stores closed. I also learned more about the stock market and investing, thanks to Mike. I even opened up a TFSA trading account and bought some stocks. Who am I?
